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CITB pledges to do more for smaller construction firms

CITB Construction industry training body the CITB has released its annual report and figures show that during 2016 the lion’s share of training grants went to major players in the industry, with smaller companies losing out. The report shows that during 2016 major construction employers made £59.4 million in levy payments and received £52.7 million back in grants and support payments. Small and micro sized firms paid in £92 million and only received back £51 million. So why is there a such a disparity here?

On the right track to supporting the whole industry

The CITB has pledged to redress the balance going forward. Steve Radley, Director of Policy, said: “In 2016, we supported over 13,000 small and micro employers get the training they need to support their business and grow the industry. However, we recognise we must do more for the smaller firms who dominate the sector. Mr Radley went on to explain how the training body plans to do this: “We have already taken steps to support small and micro employers, particularly through the Skills and Training Fund, which has funded £3.4 million worth of training for 762 firms since it began in 2015.” “In addition we are improving our grants scheme, with automated payments, which will make accessing grants easier for smaller firms and a Training Directory which will help them find the right training. Our priority is to make sure the whole industry received the support it needs, and I am confident we are on the right track to doing that”.

Top 10 CITB grant recipients 2016

Construction giant Carillion topped the league table as the biggest benefactor of CITB training funding during 2016. The Top 10 recipients of grants were:
  • Carillion -£6.95 million
  • Kier - £5.2 million
  • O’Rourke - £3.05 million
  • BAM - £2.28 million
  • Balfour Beatty - £2.18 million
  • Barratt Developments - £1.96 million
  • Mears - £1.76 million
  • Keepmoat - £1.52 million
  • Persimmon - £1.49 million
  • Taylor Wimpey - £1.43 million
Click here for the CITB’s full annual report.

Liquid Friday - supporting UK construction workers

The construction industry has always been one of our key sectors and we have been supporting  construction workers for more than 10 years. For that reason, we keep our finger on the pulse of what is happening in UK construction so that we can keep you updated. We believe that whether your business is large or small you should be given the same levels of support and training from the CITB. We welcome their pledge to ramp up support for smaller businesses and look forward to tracking their commitment. Whether you work with us as an umbrella company employee or as a sub-contractor using our CIS service, we are committed to providing an easier contracting experience. That means easy setup, simple pricing and full support from our friendly, straight talking team.   Above all, we’ll go the extra mile to get you paid on time, every time - and we’ll text you when you’ve been paid, so even if you are onsite you’ll know that your money’s on its way. Find out why 100’s of workers in the construction industry choose Liquid Friday to get paid each and every week. Talk to us