The “innovative new fund invites CITB-registered employers to apply for up to £500,000.”

The wording continues: “Being the first of its kind for CITB, the fund will pilot a new way of supporting the needs of industry by putting employers in the driving seat with designing and developing training and skills solutions.

“The fund provides the opportunity for a greater say on the best solutions for tackling some of the biggest skills challenges.

“Employer’s ideas must be new and innovative, not previously supported by CITB, as well as scalable. The fund is seeking big picture ideas that enable shared knowledge and resources across the industry and are sustainable past the period of funding.”

One construction director said: “Shouldn’t the CITB be coming up with these ideas -I thought that was their whole point?”

Tim Balcon, CITB Chief Executive, said:  “This new fund is a fantastic opportunity to empower employers, enabling them to have greater say in how they train and build on their skills. It has the potential to have a huge impact and I’m really looking forward to seeing the range of ideas come through.

“We know an additional 225,000 workers are expected to be required by 2027, which is why the fund has carefully selected areas, based on research, that will support construction’s people pipeline. If you have an idea that you think might meet the criteria, please do get in touch with your local adviser to discuss this further.”