CITB: - Plant Training & Assessment Grants FAQ’s

CITB have recently announced that they will re-implement Construction Plant Training standards and allied grants. https://www.citb.co.uk/levy-grants-and-funding/grants-and-funding/plant-standards-and-grants/ 

Launch Date

The training standards and changes to grant will come in to force on the 1st of January 2023.

Categories Initially Affected

Categories Not Listed

Categories not listed above will continue to receive the support of - Technical Test Theory & Technical Test Practical “CITB achievement grants”.

These grants will stay in place until a new standard is published by CITB for the relevant category. As we receive information on new standards' release dates, we will update our centres accordingly.

Please continue to use TCMS to notify testing, please include the 7-digit levy number.

Grant Rates

There will be two tiers of grant: 

Novice Operator Training = Must follow the minimum set requirements for candidate, instructor and machine ratios; the rate is category specific.

Experienced Operator Training = Candidate must be profiled against the new standard, and you must follow the minimum set requirements for candidate, instructor and machine ratios; the rate is category specific.

Utilising the current agreement with CITB, CPCS will be able to automate the grant application on behalf of the employer or individual for the combined training and test (assessment) grant by entering the relevant CITB Levy number in the TCMS notification.

On or Off centre

You will see from the CITB announcement that training and assessment (testing) can be done on centre or any other location.

Within the CITB training standard there are strict requirements for all Training and Testing including delivery rules.

For off-centre activities, the area MUST be a segregated area from all other site activities, including the assessment area, which includes welfare facilities which meet the requirements of the current CDM Regs. Therefore, by way of example, it is unlikely that A17c could be completed due to the Training & Testing requirements laid out within the standard.

Test Centre Management System (TCMS)

TCMS will allow notification of training so that grants to employers remain automated. Centres must complete the 7-digit levy number in TCMS to ensure the employer receives grant.

For testing that is not yet included in the listed CITB standards please continue to notify as normal including the 7-digit levy number as the grant will be automated for the employer.

Do Centres have to become a CITB Approved Training Organisation (ATO)?

Yes, centres will have to become ATO https://www.citb.co.uk/standards-and-delivering-training/approved-training-organisations/how-to-become-ato/ 

Requirements for Approved Training Organisations July 2022 (RATO)?

Further information on the requirements to be an ATO can be found at the following web address https://www.citb.co.uk/media/x2kcl50x/final-rato-update-july-2022.pdf 

CPCS

The above CITB training requirements only apply to training that is being CITB grant funded. Please follow the current scheme guidance for all other training and testing.

Quality Assurance

CPCS will quality assure all notified testing regardless of the grant relation. CITB will also Quality Assure all Training ensuring that requirements for delivery are met and maintained.

Same Individual Training & Testing

CITB Training and Assessment standards will allow the same individual to Train & Test (assess).

Trainer Requirements

CPCS require all Trainers to have a trainer/instructor card and further information on how to apply for an “instructor card”, and the application will be made available shortly.

All Trainers/instructors must hold a minimum Level of 3 teaching qualification examples: - PTTLLS, DTTLLS, and VQ (Vocational Qualification) in training delivery or equivalents.

All Trainers must hold a “Tester Card” with at least one category.

Additional blue Competent Operator categories can be migrated to an “Instructor/trainer card”, which must be obtained via VQ.

All Trainers will have to hold a Health and Safety qualification at or equivalent to Construction Site Management level such as:

• Site Safety Plus Site Management Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS)
• IOSH Managing Safely in Construction
• IOSH Safety, Health & Environment for Construction Site Managers
• 5-day CISRS Managers course, 5-day CCDO Demolition Manager course and end test

All Trainers will have to hold an in-date Emergency First Aid.

All Trainers will have to have an in-date MAP test.

If you do not have the Level-3 Teaching Qualification, a six-month grace period will be applied from the 1st of January 2023 you will be able to deliver training based on your tester and Competent Operator card.

Training & Assessment Standard

CITB’s training and assessment standards are combined. The assessment used at the end of training must be the current card scheme test/assessment process.

Therefore, you will only be able to test as per current scheme rules. The trainer/instructor card is independent of the tester card, to test you must hold the relevant CPCS Tester card which is category specific.