Early indications suggest 2008 was a record year for training, with £176m paid out in CITB-ConstructionSkills Grants to over 23,500 registered employers, to support training and development of existing staff, and offset the costs of taking on new entrants.

This was up from £137m paid to 21,700 registered employers in 2007.

2008 also saw some very positive results from across the organisation, with many industry-approved targets met or exceeded, including record numbers of employers with Training and Development Plans, S/NVQ achievements for experienced workers, and Health and Safety Test bookings, to name but a few. This is clear endorsement that the message to employers to maintain investment in training to help survive the downturn and prepare for the upturn is being heeded.

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The high demand for grant is expected to continue and will be discussed at forthcoming meetings of the CITB-ConstructionSkills Board and its training sub-committee which comprises employer and employee representatives and considers the industry's training requirements and appropriate levels of grant support.

Chris Jones, HR Director at BAM Construct UK Ltd and Chair of the Grant Scheme Working Party and member of the Training Committee said: "The record grant take-up is good news for industry training, and we want to continue to offer these valued financial incentives, particularly in difficult economic times.

"We hope we will be able to avoid capping or cutting existing grants wherever possible, but with an anticipated drop in levy income there will be some tough choices to make in order to balance the Levy/Grant books in the future and some revisions to the existing grant scheme are inevitable."

CITB-ConstructionSkills remains committed to returning 100% of the Levy back to employers in grant and other employer support payments and is looking to attract non-levy income and cut costs in 2009 to balance the books overall.

In its role as a Sector Skills Council, ConstructionSkills has already secured Government funding to support training in the construction industry, such as the £133m, three-year 'Compact' for England agreed with the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. It is in talks with Skills Development Scotland and the Welsh Assembly to ensure appropriate funding structures are also in place in the home countries.

(GK/JM)