Engineering Construction Industry Training Board

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: ~£11-15 million (estimated from reserves and levy collections)
• 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 program)
• Geographic Focus: Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales)

Contact Details

• Website: www.ecitb.org.uk
• Phone: 01923402134
• Email: maria.papadopoulou@ecitb.org.uk
• Address: Office F15, Kings House Business Centre, Home Park 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 organization 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 2023), who brings four decades of energy sector experience, ECITB is strategically using its £11.7m reserves to maximize training support during a period of high industry demand. The organization has been running planned deficits (£2.2m projected for 2024) 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 Programs

• Training Grants: Variable amounts to subsidize workforce training for employers and training providers (rolling applications)
• Graduate Development Grant: Up to £4,000 per graduate over three years (£2k initial, £1k mid-term, £1k completion) - annual application window 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 (48% of funding allocation 2023-2025)
• Existing workforce upskilling (52% of funding allocation)
• 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 £1m Regional Skills Hubs programme.”

Board Structure: Industry representatives and independent members, with majority from levy-paying employers. New 2024 board members include Mark Riley (Phillips 66), Helen Higgs (EDF Energy), and Andrew Colquhoun (Altrad).

The board operates under the 2023-25 “Leading Industry Learning” strategy, built on three pillars: supporting existing workforce, new entrant pathways, and future skills requirements.

Application Process and Timeline

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 July-August, decisions in September
• Regional Skills Hub: Competitive process with specific deadlines

Success Rates

Success rates not publicly disclosed. The organization reports high engagement with 188 establishments participating in their 2024 Workforce Census (63.5% response rate, up from 50% 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 emphasizes 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 decarbonization 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 - emphasize how training benefits the broader engineering construction industry
• Align with net zero objectives - demonstrate how proposals support the energy transition and decarbonization
• 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 - 48% of funding prioritizes bringing new talent into the industry

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