CITB chief executive Sarah Beale
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) is to transfer 337 of its staff over to an outsourcing business, as it offloads direct responsibility for a range of functions including apprenticeship processing, HR and some customer operations.
CITB is poised to award a contract to SSCL (Shared Services Connected Ltd), which is a joint venture between the UK Cabinet Office and Sopra Steria.
The training body said the move, part of its Vision 2020 programme, would allow it to take on a more strategic and influential role focusing on “securing the right training mix, high standards and quality assurance”.
A total of 337 employees based in Bircham Newton, London, Thurmaston, Bridgend and Inchinnan, will transfer across to SSCL.
Other functions they look after include HR, finance, procurement and technology and change.
CITB is due to sign the contract with SSCL in early December, after which work with SSCL will start to transition services across.
Sarah Beale, CEO of CITB, said: “Partnerships are at the heart of our Vision 2020 strategy, so that we can achieve more for our industry and modernise our business.
“SSCL is an industry leader in delivering core services to organisations that are similar to CITB. Our new partnership will modernise our systems and bring the latest innovations in service to our customers.
“This next phase of CITB’s modernisation is being delivered on time and as promised to British construction and the government. It will allow CITB to focus on our priorities and become a leaner, more agile organisation that delivers the skills needed by British construction.
“We do not underestimate the impact that this will have on our colleagues, who are incredibly talented and committed. I see the fantastic work they do every day, and this decision to outsource is in no way a reflection on their skills and abilities.
“SSCL’s commitment to staff care and development was an important factor when we were looking at this partnership. We will be working closely in the coming weeks to support CITB colleagues affected by these changes.”
John Neilson, chief executive of SSCL said: “We are pleased SSCL’s proposal to provide enabling partner services has been approved by CITB (the Construction Industry Training Board) and contracts will be signed in early December.
“SSCL will deliver a wide range of business support services to CITB from February 2019. In that process, we remain deeply committed to working with CITB colleagues to ease the transition to the new ways of working.”
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I do not see the point
Should not be allowed to happen.
“Offloads direct responsibility” being the key phrase.
If I had a penny for every time I heard “I didn’t do it” on site.!!!!
CEO Beale in her mad dash to outsource everything appertaining to regulated training seems keen to forget the statutory duties imposed by an Act of Parliament on the CITB in 1965. They, (the CITB) are outsourcing everything claiming that they will then be better placed in their overall strategy and ability to be influential. This is not what the industry expected.
Even the regular CITB reports that appear are outsourced to organisations who can charge tens of thousands of pounds per report.
The industry needs to maintain a very close scrutiny on the CITB.