CPA Bulletin

www.cpa.uk.net CPA Bulletin > February/March 2021 11 CITB CONSENSUS 2021 by Kevin Minton, CPA Chief Executive ASSOCIATION NEWS: 4 KPI CITB seen as credible and reputable adding value to the industry Familiarity with campaigns and careers (young people, influencers, educators) Favourability with campaigns and careers (young people, influencers, educators) Employers say there is a talent pool sufficient to meet industry’s recruitment needs Employers say they can access the training they need in a timely manner Increase in apprenticeship starts in the construction, planning and built environment sector (England only - from sector plan) Employers believe that content and method of training and assessment reflects industry’s need Increase in diversity of sex and ethnicity apprenticeship starts in the construction, planning and built environment sector (England only) Funding commissioned targeted to priority areas Importance of Funding system at maintaining level and quality of training for Industry Importance of Funding system at maintaining level and quality of training for My Firm CITB is a trusted source of information and enhancing our reputation as an insight-led organisation 2019-20 Target 33% net 60% 66% 30% 40% 22,000 39% S 1,150 (5.2%) 50% 70% 55% 55% Result 26% net 61% 65% 22% 34% 22,530 (2018-19)* 17,168 Q2 2019-20 This is -9% than same point of year in 2018-19 34% S 1,450 (6.4%) 25% 68% 51% 49% KPI 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) is required by law to consult with industry about the statutory levy and the grant scheme. This would have happened in 2020, but was delayed due to the pandemic. We are getting ready for it to happen this year, and expect to have confirmation from the CITB Board in late February that it will go ahead. This means that, fromMarch to June, there will be various rounds of consultation with Levy payers, organised through CPA, and also directly fromCITB. The actual consensus “vote” will be frommid June to mid August. CPA has a special role in the consensus as a “Prescribed Organisation”, along with a number of other well-established trade bodies. We will be collecting votes fromMembers in order to return a single response on behalf of the Association, to CITB in August. The Department for Education (DfE) will consider the results and make a decision as to continuance of Levy and of CITB, and we expect to hear the outcome in September. Any changes will start to take effect fromApril 2022. The last time consensus happened was in 2017, and many Members were clear at that time in their views on Levy, grant and CITB. However, many things have changed since then, and there are some important developments that Members should be aware of. The consensus question CITB and DfE lawyers have advised that Levy payers should be asked the following question this year: “Are the (levy) proposals necessary to encourage adequate training in the industry?” Use of the word “necessary” clearly makes this a harder test than the question from the previous consensus process in 2017, which was: “are the levy proposals supported?” The new question takes the emphasis away from the performance of CITB itself, and instead lays it on the fundamental underlying principle of the need for a levy and grant system to encourage adequate training. CPA’s programme FromMarch, we will be contacting all Members individually to confirmwhether you are entitled to “vote”, and who the contact person is. In order to vote, you need to already be a CITB levy payer, or expect to become one this year. We will also be discussing CITB’s offer with membership, and focussing on your views about the consensus question: “Are the (levy) proposals necessary to encourage adequate training in the industry?” CPA Council CITB, levy and grant is frequently discussed at CPA Council. There have been a lot of reports that the plant sector is not getting proper support fromCITB. In the light of this, CPA Council agreed at the December 2020meeting that, when it has received the results of the consensus vote amongst Members, it should consider whether the Levy and grant scheme remains fit for purpose for the plant sector; and whether plant-hire companies should therefore be taken out of the scope of the CITB Levy and grant scheme. The CPA will also be looking at what alternativemethods of delivering plant training and associated functions are available to the sector or that could potentially be developed. Any response from CPA to CITB clearly needs to reflect the views of Members, so please engage with the consultation and discussion process, and be ready to give us your vote in July. We have already conducted some surveys amongst membership, and we’ll be sharing these with you as part of the consultation process. CITB published their Annual Report recently, and it contains some results from a survey conducted across the entire construction industry. We have reproduced these below. The complete CITB Annual Report can be downloaded from https://www. citb.co.uk/documents/about-us/citb_annual_ report_and_accounts_2019_20.pdf