CITB cuts grants as income falls and claims rise

CITB-ConstructionSkills is cutting training grant payments by 10% as a result of a fall in the levy payments due to the recession. The 10% across-the board cut takes effect next month but will not apply to apprenticeship and undergraduate grants, where rates remain unaffected.

While the organisation said it remained committed to paying ВЈ1 in grant for every ВЈ1 received in levy, but last year grants claimed amounted to ВЈ176m – some ВЈ20m more than planned - which is unsustainable. New forecasts have also indicated Levy income will fall significantly more than expected in 2010 and will not recover to current levels until at least 2014.

In addition to cutting grants, the CITB is reducing the Supplementary payments (made to firms which pay the Levy on or before the due date) from 20% to 10%. This follows an earlier cut from 25% when grants for the Health & Safety Test, Investors in People and OSAT profiling were also removed. ADVERTISEMENT

 
 
BAM’s Chris Jones who chairs the Grants Scheme Working Party said: “In an ideal world, we wouldn’t reduce grant rates, but the recession is forcing businesses to make tough decisions and unfortunately, we are no different. This has been a very tough decision – regrettable but essential in the current climate.”