Engineering Construction Industry Training Board

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: ~£30-35 million
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
• Decision Time: 4-12 weeks for course approvals, 6 weeks for grant payments
• Grant Range: £200 - £500,000 (varies by programme)
• Geographic Focus: Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales)

Contact Details

• Website: www.ecitb.org.uk
• Phone: 01923260000
• Email: maria.papadopoulou@ecitb.org.uk
• Address: Kings House Business Centre, Home Park Industrial Estate, Station Road, Kings Langley, Hertfordshire WD4 8LZ
• Online Portal: Available for direct grant applications

Overview

Established as a statutory training board accountable to the Department for Education, the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) has been registered as charity 264506 since its formation. The organisation operates as the employer-led skills body for the engineering construction industry in Great Britain, collecting levies from employers to fund charitable training activities. Under CEO Andrew Hockey (appointed June 2023), who brings four decades of energy sector experience, ECITB is strategically using its reserves to maximise training support during a period of high industry demand. The organisation has been running planned deficits to accelerate skills development as the industry transitions toward net zero goals, with forecasts indicating 40,000 additional workers needed by 2030.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

• Training Grants: Variable amounts to subsidise workforce training for employers and training providers (rolling applications)
• Graduate Development Grant: Up to £4,000 per graduate over three years (£2,000 initial, £1,000 mid-term, £1,000 completion) - annual application window typically July-August
• Regional Skills Hub Funding: £50,000 - £500,000 for training provider capacity building in Industrial Cluster regions (competitive application)
• ECITB Scholarships: Full funding for engineering programmes including qualifications and safety passports (tender process)

Priority Areas

• New entrant pathways
• Existing workforce upskilling
• Net zero and energy transition skills
• Safety and productivity improvements
• Transferable skills across the industry
• Training in Industrial Cluster regions: Black Country, East Coast, North-West England, Scotland, South Wales, and Solent

What They Don't Fund

• Safety passports required for site access (CCNSG, CSCS, BOSIET, MIST)
• Training for travel/access requirements
• Activities not directly related to engineering construction skills

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Governance and Leadership

CEO: Andrew Hockey (since June 2023) - Former CEO of IOG plc with four decades of energy sector experience across European majors and UK independents. Hockey states: “We are proud to deliver on our promise to use our reserves to support industry training, as well as invest in strategic skills interventions, such as our £3m Regional Skills Hubs programme.”

Chair: Lynda Armstrong OBE (since January 2018, tenure extended to December 2027) - Worked for Shell International for 35 years in roles including Exploration and New Business Development Director for the UK. Awarded OBE for services to the UK Oil and Gas Industry.

Board Structure: Industry representatives and independent members, with majority from levy-paying employers. Board members appointed November 2023 include Mark Riley (Phillips 66), Helen Higgs (EDF Energy), and Andrew Colquhoun (Altrad).

The board operates under the “Leading Industry Learning” strategy, built on three pillars: supporting existing workforce, new entrant pathways, and future skills requirements.

How to Apply to Engineering Construction Industry Training Board

How to Apply

• Direct application through ECITB's online portal
• Via ECITB Approved Training Providers
• Pre-approval required before training commences to guarantee funding

Decision Timeline

• Course Approvals: 4-12 weeks (monthly panel meetings)
• Grant Payments: 6 weeks after evidence submission
• Graduate Development Grant: Applications typically July-August, decisions in September
• Regional Skills Hub: Competitive process with specific deadlines

Success Rates

Success rates not publicly disclosed. The organisation reports high engagement with 162 establishments participating in their Workforce Census (78.8% response rate, up from 54% in 2021).

Reapplication Policy

• Course approvals valid for three years
• Graduate Development Grant: Annual application cycles
• Regional Skills Hub: Project-specific, can reapply for different projects

Application Success Factors

Strategic Alignment: Applications must demonstrate clear links to engineering construction workforce development and ECITB's three strategic pillars. Recent successful examples include CATCH (£300,000 for welding/pipefitting facilities) and 3t Training Services (£200,000 for mobile training units).

Evidence-Based Approach: ECITB requires robust evidence of training completion (attendance sheets, certificates) and values applications that show clear outcomes and transferable skills development.

Industry Relevance: Priority given to training that improves productivity and safety, with particular emphasis on net zero transition skills. CEO Andrew Hockey emphasises the challenge of “ensuring the UK has an engineering workforce capable of delivering the energy transition.”

Geographic Focus: Strong preference for projects in Industrial Cluster regions where decarbonisation activities are concentrated.

Partnership Approach: Applications through approved training providers often have higher success rates due to established relationships and proven delivery capability.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Pre-approval is mandatory - never start training without funding commitment or risk losing grant eligibility
• Focus on transferable skills - emphasise how training benefits the broader engineering construction industry
• Align with net zero objectives - demonstrate how proposals support the energy transition and decarbonisation
• Consider geographic priorities - applications in Industrial Cluster regions have strategic advantage
• Build provider relationships - working with ECITB Approved Training Providers can streamline applications
• Plan for evidence requirements - prepare robust systems for documenting training completion and outcomes
• Target new entrant pathways - priority given to bringing new talent into the industry

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• Citb
• Building And Civil Engineering Charitable Trust
• Cabwi Awarding Body
• The Shipwrights Charitable Fund
• The Nuclear Industry Benevolent Fund
• Alex Ferry Foundation
• Armed Forces Education Trust
• Sustrans (walk Wheel Cycle Trust)
• The Worshipful Company Of Engineers Charitable Trust Fund
• The Racing Foundation

References

• ECITB Official Website: www.ecitb.org.uk
• ECITB Annual Report and Accounts 2024, GOV.UK Publications
• “ECITB predicts budget deficit,” Construction News, October 2024
• ECITB Grant Policy March 2024 (PDF document)
• UK Charity Commission Register - Charity 264506
• “ECITB strategy delivering for industry” - ECITB News, 2024
• “Andrew Hockey to join the ECITB as CEO” - ECITB News, 2023
• ECITB Leading Industry Learning Strategy 2023-2025
• ECITB Workforce Census 2024 Report