A consultation is to be held on how the Construction Industry Training Board's (CITB) levy could work alongside the Government's Apprenticeship Levy.

The Consensus process is scheduled to begin next year.

The event will give industry employers the chance to state their views on how the CITB levy could be reshaped for a potential new Levy Order for 2018 and on the support from CITB that this could fund.

By 2017, firms with a payroll of over £3 million will be required to pay both levies in order to increase the number of apprentices in the UK.

-- Advertisement --

The CITB will also re-establish the Levy Working Party, which will be formed by representatives from across the industry who will work up different options for a potential new CITB levy.

The consultation timeline requires a temporary transition arrangement, for 2017 only, to mitigate the impact on firms in scope to both the Apprenticeship Levy and the CITB levy.

However, CITB will help companies to claim back much of their contribution to the CITB Levy through enhanced funding for training they undertake.

Steve Radley, Director of Policy at CITB, said: "The Apprenticeship Levy means a big change for our industry and CITB needs to adapt accordingly. Industry has asked us to allow the time for a proper Consensus, so we can listen to employers and together come up with a solution that will work for the whole of construction.

"We are currently working with industry to agree the mechanics of the transition arrangements and will announce this in early July."

(LM)