CITB grant cuts scaffolding: NASC launches manifesto demanding a national training network

The National Access and Scaffolding Confederation published its updated 2026 manifesto on 24 August, setting out eight actions across six policy areas and placing the collapse of accessible scaffolding training at the heart of its political case. ^[1] The timing is deliberate. CITB restructured its grants programme from 8 January 2026, withdrawing most short-course grant support and replacing it with a new Employer Networks model; a separate Large Employer Fund then launched on 1 April. ^[2] For many scaffolding businesses, particularly those outside the CITB levy nexus or without a training coordinator on staff, the practical effect has been a sharp rise in the cost of getting operatives through CISRS courses. The NASC is now asking government to act before the gap widens further.

What the NASC manifesto actually says about CITB grant cuts and scaffolding training

The manifesto calls on the Department for Education to help establish a nationwide network of dedicated scaffolding training providers, backed by adequate funding and closer involvement from regional and devolved skills bodies. ^[3] It also supports full-time scaffolding courses for 16 to 18-year-olds and improved careers education to give young people a clearer route into the industry. ^[3]

The document sets out eight actions across six policy areas covering supply chains, employment law, skills, training, safety and the environment, and the NASC says it will now be reviewed and updated regularly rather than remaining a static document. ^[4] NASC President Sarah Klieve said the manifesto gives the confederation a platform 'to champion our members and make the case for the policies that will help responsible businesses invest, grow and continue raising standards.' ^[4]

The skills case is grounded in the NASC's own data. Its Skills Gap Report 2026, published earlier in the year, found that 56 per cent of member firms currently carry at least one vacancy, with an average of 4.4 open roles per organisation. ^[5] When the figures are extrapolated across the wider sector, NASC estimates the industry could need around 40,000 roles filled, even before major new construction projects come fully online. ^[5] Around 7 per cent of the current workforce is expected to retire within four years, which NASC said could remove more than 1,400 experienced workers from member companies alone. ^[6]

What CITB funding changes 2026 mean in practice for scaffolding employers

CITB confirmed that from 8 January 2026, short-course training grants were withdrawn except for a limited number of specialist categories. Scaffolding short-duration courses were among the courses that continued in the Grants Scheme, meaning the 70 per cent subsidy rate for CISRS-linked short courses was preserved for most scaffolding-specific training. ^[7] However, qualifications below Level 7 that do not fall within those exempt categories now attract only 50 per cent match funding through Employer Networks, and attendance grants for long qualifications were removed entirely. ^[8]

For employers with 250 or more workers, the Employer Networks route closed from 1 April 2026 and was replaced by the new Large Employer Fund, described by CITB as an interim measure while it works with large employers on longer-term arrangements. ^[9] The Employer Networks budget for smaller firms was set at £11.5 million for the 2026 to 2027 financial year, and support is available at 50 per cent match funding or at a fixed contribution for health and safety courses. ^[10] CITB CEO Tim Balcon acknowledged the disruption, stating: 'The way funding is accessed must change in order for us to support more employers.' ^[10]

CITB did confirm that regardless of employer size, businesses can continue to access short course grants for scaffolding, plant operations and other specialist courses outside the Employer Networks structure. ^[11] Apprenticeship grants also remain unchanged. ^[11] The practical complexity, however, is that knowing which specific courses retain grant eligibility now requires careful checking against the CITB short-course grants list, a task that falls to whoever manages training in a contracting business.

Two readings: does the NASC manifesto help or simply highlight the problem?

One reading is straightforwardly optimistic. The NASC gained Prescribed Organisation status from CITB earlier in 2026, giving the trade body a formal role in the levy consensus process that shapes how training funding is directed across construction. ^[12] The manifesto's policy asks now have a formal channel into CITB and government discussions that did not exist before, and NASC's representation of contractor members in those conversations is, on paper, stronger than at any previous point.

A more cautious reading notes that manifestos are statements of intent, not guaranteed outcomes. The CITB funding changes announced in December 2025 took effect in January 2026 and were described by CITB itself as permanent. ^[13] The scaffolding sector's response, including trade press commentary noting CITB held reported reserves of £78.9 million at the time the cuts were announced, reflects a frustration that structural reform of the levy system, rather than a new manifesto, may be what is needed. ^[14] The NASC's own data makes the urgency plain: 83 per cent of member organisations expected to recruit during 2026, yet training capacity and funding certainty remain uncertain. ^[5]

Why this is a contractual question, not just a training question

For commercial managers, quantity surveyors and project managers working with scaffolding subcontractors, the funding shift has direct implications for pricing and supply chain risk. If CISRS card progression slows because employers cannot absorb the unsubsidised cost of training, the pool of supervisors and advanced scaffolders available to quote against frameworks contracts will shrink. That affects both programme and prelims costs.

The NASC manifesto also calls for stronger payment protections for contractors and subcontractors working on major infrastructure projects, noting that members contribute almost £3 billion in added value to the UK economy. ^[4] That language points towards retention and prompt payment disputes, which sit alongside the training question as a commercial pressure on contracting businesses. Managers pricing scaffolding packages in 2026 need to understand both the direct cost of training and the indirect cost of workforce instability driven by funding uncertainty. Our guide to CITB funding changes for scaffolding contractors sets out the current grant landscape in detail: https://scaffskills.com/guides/citb-funding-changes-scaffolding

A skills gap is also a tender gap: the contractor who keeps its CISRS pipeline moving through a funding transition will price the next framework with confidence that others cannot match.