THE Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has announced its ‘strengthened position’ on ‘passing on the Levy’.
The organisation said the move reflects the CITB, Levy Strategy Committee, three Nation Councils and the 14 prescribed organisations’ ongoing commitment to ensuring that the Levy system operates ‘fairly and equitably’ across the construction industry.
As part of CITB’s commitment to addressing the issue of Levy-registered employers passing on the Levy to subcontractors, a new anonymous online reporting system has been introduced. This is designed to better understand the scale of the practice and gather insights to help bring an end to it. Subcontractors affected by these deductions can use the platform to report instances confidentially. For those who wish for further action, CITB can make contact with the contractors involved and formally request that they cease making deductions.
The Levy is imposed on Levy-registered construction employers who meet the criteria and is used to fund training and skills development within the industry. Contractors are not authorised to deduct money from workers’ wages (both PAYE and Net CIS) on CITB’s behalf. The CITB said there have, however, been instances of construction businesses or principal contractors ‘passing on the Levy’ to their subcontractors in order to raise funds to pay their own Levy.
Deb Madden, executive director of nations engagement at CITB, said, “Passing the Levy down the supply chain reduces the overall investment in workforce development, undermining the purpose of the Levy. We are currently in a climate where we need to grow a highly skilled workforce to meet demand and get Britain building again. We need support from Levy-paying employers to help us to provide longevity in careers within the sector and provide more opportunities for entry.
“We believe that the best way to resolve the issue of passing on the Levy is through industry self-regulation. Collaboration between CITB, employers, and other stakeholders is essential to developing sustainable solutions which foster a culture of fairness and responsibility in the sector.”
CITB urges those affected by the practice of passing on the Levy to report incidents through an anonymous feedback form, which can be found on the CITB website at www.citb.co.uk/levy-grants-and-funding/citb-levy/levy-rates-and-exemptions/deducting-levy-from-wages
