What The Construction Industry Training Board does

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) is a UK statutory, non-profit industry training body established in 1964, registered as a charity in England and Wales (No. 264289) and Scotland (No. SC044875), headquartered in Peterborough with 1,001-5,000 employees. CITB is the designated Standards Setting Body for the UK construction industry, holding government-backed authority to develop and maintain National Occupational Standards, NVQs, SVQs, competence frameworks, and apprenticeship standards across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Its core offerings span the Health, Safety and Environment (HS&E) test required for CSCS card applications, the Site Safety Plus (SSP) course suite (HSA, SSSTS, SMSTS, SEATS, TSTS, TWCTC, TWSTC, DRHS), the National Construction College (NCC) apprenticeship and practical training provision, apprenticeship frameworks in each UK nation, and a growing catalogue of eCourses including a £99 Health and Safety Awareness course and free fire-safety and temporary-works courses.

CITB operates a cloud-based digital platform ecosystem comprising the CITB Online Services portal (PowerApps-based) for levy returns and grant claims, the Construction Training Directory (CTD) for course discovery, the Construction Training Register (CTR) for learner achievement records that trigger automated grant payments, and the CITB eCourses platform (Powerhouse Hub-based) for online learning and assessment. Assessment delivery is underpinned by Pearson VUE, both for Internet Test Centre HS&E testing and OnVUE online proctoring. Distribution flows through the Training Provider Network (TPN) of approved, quality-assured providers across Great Britain, alongside Approved Training Organisations (ATOs), Internet Test Centres (ITCs), and Site Safety Plus centres, with the wholly-owned National Construction College providing direct training delivery.

Revenue is generated primarily through a statutory levy on construction employers meeting threshold criteria (subscription-recurring), supplemented by transactional fees from ITC operators (annual subscriptions of £750 plus per-test fees of £23.50), SSP provider approval and renewal fees (centre visits £250, new approvals and renewals £1,000), direct eCourse sales (£99 for HSA, free fire-safety and temporary-works courses), and grant administration services. The go-to-market combines sales-led levy engagement via local field advisors, a channel-partner model through TPN/ATOs/ITCs/SSP centres, and direct-to-consumer eCourse sales. Primary customer segments are construction employers, approved training providers, individual construction workers and apprentices, and government and industry stakeholders.

Name

The Construction Industry Training Board

Legal name

The Construction Industry Training Board

Website

https://citb.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

UK statutory non-profit training board (founded 1964, Peterborough) that funds, develops standards for, and delivers construction workforce training, apprenticeships, HS&E testing, and Site Safety Plus courses across Great Britain via a levy-funded, multi-channel network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Industry Training and Workforce Development

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Apprenticeship Training (611513), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Construction & Trades Licensure (Contractor, Electrician, Plumber, HVAC CE) (EDAAALAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Construction, Engineering & Skilled Trades Licensure Prep (EDAAANAL), Accreditation Standards, Benchmarking & Framework Organizations (EDADACAJ), Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAF)

Keywords

• Construction training
• Vocational qualifications
• Workforce development
• Health safety testing
• Apprenticeship standards

Headquarters

HQ city

Peterborough

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Statutory Levy: CITB is a statutory body funded through a mandatory levy on construction employers. Employers meeting the threshold criteria pay a levy based on their payroll, which funds CITB's operations, grants, and training support programmes.
2. Internet Test Centre Fees: Fees charged to ITC operators including initial site survey (£250 + VAT), annual subscription (£750 + VAT), and delegate test fees (£23.50 per test). Revenue supports the administration and quality assurance of the HS&E testing network.
3. Site Safety Plus Course Fees: Fees for SSP provider approval and ongoing delivery: centre visit fee (£250 + VAT), new centre approval fee (£1,000 + VAT), annual renewal (£1,000 + VAT), delegate course registration (£25-£39 per delegate), and trainer applications (£100 + VAT).
4. eCourse Sales: Revenue from online course sales: Health and Safety Awareness eCourse priced at £99.00 with first exam free; retake exams at £21 fee. Free courses include Fire Safety Awareness and Fire Safety in Buildings.
5. Training Provider Services: Fees list applies for various administrative services including appeals, quality assurance visits, and other TPN/ATO support activities as documented in the fees list (PDF, 242KB).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CITB is a statutory UK construction industry training board that funds, sets standards for, and delivers construction workforce training and certification. It provides the Health, Safety and Environment (HS&E) test, the Site Safety Plus (SSP) suite of courses, National Construction College training, apprenticeship frameworks, eLearning courses, grants for employer training, and acts as the Standards Setting Body for National Occupational Standards (NOS), NVQs, SVQs and competence frameworks.

Product overview

CITB (The Construction Industry Training Board) operates as a unified platform offering construction industry training, testing, and workforce development services. The core offerings include the Health, Safety and Environment (HS&E) Test for operatives, the Site Safety Plus (SSP) suite of classroom and eLearning courses (including HSA, SSSTS, SSSTS-R, SMSTS, SMSTS-R, DRHS, SEATS, TSTS, TWCTC, TWCTC-R, TWSTC), and the National Construction College for practical training. These are supported by the Training Provider Network (TPN) of approved providers, the Standards Setting Body function for developing NOS and qualifications, Internet Test Centres (ITCs) for test delivery, and digital platforms including the CITB eCourses portal, Construction Training Register (CTR), Construction Training Directory (CTD), and CITB Online Services portal for levy and grant management. CITB also provides apprenticeship support, grants, and funding for employers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• National Construction College (NCC): Construction training college offering apprenticeship courses and career development training.
• Training Provider Network (TPN)
• Site Safety Plus (SSP)
• Construction Training Directory (CTD)
• Construction Training Register (CTR)

Products and services

• Health, Safety and Environment (HS&E) Test A CITB-operated testing facility that assesses operative health, safety and environment knowledge; required for CSCS card applications and delivered through Internet Test Centres using Pearson VUE infrastructure.
• Site Safety Plus (SSP) Course Suite A suite of construction health and safety courses for operatives through to senior managers, covering HSA, SSSTS, SMSTS, DRHS, SEATS, TSTS, TWCTC, TWSTC and refresher variants, with classroom, remote and eCourse delivery options.
• Health and Safety Awareness (HSA) Course One-day course supporting understanding of potential risks and hazards on construction sites and identifying delegate responsibilities for health and safety.
• Site Supervision Safety Training Scheme (SSSTS) Two-day course covering legislation and safe working practices for those with supervisory responsibilities in construction and civil engineering.
• Site Management Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS) Five-day course for site managers covering legal responsibilities, health and safety law, CDM regulations, risk assessments, site setup, and environmental issues.
• Director's Role for Health and Safety (DRHS) One-day interactive course for company directors and senior managers to recognise duties of care and implications of non-compliance with health and safety legislation.
• Site Environmental Awareness Training Scheme (SEATS) One-day interactive course covering environmental legislation and how construction activities affect the environment, including ecosystem protection and pollution prevention.
• Tunnelling Safety Training Scheme (TSTS) One-day awareness course introducing health and safety in tunnelling environments, covering confined spaces, plant equipment, and emergency arrangements.
• Temporary Works Co-ordinator Training Course (TWCTC) Two-day course for those with responsibility for managing all forms of temporary works on site, emphasising communication, coordination, cooperation, competency, risk management and BS 5975 compliance.
• Temporary Works Supervisor Training Course (TWSTC) One-day course for those with on-site responsibility for supervising temporary works, explaining the TWS role and management context per BS 5975:2024.
• National Construction College (NCC) CITB's own training college providing practical construction training and apprenticeship courses designed to get workers on site, part of the courses and tests portfolio.
• Health and Safety Awareness eCourse (eHSA) Online health and safety awareness course priced at £99, providing 12-month access to interactive materials and certification equivalent to Level 1 Award in Health and Safety in a Construction Environment, with first exam free and £21 retake fee.
• Fire Safety Awareness eCourse Free online course providing fire safety risk assessment training for construction industry workers, taking approximately 2 hours to complete with certificate valid for 5 years.
• Fire Safety in Buildings eCourse Free online course developed with Build UK covering fire safety measures in buildings for those working in design, construction, or maintenance, approximately 1 hour to complete.
• Temporary Works General Awareness eCourse Free online introductory course on temporary works and their importance on construction sites, available through CITB eCourses platform with approximately 3 hours of content.
• Internet Test Centres (ITCs) Network Network of CITB-approved centres providing testing facilities for the HS&E test and other CITB assessments, with annual subscriptions, per-test fees, and quality assurance requirements.
• Training Provider Network (TPN) Collaboration between CITB and training providers across Great Britain bringing together approved quality-assured providers from England, Scotland and Wales for delivery of CITB-accredited training and qualifications.
• Standards Setting Body Services CITB's statutory role developing and maintaining National Occupational Standards (NOS), NVQs, SVQs, competence frameworks and apprenticeship standards for the UK construction industry.
• Construction Training Grants for Employers Levy-funded grant payments to construction employers, automatically triggered when training achievements are recorded in the Construction Training Register within 10 days of course completion.
• Apprenticeship Programmes and Standards Construction apprenticeship programmes and standards across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, including framework design, find-an-apprenticeship services, and hire-an-apprentice employer support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Certificate valid for 5 years for most CITB courses including HSA, SSSTS, SSSTS-R, SMSTS, SMSTS-R, TWCTC, TWCTC-R, TWSTC, TSTS, DRHS, Fire Safety courses

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Build UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBuild UK partnered with CITB to develop the Fire Safety in Buildings eCourse. This free course improves knowledge of fire safety measures in buildings and is suitable for anyone working in design, construction, or maintenance of buildings with a focus on installers.
• Pearson VUEcoreTechnology or IntegrationPearson VUE provides the technical infrastructure and platform for CITB's HS&E test delivery through Internet Test Centres and for online proctored eCourse examinations (OnVUE). CITB references Pearson VUE technical requirements and Connect portal for ITCs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• City & Guilds: City & Guilds is a major vocational awarding and skills-development organization with qualifications across trades, construction, engineering, and apprenticeships. It is comparable as a broad incumbent in work-based training and recognized occupational qualifications.
• NEBOSH: NEBOSH offers health, safety, environmental, and wellbeing qualifications used by employers and professionals globally. It is comparable to CITB's safety training and assessment products, but with a broader professional certification focus beyond construction.
• Lantra: Lantra is a UK awarding and training body serving land-based, environmental, and related technical occupations. It is comparable as an industry skills body that develops standards, qualifications, and training pathways for vocational workforces.
• Highfield Qualifications: Highfield provides regulated qualifications, e-learning, and apprenticeship assessment services across safety, compliance, and workplace skills. It is comparable because CITB also combines training content, assessment, certification, and approved-provider networks.
• IOSH: IOSH is a professional body for occupational safety and health that offers widely used training products such as safety management courses. It is comparable to CITB's health-and-safety training portfolio, though IOSH serves a broader cross-industry market.

Direct peers

• HSS Training: HSS Training delivers construction, health-and-safety, plant, and site-skills training to employers and workers in the UK. It is comparable on direct course delivery to construction employers and individual learners, although it lacks CITB's statutory standards role.
• NOCN Group: NOCN provides vocational qualifications, assessments, and construction-related certification services, including job-card and plant competence schemes. It is comparable to CITB's qualifications, standards, and construction workforce credentialing activities.
• Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB): ECITB is the closest analogue to CITB: a UK statutory training board focused on skills, training standards, and workforce development for engineering construction. It is comparable because both organizations operate industry-specific training ecosystems supported by statutory mandates.
• NPORS: NPORS provides plant operator registration, training, and competence card schemes for construction and related industries. It is comparable because it targets the same construction workforce compliance and site-readiness use cases as CITB credentials and training.

Others

• Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS): CSCS operates the UK construction skills card scheme used to evidence worker competence on sites. It is comparable because CITB's HS&E test and training records sit in the same construction credentialing and compliance ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CITB_UK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/citb

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Construction Industry Training Board