CITB resists foreign job vetting role

The Construction Industry Training Board has declined an invitation from the DTI to tender for its role in certifying the competence of UK operatives seeking work in EU countries.

The CITB is concerned at the potential scale of the certification process for overseas workers - particularly at a time when it is heavily committed to administering the launch of the domestic Construction Skills Certification Scheme. It also has doubts about the propriety of a training board actively assisting in the export of UK skills.

The DTI currently operates a system of accreditation of operative skills in line with EU requirements. But some European countries are tightening up their controls over imported labour.

n A decision on a European Directive on the posting of workers overseas has been postponed until June. The directive would curb the import of cheap foreign labour by ensuring that they were subject to locally agreed terms and conditions.