Nearly £690 million is to be invested into industry skills by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) over the next three years.

The organisation has revealed its Vision 2020: Business Plan for 2018 – 2021, a reforming programme of work designed to modernise the business and relentlessly focus on skills.

The strategy has been based on feedback from levy-payers, industry and the Government's ITB Review. It outlines how CITB will become the focused, strategic skills body for British construction, as well as adding onto the 'Agenda for Change' published last year.

Key investment priorities include;

• £613m on Training and Development to deliver skills outcomes

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• £31m on Engagement, securing the skills policy framework

• £17m on Careers, increasing from £3m in 2018/19 to £8m in 2020/21

• £9m on building CITB's evidence base, identify needs and delivering outcomes

• £4m on Standards and Qualifications, providing consistency and quality

In addition, the Business Plan contains a road-map of milestones as CITB modernises, exiting direct delivery and focusing on skills outcomes. This includes sharing more detail on the Vision 2020 programme so that the construction sector can chart CITB's progress.

However, the changes will result in CITB reducing its workforce of around 1,370 employees to fewer than 600 by 2020/21.

Reforms highlighted in the Plan are underway, with the introduction of CITB's Training Model and new Grant scheme earlier this month.

CITB Chief Executive Sarah Beale, said: "CITB has listened, and we have now taken action. This Business Plan sets out our ambitions for the next three years.

"It shows how CITB's work across England, Scotland and Wales will modernise and repurpose. By 2020 we will be the 'levy in, skills out' body construction employers asked for, doing less, better, while being fully transparent and accountable.

"I am confident that this Business Plan will make a radical difference to CITB, enabling us to meet the skills needs of construction."

(LM)