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This week, CITB announced a major change that will significantly affect how employers access funding for training: the Training Group Grant will be discontinued from 1^st April 2026.

While Training Groups have historically provided significant value, the evolving demands of the construction sector and the pressure on CITB to optimise funding have prompted this shift.

Why CITB Is Changing Its Funding Model?

CITB regularly evaluates its funding programmes to ensure Levy reinvestment delivers maximum impact. The decision to withdraw Training Group funding reflects a combination of financial and strategic considerations:

Increased Demand Without Increased Funding

CITB has seen a 36% rise in employer demand for its services over recent years, while Levy rates have remained static. This means CITB must do more with the same resources.

Cost Efficiency Through New Models

Newer support models, such as Employer Networks and the New Entrant Support Team, have proven more cost-effective and capable of engaging a broader cross-section of the industry. These models reduce overheads while still ensuring training reaches those who need it most.

Strategic Focus on High-Impact Programmes

By reallocating resources to these newer initiatives, CITB can maximise the impact of Levy funding while ensuring more employers receive valuable support. This decision aligns with long-term industry goals, including improving skills retention, fostering new entrants, and addressing skills shortages.

CITB’s Industry Funding Committee and Board emphasised that while the decision to end Training Group funding was difficult, it is necessary to deliver the greatest impact for all employers across Great Britain.

How Employers Can Prepare?

Engage With Employer Networks via MECsafe Limited

Employer Networks have become central to CITB’s new approach. These networks provide:

Up to 70% funded Training

Regionally tailored training opportunities

Networking and collaboration with local employers and training providers

Access to sector-specific courses aligned with current regulatory standards

A Northampton roofing company has been fined £16,650 after an employee suffered serious injuries when he fell through a skylight opening.

Ryan Robinson, 31, was working for Kingsley Roofing Contractors Limited to recover a flat roof of single-storey extension at a domestic property on Sywell Road in Northampton.

Covers that had been installed over two large skylight openings had to be removed as part of preparation. Mr Robinson fell through one of these openings whilst removing material from the other, falling over three metres to the ground. His injuries required surgery and long-term treatment.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Kingsley Roofing Contractors Limited failed to properly plan work at height activities and implement measures that would have prevented their employees from falling through the skylight openings.

HSE guidance states employers must ensure that work at height is properly planned, appropriately supervised and carried out in a manner that is, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe. This means that control measures must be in place to prevent or protect from falls. In this case, a crash deck or safety netting under the openings would have prevented serious injury from occurring.

Further guidance for working at height can be found at Health and safety in roof work – HSE. Kingsley Roofing Contractors Limited of Chartergate, Clayfield Close, Moulton Park, Northampton pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £16,650 and ordered to pay £7,205 in costs and £2,000 victim surcharge at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 20 November 2025.

HSE Inspector, Chris Bennet, said: “Falls from height are the most common kinds of fatal accidents, accounting for over a quarter of fatal injuries to workers in 2024/25. This could be avoided through proper planning and implementation of effective controls.

“The fine imposed on Kingsley Roofing Contractors should underline to everyone in the construction industry that the courts, and HSE, take a failure to plan works at height extremely seriously. It is the duty of employers to ensure that everyone working on a building site returns home safely.”

A film studio in Hertfordshire has been fined £6,000 after poor management of minor building works led to the disturbance of asbestos – putting employees at risk of exposure to asbestos fibres.

Maintenance staff at Elstree Film Studios in Borehamwood had been asked to remove acoustic wall panelling from one of the studio buildings in preparation for the replacement of the studio doors by an external contractor.

Employees were told that no asbestos was present and began dismantling the panels using claw hammers and crowbars on 22 July 2022.

Shortly after starting work, one employee identified a layer of insulation that he believed to be asbestos and immediately stopped. Subsequent testing confirmed the presence of asbestos – Amosite/Chrysotile and Crocidolite – which required licensed removal.

Section of the removed wall panelling containing asbestos

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that neither the studio’s asbestos management surveys nor the specific refurbishment surveys had considered the wall surfaces within stages 7, 8, and 9.

As a result, the acoustic wall panelling dismantled by employees fell outside the scope of any assessment. The investigation also identified failings in training and inadequate emergency arrangements to deal with asbestos disturbance.

HSE guidance states that employers must not undertake work liable to expose people to asbestos unless a suitable assessment has been carried out and a proper plan is in place. This often includes the use of licensed contractors with appropriate controls to manage the risks.

Elstree Film Studios Limited, of Civic Offices, Elstree Way, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 5, 10 and 15 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. The company was fined £6,000 and ordered to pay £6,790 in costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge at Stevenage Magistrates’ Court on 20 November 2025. All sums are to be paid within seven days.

HSE Inspector Stephen Manley said:

“Poor management of asbestos can lead to workers being exposed to the harmful effects of asbestos. Those in control of buildings must ensure they have a suitable assessment in place, and those undertaking intrusive work should be provided with appropriate information – which, for this type of work, will often require a specific localised survey by a competent person.”

A self-employed builder from Reading has been given a suspended prison sentence after a man fell to his death while assisting with roof work.

Raffaele Vigliotti, 68, who was trading as Absolute Building Solutions, was also ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work, after the death of Andrew Layley. The 69-year-old, an acquaintance of Vigliotti, was helping with roof work as part of an extension to a domestic property in the town.

It was during this work on 8 April 2023 that Mr Layley fell and sustained serious head injuries. He died in hospital several weeks later.

Andrew Layley was photographed by the home owner before the incident

Mr Layley, from Reading, was married with three grown up children and had a love of cats. His wife of nearly 40 years and children massively feel the loss of their “caring” husband and dad, saying his loss has left a huge hole in their lives.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Vigliotti failed to put in place suitable measures to protect both Mr Layley and another worker while they were working at height. The measures that were used were inadequate to either prevent or control a fall, or mitigate the consequence of a fall.

HSE guidance requires where it is not possible to avoid working at height, action must be taken to control the risk of falling and also minimise the consequence of a fall by either minimising the distance of a fall, or having measures in place, such as soft landing systems, to mitigate the fall. Guidance on working at height is available – Introduction to working at height safely – HSE.

Mr Layley and another worker were both put at risk while working at height

Mr Vigliotti of The Hedges, Bath Road, Padworth, Reading, Berkshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.  At Reading Crown Court on 13 October 2025 he was given an eight-month custodial sentence, suspended for 18 months.  He was also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work within the next 18 months and to pay a victim surcharge.

HSE inspector Nicola Pinckney said: “Every year, a significant proportion of incidents, many of them serious and sometimes fatal, occur as a result of unsuitable or absent measures to protect workers from falls from height.

“This was a wholly avoidable incident, and if consideration had been given to the well-known risks of working at height, and suitable, readily available controls been put in place, this incident could have been avoided.

“Due to Vigliotti’s failures, a family has been left without a much loved husband and dad.

“The penalty imposed on Mr Vigliotti will hopefully serve to highlight to others the importance of taking this risk seriously and ensuring they protect their workers from this risk.”

An unregistered gas installer has been sentenced after carrying out illegal gas work at two houses in Cheshire.

The work was undertaken on several occasions between 2021 and 2023, resulting in a gas leak inside one of the properties, leaving one of the homeowners without a working appliance for an extended period.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) was alerted to Mr Williams by the Gas Safe Register following an inspection of the work carried out at one of the properties, which identified an installation was at risk. It soon became clear that the installer had also carried out work at another property, and that he had issued a Gas Safety Certificate using a false registration number.

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 require those undertaking gas work to be Gas Safe registered and hold the relevant qualifications to demonstrate their competence. It is an offence under these regulations to falsely claim to be a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Members of the public are reminded that all gas work must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer. The Gas Safe Register is the official list of gas businesses legally permitted to work on gas appliances in the UK. Anyone can check whether an engineer is registered by visiting www.gassaferegister.co.uk or calling 0800 408 5500.

Carrying out gas work without registration is illegal and potentially dangerous, as unqualified work can lead to gas leaks, fires, explosions, and carbon monoxide poisoning.

The sentencing hearing for Scott Anthony Williams was at Chester Magistrates’ Court on the 24 October 2025. Scott Anthony Williams of Galbraith Close, Congleton, pleaded guilty to seven separate breaches of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. He was sentenced to a 12-month community order, requiring 240 hours of unpaid work. Costs of £2,000 were awarded along with a victim surcharge of £144.

HSE inspector Nicola Willcox said:

“This was a deliberate breach of gas safety legislation that put people at risk.

“All gas work must be undertaken by Gas Safe registered engineers. The public should always ask to see the gas engineer’s identification and check the registration number online to ensure it is valid.”

A horticultural company has been fined after an employee suffered serious injuries after falling from a ladder.

The employee had been tasked to check irrigation that was watering plants contained in hanging baskets at the site in Banbury on 7 June 2023.

As the man climbed the ladder, it fell and collapsed under him, resulting in five broken ribs and a partially collapsed lung.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Ball Colegrave Ltd failed to ensure so far as is reasonably practicable the health, safety and welfare at work of all their employees. In this instance, there was a failure to ensure that work at height was planned and carried out in a manner which was so far as is reasonably practicable safe.

Working at height remains one of the leading causes of workplace injury and death and HSE has detailed guidance on working safely at height.

Ball Colegrave Limited of Milton Road, West Adderbury, Banbury pleaded guilty to contravening a requirement of section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

The company was fined £80,000 and was ordered to pay £7,061 costs at a hearing at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on 14 October 2025.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Rebecca Gibson said:” This incident highlights the duty on employers to ensure that should do all they can to minimise the risk from working at height.

“If work at height isn’t properly planned and unsuitable work equipment is used, people can fall and sustain serious injuries.

“Falls from height remains a leading cause of workplace injury and death.”

This prosecution was supported by HSE enforcement lawyer Arafq Nabi and paralegal officer Gabrielle O’Sullivan.

A Middlesbrough man has been given a suspended prison sentence after carrying out illegal gas work.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found Neil Burton carried out boiler services in a home in Stockton-on-Tees on two occasions, in May 2021 and April 2022. Although Burton had previously been on the Gas Safe Register, he had allowed his membership and qualifications to lapse. A subsequent review of the boiler identified defects which meant it was classed as a risk and a danger.

Burton, 41, also carried out work at a house in Middlesbrough in September 2022 and October 2023. These works included disconnecting a gas hob and installing a new one, as well as disconnecting a gas fire. As he had done previously, he carried out this work while not registered to do so. He had also been subject of previous action taken by HSE, when carrying out illegal gas work in 2015.

Neil Burton, of Harrogate Crescent, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 3(1) and 3(3) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. He was given a six-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months and ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work at Teesside Magistrates’ Court on 7 October 2025.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Darian Dundas said:

“All gas work must be carried out by registered Gas Safe engineers to ensure the highest standards are met and to prevent injury or loss of life.

“The public should always ask to see a gas engineer’s identification and check their registration number online.”

One of the largest ever skills events kicked off yesterday (23 September) at Lincolnshire Showground. Over three days (Tuesday 23 to Thursday 25 September) more than 1,500 school children, aged between 10 and 18 years, will get a hands-on introduction to vital trades such as carpentry, bricklaying, block paving, electrical and mechanical engineering, as well as virtual reality welding.

Now in its 21st year, Construction and Engineering Week aims to ignite passion and purpose in the next generation by delivering immersive, inclusive and impactful experiences that connect young people, educators and industry leaders.

50 companies from across the Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and Humber regions are attending the event to showcase careers and trades in the construction and engineering industries with practical hands-on experiences. Many of the companies involved bring apprentices and trainees who attended the event when they were at school.

A Year 6 pupil from Welton St Mary’s Church of England Primary Academy was at the event yesterday and said:

“It’s been fun and a really nice experience, finding out about all the different construction jobs.

“For one of the activities, we were learning how to saw the planks of wood to make a roof – it’s been hard work but fun! I’ve actually done it before. I sometimes help my dad saw planks of wood because he’s a builder. I’d definitely consider doing something like this when I’m older.”

Ryan Donohue from Lindum Group attended the event and said:

“I think this event is great. It gets the children interacting, gets them talking, and gets them learning a little bit about the possible jobs and careers in the construction industry.

“The children we have seen today are in Year 6 and in their final year of primary school, so over the next couple of years they’re going to be thinking about what they want to do in life. If this gives them a bit of inspiration and encourages them to consider construction as a career path, then that can only be a good thing.

“It’s great for us as employers to engage with them, tell them about what we do and how we do it. If they enjoy it, then that’s even better!”

Free for primary and secondary schools to attend, the event is sponsored by the two Industry Training Boards for construction and engineering construction (CITB and ECITB) and is organised by the Lincoln Group Training Association (LGTA) and Abbey Access Training, in partnership with local employers. Event support sponsors include Lindum Group, ARCO, LineTrain and Greater Lincolnshire Careers Hub.

Tim Balcon, CEO of the Construction Industry Training Board, said:

“It was inspiring and encouraging to see so many young people find such joy in learning about construction and engineering. It’s what Construction and Engineering Week is all about, and I want to extend a massive thank you to all the employers taking the time to showcase the industry and engage directly with young people that could be tomorrow’s workforce.

“In a time when construction skills are in such high demand, it is vital that we continue to create these opportunities to connect industry and education. The enthusiasm we’ve seen so far is a reminder of how important these events are in helping build the future workforce.”

Andrew Hockey, CEO of the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board, said:

“Construction and Engineering Week is a great example of collaboration, with the CITB and ECITB working in partnership with industry, training providers and schools to inspire the next generation.

“We would like to thank the event organisers, event support sponsors and all participating companies that organise the practical activities for the young people and give up their time voluntarily to provide these hands-on experiences – empowering future talent and shaping the workforce of tomorrow.”

Recovery and rescue plans should be developed by competent persons and be distributed to MEWP operators and nominated ground control rescue personnel. Quickly rescuing someone who is trapped or incapacitated may mean the difference between life and death.

IPAF recommends the recovery and rescue plan is documented, understood, and rehearsed by all involved in the work at height task.

IPAF recommends MEWP OPERATORS should not start work until the recovery and rescue plan is in place.

When is a recovery and rescue plan required?

• A loss of main power to the MEWP due to flat batteries or running out of fuel.
• MEWP technical malfunction, which can cause a loss of functions.
• A snagged or trapped platform.
• Isolation of platform controls due to the MEWP platform being overloaded.
• An incapacitated operator or platform occupant due to a medical emergency such as entrapment.

What should a MEWP operator do?

• Ensure there is a recovery and rescue plan in place before starting work and you understand what to do in an emergency.
• Before elevating the platform, ensure there is a nominated ground rescue person in place.
• Check communications are working with the nominated ground rescue personnel.
• Brief other platform occupants on the recovery and rescue plan requirements.
• Ensure that the MEWP is positioned so that the ground controls and the emergency lowering controls are accessible in case of an emergency.

Qube Containers Limited, which operates on Ipswich docks, has been fined £30,000 after an employee was run over and dragged by a forklift causing serious injuries to his ankle.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) brought the prosecution following its investigation of the incident involving Harvey Addison, from Ipswich, on 11 December 2023.

Mr Addison was unloading cars from shipping containers at the company’s site in Ipswich. Working with the driver of the forklift truck to empty two small bins, filled with waste packaging, including ratchet straps and chocks, into a larger commercial waste bin.

The two tipping bins had been positioned on a pallet, which was being carried on the forks of the forklift truck.

The forklift truck involved in the incident with two bins on a pallet

HSE provides a range of guidance advice regarding lift trucks in the workplace Lift trucks – HSE.

The 21-year-old was standing on the pallet and as the forklift truck moved some of the straps fell from the full waste bins, trailing on the floor and getting caught in the wheels of the lift truck. One of these straps got caught on his foot pulling him to the ground and the forklift truck drove over his foot.

Mr Addison remained in hospital for nine days, requiring skin grafts on the outside of his left calf and behind his left thigh just above his knee. He also sustained a broken ankle.

An investigation by HSE identified that Qube Containers Limited failed to provide equipment that was safe and suitable for the task and failed to risk assess the system of work for emptying the bins – which was found to be unsafe.

In addition, the traffic routes were not organised in a safe manner, and it was clear from the work practices on site that vehicles and pedestrians circulated in close proximity.

Qube Containers Limited of Forbes Business Centre, Kempson Way, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. They were fined £30,000 and ordered to pay £3,752 in costs at Norwich Magistrate’s Court on 12 September 2025.

HSE Inspector Adepeju Sogadgi said: “This injury could easily have been prevented. Employers introducing new processes should make sure they assess the work activity sufficiently and apply effective control measures to minimise the risk. There should be systems in place to ensure safety and the risk should have been considered and documented.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Julian White and paralegal officer Hannah Snelling.