About the ECITB

What is the ECITB?

The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) is the skills, standards and qualifications body with statutory responsibility for the development of the engineering construction workforce of Great Britain. We work with employers and training providers to attract, develop and qualify the engineering construction workforce in a wide range of craft, technical and professional disciplines. The ECITB is an arms-length body of the UK Government, reporting to its sponsor, the Department for Education.

An employer-led registered charity, the ECITB invests about £25 million each year to support skills development within the industry. This includes providing technical, management and professional training and supporting apprenticeships and careers programmes.

What is the engineering construction industry?

Engineering construction is a specialised industry that underpins the delivery, maintenance and decommissioning of the UK’s critical infrastructure. It operates across the oil and gas, nuclear and renewables sectors, as well as major process industries, such as chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food processing, water and waste treatment.

Nuclear

Power Generation

Oil & Gas

Chemical

Water Treatment

Pharmaceutical

Food & Drink

Renewables

The engineering construction industry makes up more than one-fifth of the total UK economy and supports the nation’s critical infrastructure. According to a report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research, around 190,000 jobs are directly supported by engineering construction. The study suggests that the wider economy benefits to the tune of almost three quarters of a million jobs and £325 billion in annual turnover.

What does the ECITB do?

The ECITB (known formerly as the Engineering Industry Training Board) was established in 1964 by the Industrial Training Act (ITA). It became the ECITB in 1991. The broad purpose of organisation is to meet the specialist skills needs of the engineering construction industry and to address the market failure in training provision that affects the industry. The industry carries out work that is project-based and cyclical, which means the demand for skilled engineers fluctuates. The workforce is highly mobile and many workers are employed on temporary contracts or self-employed. This means that employers see few incentives to train their staff. The ECITB addresses this market failure through its levy and grant system, which is used to drive up skill levels and incentivise training that would otherwise not take place.

The ECITB plays a vital role, along with the education sector, government and employers, in ensuring the UK has workers with the skills to meet the needs of the engineering construction industry. We design and award a wide range of qualifications, covering craft, technical and managerial disciplines. We are also responsible for developing and maintaining National Occupational Standards for the industry, which form the basis of our Training Standards, Vocational Qualifications, Technical Tests and Licensed Programmes, delivered by our approved network of training provider. We also quality assure the delivery of these products.

What are the core values of the ECITB?

Our vision

“The ECITB’s vision is to be the industry authority on engineering construction skills, working in partnership with business and government to deliver a diverse and highly skilled workforce, offering value by enabling industry to compete globally.”

Our core values

Knowledgeable

We are confident because we have a depth of understanding that makes use authoritative.

Collaborative

We work as a team, listen to all stakeholders and work together to achieve the best effect.

Responsive

We seek out opportunities to address our customers’ need and respond positively and swiftly to internal and external stakeholder enquiries.

How is the ECITB funded?

The ECITB is funded by the industries we serve, not by taxpayers or government, by way of a statutory training levy raised under powers in the Industrial Training Act. The levy is used to support employers train and upskill their workforce to industry standards, develop qualifications and courses that meet employer needs, and regulate a network of approved training providers. This approach encourages training throughout the industry, with all employers (over a certain size) paying levy and all (irrespective of size) eligible to receive grant for training undertaken. The levy and grant system also means the cost of training is shared more evenly between employers.

What did the Government Industry Training Board Review say about the ECITB?

The Government’s Industry Training Board Review considered the role and effectiveness of both the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) and the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) in light of the introduction of the apprenticeship levy. Published in November 2017 by the Department for Education (DfE), the final report confirmed Government support for the ECITB and acknowledges that we “retain the confidence of industry”. Evidence supplied to the DfE by ECITB’s in-scope employers showed that most believe grants and services are “well understood and easy to access” and that the most valued services included “apprenticeship support, training solutions, grant support, qualifications and standards”. The majority of respondents also stated that “less training would take place without the Levy and Grant System”. Among the recommendations, the report called on the ITBs to strengthen their governance and accountability to ensure they are fully responsive to the needs of industries they serve. In response to the review the ECITB embarked on a programme of reforms at the end of 2017.