About the ECITB

The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) is the employer-led skills, standards and qualifications body for the development of the engineering construction workforce of Great Britain. An arms-length body of the UK Government, the ECITB reports to the Department for Education. Our vision is a trailblazing Engineering Construction Industry where critical infrastructure, energy security and net zero ambitions are achieved.

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What is the engineering construction industry?

The engineering construction industry (ECI) is the cornerstone of Britain’s energy and process industries. ECI companies design, engineer, construct and decommission some of the biggest infrastructure projects in the country and overseas – and they will be central to delivering net zero.

Engineering construction 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

Engineer Team Full Skill Quality For Maintenance And Training In Industry Factory Worker , Warehouse Workshop For Factory Operators, Mechanical Engineering Team Production.

What does the ECITB do?

The ECITB works with employers and training providers to attract, develop and qualify the engineering construction workforce in a wide range of craft, technical and professional disciplines. We invest about £28 million each year to support skills development within the industry.

The organisation was established to address a market failure within the industry to provide training to its workforce. The ECITB addresses this market failure through its levy and grant system, which is used to drive up skill levels and fund training that would otherwise not take place.

Along with the education sector, government and employers, we work to ensure 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 providers and Approved Centres.

What are the core values of the ECITB?

Knowledgeable

We aspire to be a learning organisation: always building our knowledge and spreading learning through industry.

Collaborative

We strive to listen and work as a team to achieve the best results.

Proactive

We pro-actively seek out and respond to opportunities to address our industry’s training needs.

Respectful

We foster an inclusive environment where everyone’s view is respected, and we are professional, courteous, and kind

How is the ECITB funded?

The ECITB is funded by the industries we serve by way of a statutory training levy. Levy money supports employers to train and upskill their workforce to industry standards. 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.

The Industry Training Board Review

The Cabinet Office mandates all public bodies be reviewed periodically. Last published in 2017, the ITB review assesses the extent to which each Arm’s Length Body (ALB) performs effectively and delivers services that meet the needs of industry. The latest review commenced in 2023. Publication of the final report was delayed due to the general election.

The report published in November 2017 by the Department for Education (DfE), 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. It 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.