Building engineering services body BESA is questioning the relevance of the industry skills body.

CITB chiefs are gearing up for a vote later this year when the industry will decide if it wants the skills body to continue raising a levy.

The backing of 13 concensus trade bodies is vital to the CITB’s hopes.

BESA training director Tony Howard said: “The big question for employers – including those BESA members who have to pay the levy – is whether there should be a CITB levy at all.”

He also launched into the CITB’s record on helping smaller contractors.

Howard said: “The CITB has not been able to spend all the money it raises through the levy for years and cannot get funding to more than 9% of SME’s.

“Every so often it needs to reduce the embarrassing amount of money it has sitting in the bank, so it builds websites and does roadshows trying to engage SME’s in obtaining grants from a system they don’t understand.”

The CITB is facing a growing wave of industry criticism and the spectre of the Government’s Apprenticeship Levy beng imposed on all large firms.

Howard said: “Later this year, all employers will get the chance to exercise their democratic right and vote on the future of the CITB Levy.

“As we now have an Apprenticeship Levy, the obvious question is whether there should be two funding streams.”

CITB Policy Director Steve Radley said: “We know this is a challenging time and we need to get out there and talk to the industry which is exactly what we will be doing.”