Brian Berry

Responding to the UK Government’s consultation on the future of the industry training boards, the FMB warned that a merger between CITB and ECITB risks weakening the voice of small building firms unless major reforms are built into the new structure.

The FMB has said there is no clear evidence that a single, unified training board would improve skills outcomes for small and micro building companies. It argues that the biggest risk is that the needs of SMEs, which make up most construction businesses, could be pushed aside in a larger, more centralised organisation.

The FMB is also clear that reform is needed regardless of whether the merger goes ahead. If the government proceeds, the new body must be set up in a way that gives smaller firms a stronger voice and delivers better value for levy-paying employers.

That means formally integrating Prescribed Organisations into the governance structure, improving accountability and transparency around decision making and levy spend, and creating a more collaborative, industry-first culture.

Brian Berry, chief executive of the FMB, said: “Small building companies are not convinced this merger is being driven by what is best for them or for construction skills more broadly. The government has not made a clear case for how merging CITB and ECITB would improve outcomes for small builders, and there is a real risk that the voice of smaller firms will be diluted even further in a larger organisation with the introduction of large multinational engineering firms.”

Berry added: “If the Department for Work and Pensions is determined to press ahead, it must ensure the new organisation is built around the reality of the construction sector. That means giving representative bodies a formal place in governance, being far more transparent about how decisions are made and how levy funding is spent and shifting to a culture that listens to and works alongside the industry.

“Without those changes, small builders will once again be asked to pay in without getting the support they need back out.”