Support is tempered by strong calls for reform

Members of the Civil Engineering Contractors Association have thrown their support behind the CITB levy ahead of a major review of the training body’s funding

Seventy-seven per cent of engineers surveyed by the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) said they supported the levy system, in a rare vote put to levy payers.

The CITB is required by law to attract “consensus support” behind its levy. It does this by asking 14 industry federations to consult their members, although these federations rarely put a vote to their own members.

Alasdair Reisner, director of external affairs at the CECA, said its members’ support was tempered by strong calls for reform. “Our members are calling for greater simplification of the grant system and better targeting of funds.

“They want greater evidence they are getting back what they put in.”

But Reisner said CECA was encouraged by news last week that the CITB will provide £25m of extra funding for training over three years from 2012.

Last week Building revealed CECA will take part in a major review of the levy system in the face of threats to the CITB’s main source of income.

The Levy Working Party will meet for the first time on 28th March.

As well as putting a vote to 14 industry federations, the CITB also conducts a survey of 1000 non-federated employers to determine support for its levy.

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