Cookies policy

This site, like many others, uses small files called Cookies which help us customise your experience. This policy applies to our use of Cookies in connection with all the CITB websites and associated sites including:

• citb.co.uk 
• ecourses.citb.co.uk
• shop.citb.co.uk
• goconstruct.org.

Hereinafter referred to as the 'Sites'.

You can find out more about Cookies and how you can control them in this Cookie Policy. We will outline:

1. What Cookies are
2. How CITB uses Cookies
3. What information they do not hold
4. Cookie details
5. How to accept or reject Cookies

By continuing to use our Sites, you are agreeing to our use of Cookies in the manner described in this policy.

What are Cookies?

Cookies are common technology for remembering certain information about a visitor’s use of a website and comprise small text files that websites send to your browser, which are stored in the memory of your device when you visit a website. Cookies enable the collection of user data, and analysis of how a website is being used by visitors, to optimise and create the best possible customer experience. Cookies allow us to provide you with information and show you content relevant to you.  Most websites use Cookies. 

Other similar technology, for example pixel tags, work in the same way and we use the word 'Cookie' in this policy to refer to all technology that is used to collect information in this way.  We may also use pixel tags on our Sites and in any emails we send to you.

Cookies collect information such as your IP address, geographical location, browser type, device type, and operating system, browsing data such as the time you visited our site, navigation history such as which links you have clicked or when you have opened our emails, and your preferences.

If you continue to use the Sites, more Cookies and other tracking technologies may be placed on your computer as described in this Cookie Policy in order to improve your experience when visiting the Sites.

How CITB use Cookies

CITB provides users with two choices when collecting their data as follows: 

• Accepting cookies 
• Denying cookies. 

When users accept cookies on our digital platforms, data regarding their visit is sent to Google (as outlined in this policy).   

When visitors deny consent, cookies are not stored. Instead, tags communicate user activity by sending the following types of cookieless pings, or signals, that give non-identifiable information including: 

• Page visits 
• Event information 
• Time stamps 
• Referral data.   

The default mode for consent is that cookies are denied until the user accepts cookies on our digital platforms.  No identifiable data of a user will be transmitted unless the relevant cookies have been accepted. 

What information do they not hold?

The Cookies we use do not hold any personable identifiable information (PII) – which means data that can identify you personally, such as; your name, phone numbers, email addresses, mailing addresses, bank account numbers or credit card information.

Why do we use Cookies?

• to recognise your device when you visit our Sites
• to remember preferences; so you don’t have to keep re-entering your choices when you visit again
• to improve our Sites' usability
• to track you as you navigate our Sites
• to analyse the use of our Sites
• to provide you with information relevant to you
• to improve the customer journey.

Which specific Cookies do we use?

We use four types of Cookies across our sites:

• Essential - Strictly Necessary
• Performance
• Functionality
• Targeting & Marketing.

Some of these are "session Cookies", which stay in place only for the duration of your visit to our Sites and are deleted at the end of your browsing session.

Others are "persistent Cookies", which remain on your device for a period of time after you have left the Sites.

Cookies may also be placed by our approved business partners, which are known as "third party Cookies".

Essential Cookies

CITB uses essential ('strictly necessary') Cookies as they are essential to the effective operation of our Sites.  If you block these Cookies, it may result in the Sites performing poorly or not working as intended.  Examples of use include:

• Saving your purchasing choices
• Ensuring your data and course choices have been captured correctly when you reach the checkout stage of purchase
• Identifying you as logged in to the secure parts of our Sites
• Remembering information you have entered when completing a form.

Performance Cookies

The use of performance Cookies helps us to:

• Improve the way our Sites work
• Understand how visitors use our Sites
• Record any errors that occur
• Measure performance and the effectiveness of our advertising. 

Some performance Cookies are managed for us by third parties for the purposes shown above. The Sites use web analytics Cookies provided by Google Analytics.  This allows us to recognise and track the number of visitors to our sites and track the user journey, which pages are visited and how long for in order to help us improve the operation of the Sites. This information does not identify you. The information collected by these Cookies is either anonymous or pseudonymised.

If you do not allow these Cookies we may not know when you have visited our Sites and may not be able to monitor their performance and improve our service to you.

Functionality Cookies

Are used to provide services or to remember choices you have made. This includes remembering your preferences or providing you with live chat functionality. We use iAdvize to provide online interaction and chat services with users, analyse user behaviour and observe your navigation in real time.

Targeting & Marketing Cookies

Record your visits to our Sites, including the web pages you have visited and the links you have followed. We use this information to make our Sites and advertising relevant to you. You may also see CITB owned advertisements on third-party websites, including social networks such as Instagram, Twitter or Facebook as we use display advertising techniques to target consumers. Some advertisements you may see will be facilitated through a Display Advertising Network.

One technique provided by Advertising Networks is called Behavioural Targeting. Advertisements can be tailored to broadcast advertising of a more relevant nature by capturing user's online behaviour. These behaviours can then be used to inform a network to place an advertisement on a website that operates as part of the advertising network.

CITB uses targeting Cookies that support behavioural advertising. Some of these Cookies are placed on your computer to display our advertisements and to evaluate the effectiveness of our advertising and promotions on third party websites. More information about behavioural advertising and how to manage targeting Cookies can be found at www.youronlinechoices.eu.

Please note that by 'opting out' of receiving Cookies from any network, you may disable the ability for a network to deliver advertisements that are targeted to your interests.

Third Party Provider Cookies

When we use internet tools from other companies to enhance our Sites and your experience, and for the purposes outlined above, these companies may also put Cookies on your device. They include:

• citbstore.pearsonvue.com
• Google Analytics
• iAdvize
• Facebook
• Google Ads
• Google Maps
• Twitter
• YouTube
• Snapchat
• TikTok

Third party Cookies are directly administered by each individual third party, your ability to change Cookie settings are set out in their own respective policies.

These providers collect and store data on their own servers. They may communicate data to third parties in case of legal obligation or when these third parties deal with the data on their behalf. CITB does not control how these platforms manage this data.

Cookie details

You can see a detailed list of which cookies we use on this website on the cookie details page.

Accepting or rejecting Cookies

You can decide which types of cookies to accept by clicking on the "Cookie settings" link at the bottom of any page on this website.

You can also block any Cookies from any website by activating the setting on your browser that allows you to refuse the setting of some or all Cookies.

However, if you block all Cookies (including Strictly Necessary Cookies) you may not be able to access all or part of our Sites. You can also use your browser settings to delete Cookies.

If Cookies are already on your system, you can delete them at any time. For more information about Cookies and how to delete them, please visit:

www.aboutCookies.org

Changes to the Cookies policy

We may make changes to this Cookies Policy from time to time.  Any changes will take effect on the date (noted below) on which we post the amended terms on the Sites.  Your continued use of the Sites after that date means that you agree to be bound by the modified policy.

This Cookie Policy was last updated on 9 February 2021.

Contact

If you have any questions about the Cookies Policy, please email the CITB Data Protection Officer at Information.Governance@CITB.co.uk

Privacy policy

Our Privacy policy explains what information we collect, how and why we use it, how we keep it safe, and what your rights are.