The UK Governments Kickstart scheme to help 18-24 year olds get back into work is now accepting applications and we’d like to let you know that if you want to offer a fully funded job placement for a young person, we can apply on your behalf for the scheme. (otherwise you need to be able to offer at least 30 job placements yourselves). The scheme will pay the wages (National Minimum Wage), employer National Insurance and pension contributions for 6 months. The posts need be new and must include employability and employment support (which is where we can help you).

I’ve attached a link for you to find out some general information about the scheme.

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/kickstart-scheme

We are registered as an intermediary representative (someone who can apply for the Kickstart grant on your behalf) but we’re not showing up on the Government website yet as there is a backlog of entries awaiting an update.

This link gives you a better outline of what the 6 month job placements should offer:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-you-can-apply-for-a-grant-through-the-kickstart-scheme

As an intermediary representative, we’ll help you with the employability support aspect. There is a £1500 grant attached to each placement for this compulsory support which has to be evidenced. We will help you to deliver this and we’ll negotiate what portion of the grant is needed to cover this. Some representatives are keeping all of the grant to provide the employability support which means none of it goes to the employer, which we think is unfair. So we’ll work with you to find the best solution for any job placements you can offer.

Job placements can start from 1 November 2020 to 1 July 2021 and must be completed by 31 December 2021.

The details I need from you at this stage, if you’d like to offer Kickstart placements are:

• Employer name, address, email, website and telephone number
• Companies House Number
• Number of job placements offered
• Titles of roles for job placements offered

I’m submitting our bid by 12noon Friday 9 October, so would really appreciate if you could get back to me as soon as possible.

Many thanks

Libby

Liberty Bligh

Chief Executive

01463 417240  07923 934247

www.libertie.co.uk

Good afternoon,

I hope you are having a good week. This week’s topics include changes to the Skills and Training Fund; an extension of the grace period for SMSTS and SSSTS achievements; and the launch of new Fairness, Inclusion & Respect Resources ahead of National Inclusion Week. There’s also a note about the CLC’s update to Site Operating Procedures.

Skills and Training Fund reverts to original purpose

In spring this year the eligibility criteria for the Skills & Training Fund for SME & micro-sized constructions companies (less than 100 employees), as well as the new fund for medium sized companies (100 – 250 employees), were adapted to recognise the immediate challenges being faced by industry as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund adaptions enabled hundreds of businesses to gain funding for urgent training needs, either for construction specific activity or for Leadership & Management training during this crisis.

As the industry begins to reset, we feel it is the appropriate time for the fund to revert back to its original purpose, to support productivity and innovation – a cornerstone of our recently released Strategic Plan, but with the ability to be flexible should requirements change. From the 30 November 2020, the interim COVID-19 rules will be suspended. Any applications from 1 December 2020 will be reviewed under the original fund rules that can be found here.

Site Safety Plus (SSP) Lapsed Certificates Extension

As part of CITB’s COVID-19 support to industry we agreed a period of time to extend the expiry date of certificates (grace period) for those employees whose Site Management Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS) or Site Supervision Safety Training Scheme (SSSTS) achievements expired after 15 March 2020.

As part of our promise of flexibility due to the current high demand for courses, this grace period has been extended until 30 November 2020 to support those delegates who are unable to access the relevant refresher course due to the current situation.

If you have any queries please contact sitesafetyplus@citb.co.uk

Fairness, Inclusion & Respect: CITB backs new CECA learning resource

Even before the pandemic, construction recruitment faced the challenges of an ageing workforce, a lack of diversity and the pending implications of Brexit, so it is more important than ever to build inclusive cultures across all parts of our industry.

As part of National Inclusion Week (28 September-4 October 2020), we see a launch of a suite of new learning materials that will help drive positive change in the sector. The new resources, were part funded by CITB Levy, developed by CECA and the Supply Chain Sustainability School with a steering group of leading industry stakeholders and endorsed by the Construction Leadership Council

These resources will help drive the positive change we need to attract new entrants from a wider range of backgrounds to our sector, to retain them to work with us and demonstrate construction is the rewarding career we know it to be for everyone.

More details can be found here.

CITB Site Safety Checklists Update – Face Coverings

Following government updates last week on further Covid-19 safety measures, the CLC have released separate guidance on face coverings. Our Covid-19 Site safety checklists and forms have now been updated on our website  to ensure that those who are permitted and able to return to work have a clear understanding of how they can apply the CLC’s Covid-19 guidance in practice.

A reminder…

CITB’s COVID-19 Urgent Messages page is refreshed daily and includes updates on the full range of our work.

You can also read the range of support measures made available to UK businesses and employees by the UK Government.

Finally I would like to wish you, your colleagues and families a safe and pleasant week ahead.

Kind wishes,

Sarah Beale

Chief Executive

2020 Levy Return
Your Levy Return is available to complete online. Please log into your account at my.citb.co.uk to complete and submit your Levy Return.

Need help ?
Our Guidance Notes will help you and can be found online on our website. If you need any additional help completing your Levy Return, please do not hesitate to contact us:

1. Webchat via the Levy pages on our website
2. Call 0344 994 4455
3. Email levy.grant@citb.co.uk

Statutory requirement
You must complete an annual Levy Return even if you don’t need to pay the Levy, as it is a statutory requirement. There are exemptions and reductions for small businesses, for full details click here.

Benefits to your business
By completing your annual Levy Return you are entitled to claim in the 2020/21 Grants Scheme. Grants are available for apprenticeships, qualifications and short duration training courses.

For more information, click here.

However, if you do not submit your Levy Return by 30 November 2020, all outstanding grant payments will be withheld until we receive your Levy Return.

Kind regards

Customer Operations

As you will be aware the HSE allowed an extension to first aid certificates that needed to be refreshed after 16/03/2020. This was set to 30/09/2020 in the assumption that those needing training would be able to access that training. With additional disruption the HSE have extended this timeline.

Here is what they have posted:

FAW or EFAW certificates that expired after 16 March 2020 can remain valid until 31 October 2020 or 6 months from date of expiry, whichever is later. All requalification training for these certificates should be completed by 31 March 2021.

To qualify for the extension, employers must be able to demonstrate that:

they have made every effort to arrange requalification training as soon as possible and can explain in detail why they have not been able to do so. For example, they must show evidence that staff with expired certificates are booked on to EFAW or FAW requalification courses, if requested by an inspector
they have adequate and appropriate equipment and facilities to give first aid to any employee who is injured or becomes ill at work
the level of first aid cover provided remains appropriate for their particular work environment
the level of first aid provision necessary in high risk settings is fully maintained, eg in construction, agriculture, engineering and chemicals

This guidance now applies to employers in England, Scotland and Wales.
(Full details here: https://tinyurl.com/y59c539t)

So if a learners certificate expired on 05/07/2020 they will need to requalify by 05/01/2021.
If someone’s certificate expired on 20/03/2020 they will need to requalify by 31/10/2020.
If someone’s certificate is dues to expire on 20/11/2020 they have until 31/03/2021.

Here is the link to this years Skill & Training Funding information – Skills-and-training-fund for SME’s

Please note: in order to manage a significant reduction in the budget available to support these funds in 2020/21, it will only be possible to support the top scoring applications each month.  In order to maximise your chance of success please read the guidance notes carefully, fully answer all questions and do not exceed your funding allowance.

 

CITB Urgent Messages – Site Safety Plus: https://www.citb.co.uk/urgent-messages/

SSP certificate expiry

During the COVID-19 crisis, CITB provided a grace period for delegates whose SMSTS/SSSTS achievement had expired after 15 March 2020. The grace period allowed delegates who were unable to access a refresher course before their certificate expired until the 30th September 2020 to join onto a SSSTS / SMSTS refresher, instead of having to sit the full course.

We have continued to review this situation and we have decided to extend this grace period to support those delegates who are unable to access the relevant refresher course due to the current high demand.

All delegates now have until 30 November 2020 to join a SSSTS/SMSTS refresher course, if their current certificate expired after the 15 March 2020.

If you have any questions, please email: sitesaeftyplus@citb.co.uk

Last updated: 15 September 2020

Good afternoon,

Today’s email contains a summary of the key aims and initiatives set out in our new Strategic Plan 2021-25; a reminder of the deadline for completing your Levy Return; and details of the Construction Leadership Council’s (CLC) latest People Survey.

Yesterday evening, the Prime Minister advised the nation to return to working from home, where possible. We appreciate that a push in this direction once again, may mean more agility is required from businesses. We will continue to review and update our supporting materials for the Site Operating Procedures guidance, in line with government direction.

Addressing skills challenges for construction – Strategic Plan 2021-25

We’re sharing our new Strategic Plan 2021-25 with you today, which sets out the key skills challenges for the construction industry and what CITB will do to address them. You can watch a video about our new Strategic Plan and how this links back to our recently published Annual Review here.

We expect COVID-19 to have a lasting impact on skills provision, creating an increased demand to protect specialist skills. We have built in flexibility so that we can respond if requirements change, using our experience and conversations with industry to understand the issues.

Due to reduced income, it will be essential that we focus on a smaller number of priorities to modernise and improve productivity, with greater access to training. We’ll help employers address gaps in provision, make training accessible and target funding where it’s needed, including through the Grants Scheme.

Some of the initiatives within the plan include:

• Support 28,000 taster experiences of construction and help potential new entrants understand the opportunities available through Go Construct
• Create a new pathway between Further Education and employment for 8,000 learners, including 1,600 apprenticeship starts
• Give 19,000 people onsite experience to prepare them to start work in construction
• £500m of grants and funding (77% of Levy) into direct employer funding – to help employers invest in training to rebuild after the pandemic and subsequently to modernise and boost productivity.

Together, we can build a productive workforce equipped in high quality, transferable, core and emerging skills that will pave the way for recovery. You can read more in our Strategic Plan 2021-25.

Levy Proposals and the 2020 Levy Return

In an earlier email this month, we informed you of our latest Levy Proposals, which we are proposing should be used in the Levy Assessment to be raised in August 2021. As well as a cut in Levy rates by 50% for all employers, the proposals will also mean that an extra 5,000 small employers will no longer have to pay any CITB Levy.

These rates will be applied to the information you provide in your 2020 Levy Return (covering 6^th April 2019 – 5^th April 2020), which you’ll receive for completion at the end of this month. All Levy Registered Employers have a requirement to complete this and submitting your Levy Return by 30 November 2020 allows you to access our 2020/21 Grants Scheme, and ensures that any outstanding grant payments can be made.

If you have any questions on how to complete your Levy Return, please contact us on 0344 994 4455 or email levy.grant@citb.co.uk. You can also complete your return online here.

People Survey – Share your views

The results of the first industry-wide People Survey, carried out by the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) in June and reported in Retaining Talent in Construction, helped to secure funding and support for key initiatives.

To understand the ongoing impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the construction workforce, the CLC has launched a second People Survey. The information gathered from responses helps us to understand the appropriate action required, identify the right priorities and influence government support for the areas of greatest need.

Please complete the online survey which should take no longer than 10 minutes by Friday 2 October. The information provided will be confidential with no company details required.

A reminder…

CITB’s COVID-19 urgent messages page is refreshed daily and includes updates on the full range of our work. You can also read the range of support measures made available to UK businesses and employees by the UK Government.

I would like to wish you, your colleagues and family a safe and productive week ahead.

Kind wishes,

Sarah Beale

Chief Executive

CITB is currently looking to recruit employers and other experienced members of the Construction Industry community to join the newly formed Levy Strategy Committee (LSC). The LSC is replacing the Levy Working Party (LWP) which has worked with CITB over the last 10 years to develop and recommend Levy Proposals for the last three Levy Orders (as well as those for the 2021 Levy Order). The LSC will continue this work for the 2022 Levy Order as well as supporting a longer-term fundamental review of Levy to ensure the way Levy operates remains fit for purpose in the future.

If you, or anyone else in your network holds a senior position within a CITB registered employer (of any size) or another organisation working in the Construction Industry and you are interested in helping inform and deliver on the CITB Levy for the future then more information can be found here.

The deadline for submissions is Friday 25^th September.

It is important to note that a good knowledge of the CITB Levy is needed – as stated in the Terms of Reference for the LSC. Please be aware that the focus of this group will be on how the Levy is generated, not how it is reinvested into industry.

Please get in touch if you would like more information.

Kind Regards

Julia

Julia Stevens

Partnership Manager (Training Groups)

M: +44 (0)7342 061 705

E:  julia.stevens@citb.co.uk

W: www.citb.co.uk

Good afternoon,

I hope you’re having a good week. Today’s email announces the publication of our Annual Review showing how we supported the construction industry over 2019-20. There is a reminder about claiming for training against updated Standards, an update on the Degree Placement Work Experience Grant, and invitations to support the Construction Talent Retention Scheme and to join the Levy Strategy Committee.

 Annual Review

Our Annual Review sets out what we did to support industry in 2019-20, before COVID-19 arrived. It also outlines how work has continued during this year as part of the Skills Stability Plan launched in June.

You can read the Annual Review here.

Key highlights include; the Construction Skills Fund (CSF) hubs delivered more than 13,000 employment- and site-ready individuals in 2019-20. While CSF is being extended to 2021, we will set up new construction hubs for the next four years across the country to train thousands more people.

Similarly, in the past year a total of 26,662 individual training courses have been added to the Construction Training Directory and 337,592 short duration training achievements have been added to 263,309 learner records on the Construction Training Register, with an average of 31,000 grants processed per month.

 Updating Standards 

CITB regularly updates Standards, releasing new ones, deactivating others and creating new grant eligible training (GET) codes for those that have moved from development to full Standards. When making a grant claim it is important to use the correct code and Standard name to help get the payments to you as quickly as possible.

The Grant Codes for Short Duration standards list has the most up to date information, and all upcoming changes can be found in the Construction Training Directory section here. 

 Degree Placement Work Experience Grant update

Following the recent announcement on Degree Placement Work Experience grant, we have made some further updates regarding eligibility dates.

We are now applying the £10,000 cap to claims from 1 October 2020 to 30 September 2021. All claims relating to the period before this will be paid as normal and not included in the cap. Find out more.

 Levy Strategy Committee recruitment

We’re recruiting members for the CITB Levy Strategy Committee which represent the views of industry across England, Scotland and Wales on the development of the 2022 Levy Proposals and the longer term strategy for the Levy. You can find out more here – the deadline for applications is 25 September.

 Construction Talent Retention Scheme – follow and support

The Construction Talent Retention Scheme (TRS) is growing from strength to strength with more employers and candidates signing up to the portal on a daily basis. To continue to show your support for the platform, please follow the Construction TRS on LinkedIn.

 A reminder…

CITB’s COVID-19 Urgent Messages page is refreshed daily and includes updates on the full range of our work. You can also read the range of support measures made available to UK businesses and employees by the UK Government.

I would like to wish you, your colleagues and family a safe and pleasant week ahead.

Kind wishes,

Sarah Beale

Chief Executive

Good afternoon,

I hope you’re having a good week. Today’s email contains details about CITB’s Levy Proposals and Strategic Plan, as well as an update on the Leadership and Management Fund.

Levy proposals and Strategic Plan 2021-25

CITB has approached the Department for Education (DfE) with its latest Levy Proposals, which will include cutting 2021-22 Levy rates by 50% for all employers. In addition, by raising the Small Business Levy Exemption threshold for employers with wage bills under  £120,000, the proposals also see an extra 5,000 small employers paying no CITB Levy at all.

The proposals were formulated following conversations with industry leaders, stakeholders and a cross section of employers during the summer on what the priorities for construction are and how to fund them.

The Skills Stability Plan 2020-21, launched just over two months ago, reshaped our immediate support for employers. The Strategic Plan, to be published later in September, looks at how CITB can best support industry through to 2025 and how we will fund this. The effect COVID-19 will have in future is very uncertain, so we have built in flexibility to adapt and respond quickly if needs change.

Leadership & Management Fund Applications

 Applications for the Leadership & Management Fund, set up to support large levy registered businesses to invest in developing the leadership, management or supervisory skills of their staff, closed on 31 July 2020. We can now confirm that 38 bids valued at just over £2.2 million were provisionally approved for funding to support a full range of projects. Once we have spoken to all bidders, we will publish the full list of successful bids.

We believe this substantial investment will provide a major boost to companies as the sector emerges from the pandemic. Some of the investment will see innovative ways to extend leadership training across the business, including some assisting their supply chains develop, to support a consistent approach for companies.

All applicants are being contacted with their outcomes and information about alternative external funding provided where possible. The results of this initial one-year fund will be used to guide subsequent investment, so that more businesses of all sizes can benefit.

A reminder…

CITB’s COVID-19 Urgent Messages page is refreshed daily and includes updates on the full range of our work. You can also read the range of support measures made available to UK businesses and employees by the UK Government.

I would like to wish you, your colleagues and family a safe and pleasant week ahead.

Kind wishes,

Sarah Beale

Chief Executive