CSCS Cards, Partner Schemes & CITB Grants: Recent Industry Shifts and How They Impact You

The last few years have seen significant changes to the CSCS and Partner Card Schemes, as well as CITB Grants.

This was largely due to the decision by the CLC (Construction Leadership Council) to withdraw CSCS Cards issued through Industry Accreditation (IA) - known in the industry as Grandfather Rights Cards.

Holders of an IA Card who still needed a card of the same category were advised that they’d need to complete a relevant construction NVQ (Level 2–7), as all affected cards expired on 31^st December 2024.

To assist with funding some of these qualifications, companies registered with CITB were able to benefit from greatly enhanced Achievement Grants (grants paid on completion of NVQs) – the enhanced rates of £1250 for L3/L4 Supervision, and £1500 for L6/L7, rather than the standard rate of £600, were welcomed by eligible organisations, as this meant in-scope NVQs could be largely or fully funded.

The enhanced rates came into effect from 1^st April 2023, and were going to be in place until 31^st March 2026 – however, last week (19^th August 2025), CITB Announced they would be reducing the enhanced Grant timeframe to 31^st December 2025, meaning anybody completing supervision or management NVQs from 1^st January, would only receive the standard £600.

This decision to reduce the duration by 3 months has been met with frustration by many businesses; particularly SMEs and micro-sized companies, who rely on CITB support, and had planned training and upskilling for the remainder of the 2025-2026 tax year, which now faces uncertainty.

Another change to industry support, which has shocked and caused much upset, is the announcement from CITB that from 30^th September 2025, the Skills and Training Fund (S&TF) will close. This annual funding pot (2.5k – 10k) was available to companies registered with CITB, and could be utilised to fully or partially fund in-scope courses and construction NVQs. By developing a careful training plan, this fund could be used concurrently with Achievement Grants, to train and upskill PAYE staff and subcontractors working within their supply chain.

There have been no changes made to the standard Achievement Grant rate for trade NVQs, which remain at £600 per achiever (L3 Rainscreen Wall Cladding Systems - £1000).

In addition to these changes, there have been amendments to the grant claimable for Award Level qualifications, and an end date of 30^th November 2025 put in place for the Into Work Grant Pilot scheme.

However, there is some good news – CITB appear to be leaning towards a more straightforward initiative known as the Employer Network – This funding was piloted in July 2022, and really came to light in January this year, due to full funding being offered across a range of leadership and management qualifications.

To access the Employer Network, companies need to link up with their local CITB Advisor, who will review what training is required (this can include a range of courses and qualifications, such as trade skills, online skills, H&S, design, etc). Once the courses have been approved, CITB will generally cover 70% of the costs, meaning employers are only liable to 30%, which they pay directly to the chosen training provider (Companies can propose a variety of courses and seek funding via the Employer Network – if the courses are deemed in-scope and relevant to the construction industry, CITB will consider supporting them).

Read more here about the CITB Employer Network: Employer Networks - CITB

To summarise - there have been some cuts, but there are also some new opportunities to support construction businesses with training and upskilling their workforce. I would advise concerned companies and individuals to speak to local CITB advisors about grants and funding, and work with trusted training providers, who can advise and assist with your requirements – there are a lot of trustworthy and reputable providers available, but there are also a lot of fraudulent and disreputable providers – so due diligence is key, and can in itself be very cost saving.

Dan Plosky MCIOB

Now Get Qualified Ltd