As CITB, the Sector Skills Council, with our partners, the Construction Industry Council (CIC) and CITB Northern Ireland, we take a leadership role for the industry on skills addressing skills challenges through:
Our Strategic Plan - Sector Skills Agreement
CITB is a partnership between CITB, The Construction Industry Council (CIC) and CITB-ConstructionSkills Northern Ireland.
We are committed to working together and with our industry, to deliver industry-led skills and training solutions through the Sector Skills Agreement for construction (SSA).
We aim to provide a coordinated sector-based approach to skills, giving the industry one voice on its training needs.
We negotiate the best partnership and funding deals for the construction industry, help raise standards and develop the skills products and services employers need.
Sector Skills Agreement
As a Sector Skills Council (SSC) and with our partners, CITB-ConstructionSkills Northern Ireland and CIC, we work in partnership with employers, training providers, other stakeholders and government to address key skills issues in the construction industry. The series of formal agreements which define and shape this role, together form the Sector Skills Agreement (SSA)
Our priorities are decided by the challenges that the construction industry faces.
Leadership Challenge
Providing industry leadership on skills and leadership training for employers:
- Working across the industry to raise investment in skills
- Using our well-respected research data on future skills needs to influence Government policy
- Addressing employers’ leadership and management needs
- Developing industry standards to improve Fairness, Inclusion and Respect
Productivity Challenge
- Helping our industry to compete
- Working to qualify experienced workers
- Improving health, safety and environment awareness and competence on site
- Helping employers’ review their business skills needs and improve them cost-effectively
- Establishing productivity benchmarks for the industry
- Developing guidance on Building Information Modelling (BIM) and facilitating improved knowledge and skills for employers
Low Carbon Challenge
- Building knowledge on industry’s future skills needs and sharing practical solutions
- Working to influence over policy and funding for low-carbon skills
Employer Engagement Challenge
- Promoting investment in training and development
- Diagnosing skills needs and identifying solutions
- Working with all types of employer groups to reach more businesses
Recruitment & Retention Challenge
- Keeping the pipeline of talent flowing
- Promoting and delivering apprenticeships
- Influencing the construction-related curriculum
- Working to support undergraduates
- Information, advice and guidance on qualifications and careers for potential recruits, parents, guardians and advisors
- Researching methods to increase employer confidence in the quality of training provision
Education & Training Challenge
- Working with providers to deliver ‘right skills, right place, right time’
- Working with providers to ensure industry’s current and future skills needs are met with efficient, affordable and high quality training
- Using our authoritative understanding of skills provision to influence government funding
- Developing innovative ways of working with schools, colleges, and universities to stimulate interest in careers in the built environment
Our Construction Skills Strategy - 2012-2017
The Construction Skills Strategy for 2012-2017 replaces the Construction Qualification Strategy 2006-2011.
The aim of the strategy, is to identify industry-wide education and training needs for 2012 – 2017 that will equip learners with the skills needed by employers.
It follows major changes to the education and training landscape since the strategy was officially adopted in 2007, including the rollout of the Vocational Qualifications Reform Programme and widespread reform of 14 -19 learning and Higher Education Funding.
The HSE report into competence has also identified the need to confirm the industry’s definition of competence.
The Construction Skills Strategy consultation comprising a number of industry and nation-wide groups focused on six main areas to include:
- Apprenticeships
- Competence
- Card Schemes
- Management & Supervision
- Low Carbon
- Careers Development
Purpose of the Skills Strategy
This Skills Strategy touches remits and areas of work for CITB and the SSC Construction Skills, and relates to the whole UK construction sector.
Across all UK industries, employers and employees are saying they need enhanced skills and knowledge in order to do their jobs more effectively and to make their businesses more profitable in an increasingly competitive global marketplace.
Rather than just focus on qualifications people consider the overall priority as not only the formal training they need but on the skills they develop and need throughout their working lives and for that reason we have elected to call this the "Construction Skills Strategy ".
It sets our intentions for the next five years in terms of strategic direction to ensure the industry has the right skills at the right time in the right place.
Strategic Objectives
Following a robust consultation the following ten Strategic Objectives have been set by industry as priority:
- Promote and embed the new definition of competence, throughout the construction and built environment industries and within education and training provision
- Promote the concept of the ‘journey to competence’ with an emphasis on continuing development and improvement as a key element of the new competence at all levels of the industry and education and training provision
- Improve the effectiveness of industry card/certification schemes, ensuring alignment to the new definition of competence
- Identify and implement more strategic and effective mechanisms for allocating grants, and lobby for funding structures and allocations of public funding to more accurately meet industry needs
- Improve education and training structures to support the changing nature of the industry and future needs and increase the effectiveness of the industry
- Promote the industry’s opportunities in order to attract and retain talent from all target groups
- Significantly improve the effectiveness of, and support for, owner-managers, supervisors and managers
- Address industry needs for new technologies
- Continue the drive for a qualified workforce via:
- quality apprenticeships at all appropriate levels
- fit for purpose occupational and vocational qualifications that meet industry needs
The research from the Construction Skills Strategy is being used to support the development of the new business activity plans, with the objectives and associated actions being distributed accordingly.
Our contribution to skills and training through our own CITB business plan
Our CITB corporate business plan
The 2013-2015 Business Plan provides an overview of where we will be focusing our efforts and resources, how we will be working and what we intend to achieve over the next three years.
Our CITB Business Plan was developed in response to a number of external factors. As the economic climate remains bleak, the construction industry depends on us now more than ever and it is essential that we continue to provide the support they need. In particular, six industry challenges were identified as a result of extensive consultation with employers and stakeholders across all nations and the 2013-2015 Business Plan positions us in the best place to be able to address these.
The plan also takes into account the specific objectives of the government Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) which is our sponsoring department, as well as the three nation’s governments’ emerging policies.
The Business Plan focuses on the priorities identified through research, our expertise and industry experience and is informed by the Government’s current and emerging policy. It sets out a challenging programme of activity that has the flexibility to respond to changing needs and demands.
And we haven’t lost sight of the imperative of providing great value for the Levy by working efficiently and effectively so developments in the way we run our business, and improve our services to customers and stakeholders, have also been set out in the plan.
You can read the interactive 2013-2015 Business Plan or download the printer friendly PDF of the 2013-2015 Business Plan. Alternatively, you can read the Welsh version of the 2013-2015 Business Plan.