New CITB review delay pushes back levy consultation

Mark Farmer’s long-awaited review of the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has been delayed further, pushing back the body’s consultation on its sector levy.

The report has already been delayed twice, most recently because of the general election and previously in March this year following the resignation of Conservative skills minister Robert Halfon.

In July, the new government promised to publish the review after the summer recess.

However, CITB chief executive Tim Balcon today (19 December) said: “The publication date of the ITB [industry training board] review is not yet confirmed by the Department for Education, meaning we cannot yet confirm the publication date of CITB’s strategic plan.

“Consequently, we have revised the start date of consensus to ensure employers are well informed going into the consensus process.”

Consensus is the three-yearly process where CITB seeks firms’ views on its plans for generating the levy and what it will be spent on.

Farmer was originally appointed in June last year to consider the ongoing need for ITBs, the effectiveness of the skills-levy process, and how it is invested.

He was also tasked with looking at ITBs’ operating models, governance, accountability and impact.

Construction News understands that the review extends to the wider skills issues facing the construction sector, returning to themes first raised in Farmer’s 2016 review, subtitled Modernise or Die.

Following the latest delay to publication of the review, the CITB said that its consultation with the sector will now begin on 17 March next year and continue until 9 May.

Balcon said: “We believe it’s important that, as a body that is led and accountable to industry, we give employers a full picture of how we intend to support the industry over the life of the strategic plan and accompanying levy order.”

CITB said its core focus for the 2026-29 levy consultation is to ensure that exemption and reduction thresholds remain “current and appropriate”.

Mark Farmer told Construction News: Although it is frustrating to still be awaiting the review’s publication nearly a year after it was completed, I welcome the CITB’s decision to delay consensus, allowing its new strategic plan to reflect both the review and the Government’s response.

“In turn the industry can then consider levy proposals in full context.”