What is the CITB levy used for?

The CITB levy imposed on employers within the construction industry is used to support the development of a skilled workforce. Stacey Underhill, head of external affairs at the Scaffolding Association, provides an overview of the skills development opportunity for the access and scaffolding sector.

The levy applied by CITB – the Construction Industry Training Board – is dedicated to ensuring that the construction workforce has the right skills for both the present and the future, with some of the money raised from the levy allocated to supporting training development through grants and funding and through the offer of apprenticeships.

The Skills and Training Fund

As an employer within the construction industry, there are different ways that you can claim grants and funding from CITB to help develop your workforce. One of these is through the Skills and Training Fund. This fund, which is available every 12 months, supports CITB-registered employers who have up to 99 directly employed staff on their payroll:

• Employers with one to 49 directly employed staff can receive up to £5,000

• Employers with 50 to 74 directly employed staff can receive up to £7,500

• Employers with 75 to 99 directly employed staff can receive up to £10,000

Since its 2015 launch, the Skills and Training Fund has awarded close to £14 million for a number of training projects. However, in 2017/18, only £41,000 was claimed by companies to support the training needs of scaffolders. This low figure demonstrates the current missed opportunity within the access and scaffolding sector to claim funds to boost skills development.

How to apply to claim from the fund

Any company wishing to claim CITB funding must make a formal application which includes:

• Details about your company

• What your current training needs are

• What training you are planning to undertake

• The training provider you are intending to use, and the quality of training that will be delivered

The following are important points to consider when applying for funding:

Company Details

• The person completing the application must be employed by you

• You must be registered with the CITB and provide your registration number

• Including your bank details will reduce the time it takes to receive the funding, if your application is successful

Training Needs

• Clearly describe the problems or opportunities that your company is facing

• Explain how the training solutions you are proposing will address the problems or opportunities you face, and what difference it will make to your business

• Specify who will receive the training, including their job title and role within your organisation

Training

• The Skills and Training Fund is an enhanced incentive for construction courses that attract CITB grant

• Ensure that you provide the name of the training course or training as it appears on course documentation

• List every course or training initiative you are planning on delivering

• If you are looking to fund a course that is not on the CITB-approved list, then there are options for you to submit requests for consideration

• Include the name of the training provider, the start/end dates of the course, and the number of people who will be attending

• If you are VAT registered, exclude the VAT in the amount you are requesting; if you aren’t VAT registered, ensure that you include it in your request

• Include the amount of CITB grant you can claim for each course or training

Training Provider

• Explain how you selected your current training provider

• If possible, include quotes from other providers

The current window for the Skills and Training Fund runs until the 29 March 2020 – an application can be made at any time. The terms and conditions associated with the CITB’s Skills and Training Fund can be read at: www.citb. co.uk/levy-grants-and-funding/grants-funding

How CITB levy funds are distributed to construction employers of all sizes to support training (Source: CITB data from 2017/18 annual statistics).

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