Catalogue description Industrial Training Boards

The Industrial Training Act 1964 was enacted in order to make better provision for training in industry and commerce and to ensure an adequate supply of trained personnel. The Minister of Labour (later the Secretary of State for Employment) was thereby empowered to establish Industrial Training Boards (ITBs) by making industrial training orders. Under the Employment and Training Act 1973 most of the responsibilities relating to the control of the activities of the ITBs were transferred to the Manpower Services Commission which exercised its training functions through the Training Services Agency.

The main functions of the Industrial Training Boards were:

• to provide or secure the provision of sufficient training courses and other facilities for employers in their respective industries;
• to make recommendations about the length, nature, standard and content of training for different occupations;
• to pay a grant to employers providing training of an approved standard; and
• to impose a levy on employers in their industry in order to carry out these functions.

The boards were comprised of a chairperson (with experience in industry or commerce), an equal number of employers and employees, and a smaller number representing the field of education.

In November 1981 the Secretary of State for Employment announced changes concerning the boards. Responsibility for training would henceforth shift from the boards to the industry concerned. As a result sixteen boards were wound up. The five boards in this series are:

• Gas Industry Training Board: Established on 24 June 1965 by SI 1965/1257 and run initially by the Gas Council. In the re-organisation which resulted from the Gas Act 1972 the British Gas Corporation replaced the Gas Council from 1 January 1973 and the Area Gas Boards were dissolved. As the Corporation's duties included responsibility for training and education the Gas ITB was wound up on 1 January 1974.
• Ceramics, Glass and Mineral Products Industry Training Board: Established on 23 July 1965 by SI 1965/1391 it covered a wide range of processes and operated through the following three sub-boards (which were served by various advisory committees): (i) Extractive industries of sand, gravel, clay, limestone, chalk and cement products; (ii) Bricks, refractories, salt-glaze ware, and associated products; and (iii) Pottery, glass, and associated products.
• Knitting, Lace and Net Industry Training Board: Established on 18 March 1966 by SI 1966/143, the predominant sector within the Board's scope was the traditional weft knitting and hosiery industry. On a smaller scale it also covered warp knitting, lace embroidery, lace net and coarse net industries.
• Printing and Publishing Industry Training Board: Established on 29 May 1968 by SI 1968/786 it covered about 4,000 establishments mainly concerned with general printing industries and newspaper and periodical production and printing. It was also concerned with related activities: news agencies, photographic agencies and commercial photography.
• Distributive Industry Training Board: Established on 25 July 1968 by SI 1968/1032 it covered about 2½ million employees in almost ½ million establishments. Its main responsibility was for employees in the retail trades and to a lesser extent for those in wholesaling, importing and other forms of dealing, radio relay stations, mail order businesses and organisations operating in trading stamps. It did not cover establishments selling fresh food.