CITB is seeking industry consent again to continue with this unfair system. We believe the quango, which dates back to 1964, is well past its sell-by date and needs major reform. That’s why we launched the biggest-ever independent survey of business views on CITB’s levy and grant scheme. We asked our customer base of 2,500 construction SMEs about their experience of the scheme and its effectiveness.
We are democratising the ‘consensus' process and giving a voice to the dynamic owner-managed businesses, the lifeblood of our sector. These are the companies that are subjected to the levy and are expected to stand in line, bowl in hand, in the hope of being handed a grant. Their verdict doesn’t make pretty reading for CITB or the major contractors which do very nicely out of the grant scheme. You can view the findings here
Construction companies overwhelmingly (87 per cent) want to scrap direct funding of CITB, according to our survey. In addition, 80 per cent of companies arrange and pay for training for which they receive no CITB funding, demonstrating the industry delivers skills development without quango support. But 89 per cent are forced to pay the training levy regardless of whether they receive any benefit. No wonder 87 per cent say it’s time to scrap the levy. Further, only one in five firms are members of CITB-approved consensus federations. Which suggests why 92 per cent are happy to be represented by Hudson in levy consultation. Our findings are being independently verified by a leading international market research firm.
Hudson is proposing an alternative model to reduce costs for industry, cut red tape and put more money into government coffers. It will result in a better trained and continually upgrading workforce - employed or self-employed - and improved health and safety. Most importantly, it will help plug the skills gap in the construction industry. Hudson is consulting on the model with its 2,500-strong client base, HM Treasury, HM Revenue and Customs, MPs and a number of trade federations.
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