The FMB has argued there is no evidence that a single, unified training board would improve skills outcomes for small building firms. It said the biggest risk was that SMEs, which make up most construction businesses, could be pushed aside in such an organisation.

•   The Finance Professional Show 2025: The Video
•   Skills shortage deepens as trades lose status, shadow housing sec warns
•   FMB welcomes faster planning, renews licensing calls

However, the FMB agreed that reform is needed regardless of whether the merger goes ahead. If the government proceeds, the FMB is calling for the new body to give smaller firms a stronger voice and deliver better value for levy-paying employers. 

“The government has not made a clear case for how merging CITB and ECITB would improve outcomes for small builders, and there is a real risk that the voice of smaller firms will be diluted even further in a larger organisation with the introduction of large multinational engineering firms,” said Brian Berry, CEO at the FMB. 

“If the Department for Work and Pensions is determined to press ahead, it must ensure the new organisation is built around the reality of the construction sector. 

“That means giving representative bodies a formal place in governance, being far more transparent about how decisions are made and how levy funding is spent and shifting to a culture that listens to and works alongside the industry."