CITB opens consultation on recognising task-level construction competence

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has opened an industry-wide consultation on "functional competence", a proposal to recognise workers as competent in specific tasks rather than a whole occupation, running from 12 October 2026 to 15 January 2027.

NOCN Group flagged the consultation as a key development in its October Funding Spotlight, published on 15 October, alongside a cluster of apprenticeship and skills funding changes affecting construction employers.

CITB said functional competence would recognise that someone is competent at a more task-based level rather than across a whole occupation. It linked the idea to the greater focus on competence arising from the Building Safety Act, and said it is exploring how the skills system can better recognise the skills and experience people already have.

Jon Vanstone, Director of Tech Influence and Chair of the Industry Competence Committee (ICC), said: "The detail matters, and it must be shaped by those who do the work, so I would urge everyone with a stake in construction competence to respond to CITB's consultation."

What CITB rules out

CITB said functional competence should not be a replacement for qualifications or apprenticeships, nor a shortcut to occupational competence. It said the approach could benefit new entrants, career changers and experienced workers, helping the industry attract talent and build the competent workforce it needs.

Sean Kearns, CSCS Group Chief Executive, said: "Importantly, it should complement, rather than replace, the achievement of full occupational competence." He said functional competence has the potential to recognise specialist skills, support ongoing professional development and competence maintenance, and give employers and the workforce greater flexibility.

Kate Milford, Director of Milford & Marah Ltd, Fire Stopping Competence Working Group and Chair of the Industry Competence Steering Group (ICSG), said breaking down barriers to upskilling and multiskilling would give the industry the tools to build and recognise competence throughout a working life.

CITB wants responses from employers, training providers and the existing workforce. The survey takes about 10 minutes and closes on 15 January 2027. CITB said it would then take its findings to the appropriate industry leadership forum or forums to agree whether and how functional competence can be implemented.

Apprentice hiring payment

Under Department for Education (DfE) apprenticeship funding guidance on GOV.UK, employers that do not pay the apprenticeship levy will receive a hiring payment of up to £2,000 when recruiting new apprentices aged 16 to 24, from October 2026. NOCN listed the change in its round-up under 1 October.

The payment goes through the training provider, which passes it on to the employer.

Local apprenticeship services

HM Treasury said on 28 September that apprenticeship brokerage funding is being expanded to all 14 existing Mayoral Strategic Authorities with directly elected mayors, so they can help provide local apprenticeship services across England from Spring 2027. It said the £100m of additional funding over two years doubles the number of areas matching young people with local businesses.

NOCN said in its round-up that non-mayoral areas would miss out on this funding, potentially creating what it called a "two-tier" skills system.

The Treasury also confirmed £15m a year to restore the Union Learning Fund in England, which it said previously generated 180,000 learning opportunities a year. Employees will not need to be union members to benefit. The Budget will set out how both measures are funded through savings found by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Other changes

The DfE said in its 30 September further education update that it does not intend to run a national adult skills fund procurement for the 2027 to 2028 academic year, as more areas take on devolved adult skills funding each year. It said providers with grant funding agreements will not be affected.

Skills England has published an Employability Skills Framework, built on the 13 core skills of the UK Standard Skills Classification, to give the skills system a consistent language around employability skills. It said the framework is not intended to replace existing employability frameworks or create a new skills taxonomy.

The DfE also said Vocational GCSEs will sit alongside traditional GCSEs and eventually replace Technical Awards, with some subjects available as early as September 2029 within new technical pathways starting in September 2028. A DfE poll of 500 young people found 84% support new options for 14-year-olds combining technical and academic learning, while 44% said vocational routes are looked down on by their peers. A consultation to shape Vocational GCSEs is due before the end of the year.

NOCN Group describes itself as an international charity delivering skills solutions for colleges, training providers, employers and individuals, and runs the Construction Plant Competence Scheme. Its awarding arm, NOCN, is an Ofqual-regulated awarding organisation which says it is one of the largest in the construction sector globally. CITB's functional competence survey closes on 15 January 2027.