The CITB is coming under fire again after announcing more changes to how it hands cash back to contractors.

From April only micro, small, and medium size employers can use the Employer Networks funding route.

The annual budget for the programme has been set at £11.5m for the upcoming financial year with an annual cap on claims for smaller firms of between £1,500 and £4,500.

The previous cap was £15,000 and the Enquirer has asked CITB for details of how the total £11.5m compares with last year’s budget.

The change has sparked outrage among smaller contractors who could claim up to £10,000 under the previous Skills & Training fund which was suddenly closed last year.

One training expert said: “Many micro firms and SMEs will no longer be able to afford essential training.”

A contractor added: “This is a massive drop in funds for small companies. Firms will reduce the amount of training they do.”

While another firm said: “Another kick in the gut for the companies who actively encourage training and development for their employees.”

A new Large Employer Fund has also been introduced and firms will need to share a copy of their training plan with CITB before applying for funding.

CITB said Employer Networks and the Large Employer Fund cover a small part of its wider offer to industry, which also includes Short Course Grants, Apprenticeship Grants, Travel to Train, Qualification Grants, and the Industry Impact Fund.

Tim Balcon, CEO at CITB, said: “We appreciate that the decisions we have had to make have been disruptive for the industry. However, the premise for these changes is that we’re engaging more employers and seeing increased demand – we’ve seen a 36% increase in employer engagement. But we need to balance this with the same amount of Levy.

“Consequently, the way funding is accessed must change in order for us to support more employers with new entrants and competence training.”