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CITB NI celebrating the past 50 yrs and looking forward to the future
The Construction Industry Training Board, established in 1964 is celebrating 50 years of leading the way in identifying the skills and training needs of the local construction industry. In order to mark this special anniversary the organisation brought together Board members past and present to acknowledge how they have served the industry over the past 5 decades during both high boom times and low recessional times and look forward to the next 50 years and beyond with hope and optimism.
Barry Neilson, Chief Executive, CITB NI said, “Our 50th Anniversary is quite an achievement and we are proud to have supported the development of our most valuable resource, our people during this time. Over recent years we have concentrated our efforts on supporting the industry to help it survive the economic downturn. We have worked with the sector to improve their capabilities in strategic planning and performance improvement at senior management level whilst also working to develop a qualified workforce at craft level.”
Barry continued, “By bringing together past and present Board members we are acknowledging the work that we have done and the work we have yet to do. The economy in NI is levelling out and we are looking forward to the future with a confident and more capable workforce able to embrace the opportunities arising as our industry regenerates. We will continue to work closely with industry partners, stakeholders and Government to ensure a qualified and competent industry to ensure growth is sustained over the long-term.”
Derek Baker, Permanent Secretary, Department for Employment and Learning said: “Over the past 50 years the construction industry has changed dramatically in Northern Ireland with significant changes to local city skylines, technology and construction methods. CITB NI has worked hard over 5 decades encouraging training within the construction industry and I wish them every success for the next 50 years.”
Pictured are Maurice Johnston Chairman and Derek Baker, Permanent Secretary, DEL at the 50th Anniversary celebrations at CITB NI