We’re committed to driving the evolution of workforce development, professional standards, and training opportunities, particularly with the UK construction industry facing an urgent skills shortage. We believe it is essential to ensure that training systems are fit for purpose, accessible, and aligned with industry needs.
The 2023 Industry Training Board (ITB) review summary report presents a bold road-map for transforming workforce development, improving training accessibility, and modernising the levy-grant system. The recommendations in this report aim to enhance workforce competency, retention, and adaptability, positioning the industry for long-term resilience. Here, we explore the key recommendations and their potential impact.
Key Strategic Recommendations
- Retaining the ITB Model – The ITB model will remain but must evolve to meet modern workforce challenges, ensuring strategic alignment with industry needs.
- Modernising the Levy-Grant System – While the statutory levy-grant system will stay, reforms will focus on measurable outcomes, ensuring funding is used effectively to support skills growth.
- Merging CITB and ECITB – A single industry body will streamline workforce development, improving efficiency and impact across the sector.
- Core Strategic Objectives – Workforce competency, productivity, and retention will become the central focus of ITB operations, ensuring sustainable long-term growth.
- Refocusing Funding – The balance between apprenticeships and upskilling existing workers will be restructured to provide more flexible and scalable learning opportunities.
- Strategic Workforce Planning – A new jobs brokerage and workforce planning platform will improve the way skills gaps are addressed and create smoother entry points into construction careers.
- New Talent Attraction Strategy – Industry bodies, rather than the ITB, will take a leading role in talent attraction and outreach, ensuring more targeted recruitment.
- Redefining Career Pathways – Occupational and qualification standards will be modernised to provide greater career flexibility and progression.
- Enhancing Training Providers – A more robust and accountable training provider network will be developed to ensure higher-quality learning.
- Introducing a Digital Skills Passport – A new industry-wide digital skills passport will track worker competency, qualifications, and training in real time, helping to police industry standards.
- Leveraging Public Procurement – Government procurement processes will be used to drive up-skilling initiatives, ensuring companies prioritise training and workforce development.
- Legislative Adjustments – The scope of construction industry training legislation will be refined to ensure greater fairness and consistency.
Tactical & Operational Changes
- Financial Compliance & Transparency – ITBs will enhance financial oversight, ensuring investments demonstrate clear returns.
- Investment Justification – Future funding decisions must be communicated effectively with measurable impacts.
- Efficiency Savings – A 5% efficiency saving target will be introduced to reduce waste and reliance on external consultants.
- Faster Levy Payments – The levy system will be streamlined to reduce time lags between returns and payments, ensuring quicker access to funds for training.
- Stronger Government Engagement – ITBs will work more closely with government and devolved administrations to shape future training strategies.
What This Means for the Industry
The construction sector is at a crossroads—without significant reform, the industry will struggle to meet current and future demands. The IOC welcomes the ITB review’s focus on upskilling, workforce retention, and competency-based training. A stronger levy-grant system, streamlined career pathways, and digital tracking of skills will help ensure that the next generation of carpenters, joiners, and tradespeople are better prepared for the evolving industry landscape.
We are also delighted to see an emphasis on collaboration between industry bodies, including CITB, ECITB, and wider trade associations. The IOC is committed to playing an active role in shaping and implementing these recommendations, ensuring our members—and the industry as a whole—benefit from a more structured, sustainable, and forward-thinking training system.
The ITB review is a call to action. Now is the time for industry leaders, businesses, and training providers to work together in shaping a competent, resilient, and highly skilled construction workforce for the future.