The training body, which is now subject to a Government review into its future role, revealed that Belton would formally exit at the end of the year.

Sarah Beale, currently chief financial officer, will become acting chief executive after holding several senior management roles in 11 years at the CITB.

CITB Chairman James Wates said: “In the past three years, Adrian has led the development of key organisational reforms that have enabled and shaped CITB’s future offer to industry.

“Now that a plan has been delivered to the board, Adrian has decided the time is right to leave CITB and pass on the baton for a successor to deliver on that plan.

“CITB is now moving onto the next phase of its reform, which is engaging with industry on how it will support, delivering the required change and consulting on a new Levy Order. 

“This includes reforming the Grants Scheme to ensure that Levy funds are invested in the skills most needed by our industry.”

Mark Farmer, chief executive of Cast and author of a government-commissioned review into construction which recommended wholesale reform at CITB, said: “CITB has some big challenges ahead if it is to address industry’s own concerns regarding its fitness for purpose.

“Ultimately refreshed leadership of this body could be important but I suspect will be viewed as tokenism by some.

“Any reform or review of the CITB will be like ‘moving deckchairs around on the Titanic’ unless some of the bigger picture issues facing the industry raised in my recent review are addressed.

“These require a coordinated and wholesale modernisation and change programme driven by industry and clients and supported by government. This is a much bigger problem than just reorganising CITB.”