-
Link copied
New plans for accreditation in the construction sector could bring both benefits and challenges
Change is afoot in the construction industry, with alterations to the system for worker accreditation soon to come into effect.
This approach, known as Industry Accreditation (IA), is a mechanism where the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) issues cards on the back of an employer’s recommendation, rather than on the achievement of a qualification.
Holding a CSCS card is not a legislative requirement; it is up to the principal contractor or client on projects whether workers need a card to be allowed on site.
However, most principal contractors and major housebuilders do require workers to hold a valid card.
Expiry date
CSCS stopped issuing new cards under IA in 2010 but, until now, those with cards issued before 2010 could renew them every five years.
However, in 2019, the CSCS announced that from January 2020 all cards issued under IA would expire at the end of 2024, with renewal no longer possible.
This is to keep in line with the Construction Leadership Council’s (CLC) One Industry Logo action, which requires industry card schemes to operate with nationally recognised qualifications in place for all occupations.
Introduced in 2015 and updated in 2017 and 2020, the CLC recommendation set an expectation of all CSCS cards being achieved via qualification, with the December 2024 deadline established.
CLC statement
A CLC spokesperson explains: “In 2015, the CLC announced that the industry, including trade associations, contractors and clients would specify and promote card schemes displaying the CSCS logo with no equivalents accepted. This is known as the One Industry Logo action.”
The spokesperson adds that the new approach has “made a positive contribution, both to the construction industry and the clients it serves”, helping “to ensure workers are qualified in the occupations that they will undertake and promote higher standards of health and safety in construction”.
Overall, they say, the decision “to standardise the approach to construction skills certification” aims to “improve standards of safety and competency on construction sites”.
The CLC spokesperson adds: “An industry-wide standard of competency linked to a single brand and logo provides clients, employers, and contractors with a consistent means of recognising that an individual has achieved the agreed standard of qualification and skill in their specific occupation.”
Brain drain
However, Tim Jones MCIOB, principal lecturer at the Department of the Natural and Built Environment at Sheffield Hallam University, is concerned that the change may lead to a “brain drain”, with workers more likely to look for employment in other industries.
He explains: “There have already been a number of people leaving the industry. At a trade level, a lot have thought ‘I can work in an allied trade or work for myself. I don’t need this accreditation or formal qualification’.
“Covid was a trigger as well. Those getting to the end of their careers thought ‘I’ve had enough’.”
According to CSCS head of communications Alan O’Neile, the CSCS understands the concerns. He emphasises that “no one wants these individuals to leave the industry”, adding that “their knowledge and skills are incredibly valuable”.
He continues: “This is why the industry has announced a package of support to ensure the process of achieving the qualification is as straightforward as possible.
“Contrary to a popular misconception, individuals will not need to return to college to achieve qualifications.
“Assessment methods are available and can be carried out remotely or in the workplace. The assessment route should be a relatively straightforward process for an experienced worker to achieve.”
What’s next?
How the new process will work will depend on the specific construction occupation and any construction-related qualifications already held.
To apply for a skilled level CSCS card, an applicant must hold a nationally recognised construction-related qualification. As well as NVQs, the CSCS accepts other qualifications, which are listed on its website. For example:
- Academically Qualified Person Card: This card is available to people who have completed certain construction related degrees, HNDs, HNCs, CIOB certificates and NEBOSH diplomas.
- Professionally Qualified Person Card: This card is available to competence assessed members of CSCS-approved professional bodies.
Where a person has moved into an office-based job, become a director or rarely visits site, a CSCS card will not be required.
Those without qualifications will be required to register for the appropriate qualification for their occupation before their cards expire in 2024.
The guidance issued by CSCS notes that those needing to obtain a qualification do not need to attend college. The SVQ/NVQ (S/NVQ) can be achieved via various routes. The assessment is completed in the workplace and in many cases remotely. There are many ways to show evidence of competence, including:
- A professional discussion
- Knowledge evidence questions
- Reflective accounts
- Witness testimonies (confirming previous workplace activities undertaken)
- Product evidence – for example, minutes of meetings, RAMS, products of work
- Observations
Individuals should use the interactive flowcharts available at CSCS.uk.com/IA to work out their route off IA.
Extra funding
Enhanced CITB grant funding is also available to employers to support those individuals who need to undertake further assessment to achieve a qualification: £1,250 for supervisory qualifications and £1,500 for managerial qualifications.
In addition, O’Neile says that for “many IA cardholders”, replacing cards should be a “straightforward process” – for example, by moving across to the Academically or Professionally Qualified Persons cards or using an existing qualification to renew. Those who no longer attend site or are in non-construction-related occupations will not require a card.
Transition plan
On a logistical note, a Build UK spokesperson emphasises that “companies and individuals should put a plan in place to transition their staff as soon as possible, but no later than the end of 2024”.
The spokesperson continues: “If a new qualification is required, workers should register as soon as possible to ensure enough time to achieve the qualification, and also to avoid a surge in demand close to the deadline.”
However, Jones feels that some people who need a card “won’t get themselves onto an approved training scheme either because they’re self-employed and can’t afford it or they can’t be bothered”.
He adds: “So they will lose their trade status and be told they can’t work or they’ll go somewhere else because they don’t want to go through the process.
“Your average self-employed person can’t get access to the CITB funding because it is only available to companies who pay a levy to the CITB. So, it’s all smoke and mirrors.
“Most of the large organisations that pay into the CITB are management-only companies. [A lot of these large organisations] don’t employ any labour, it’s all done through subcontractors, so there’s still a huge prevalence in the construction industry of tradespeople being self-employed.”
Cowboy culture
According to Jones, this could lead to a return to “cowboy culture”.
“How do you prove your competence?” he asks. “Because people will invent a scheme to get around the problem and that doesn’t help the industry going forward”.
In response, O’Neile says: “Those self-employed or subcontracted on projects should speak to the primary contractor in the first instance regarding grant funding.
“It is not uncommon for primary contractors to support the self-employed in achieving a qualification.”
Will the changes help?
Going forward, Jones feels that the changes will not help the industry’s “chronic skills shortage”.
“We need to make [the industry] look more attractive to people so they want to join,” he says.
“This is going to hit the industry like a bit of a sledgehammer in the face because we could have lots of sites looking for labour as people haven’t renewed their status and they’re leaving the industry.”
As the 2024 date moves closer, the CSCS maintains that the switch will be a positive move.
“The removal of IA is the last in a number of changes that have taken place in recent years that have seen over half a million unqualified construction workers obtain a recognised qualification,” O’Neile says.
The Build UK spokesperson adds: “New regulation following disasters such as the Lakanal House and Grenfell Tower fires has brought competence to the forefront for the construction industry.
“The changes for IA ensure that cards bearing the CSCS logo comply with this recommendation and allow employers, clients and regulators to have confidence in the competence of those working in the industry.” With competence clearly a key driver for the industry, time will tell whether the accreditation changes will be an effective way to increase confidence and guarantee compliance.
Comments
Comments are closed.
This is all geared to computerised processing and nothing to do with individuals. My nephew has attention deficient, works like a trooper when supervised, but can’t sit for longer than a few minutes without lossing attention. What chance has he of passing a qualification, yet he is paid £800/ week at 20 years old, for the amount he produces on site. He has to work for small local builders as he wouldn’t be admitted on a Prime Contractors site because of his lack of qualifications – that’s where the ‘brain drain’ is, successive years of the need to have a paper qualification in the construction industry – pushing people away to the logistics industry to ‘lift and shift’ that don’t have the ridiculous ‘qualification’ requirements – just need a willing pair of hands.
The Construction Industry has this pre-occupation of late to better itself and provide a ‘nice’ image to the public – I have news from the grass roots – its still a dirty & dusty industry, that needs people with a certain grit and no academic qualifications to put up with the howling cold winds, ice covered concrete floors, constant high pitch noises of plant, skil saws, breakers, grit blasted by the howling winds and then roasted in the sun in summer leading to dehydration. Still that doesn’t play well with getting women into the industry with their long flowing hair under the hard hats and immaculate hi-viz jackets.
Under CDM, you require skills, knowledge and experience. An NVQ may give you a base qualification but cannot give you the skills and expertise that EXPERIENCE gives you. Many in the construction sector have the old City & Guilds Qualifications, which are not valid either. Why not? Surely that is the equivalent of an NVQ level 2, and these people have much experience. Forcing people to do an onsite assessment (at £3K) will cause those with the most experience to leave the industry.
Agree with a lot if not all of what Paul said above, (I am all for diversity in the workplace)
This doesn’t just apply to the young grafters and it is also frustrating for the older generation with the lack of human contact / communication to discuss individual requirements.
It seems that the use of bots and an emailing protocol is the future which its becoming more like a governmental institution with no flexibility in practice (despite what the marketing team try and tell us).
I have never heard and read so much waffle in my life time.
I have been in the construction industry for over 35 years and held the black card since 2002. I am MCIOB qualified and worked as a on site manager for some 30 years. Not even a formal letter from the institute to the CITB was sufficient to allow me to continue to hold a black card. The CITB and CLC have lost the plot. The card is a complete scam and money making racket and I won’t be renewing it again.
I think the idea to centralise has its merits but the way they are going about it is all wrong. The idea that you have to have a NVQ (or equivalent) to qualify for a CSCS is so detrimental to the industry. I have colleagues 30+ year industry experience who used to be on the tools and have progressed into management. By doing the SMSTS course they would qualify for the CSCS Managers Card, but not anymore and as they do not have an NVQ, there is no card for them to apply for. We have been speaking with CSCS and have found no solution. I feel the decision makers of this are so out of touch with the industry.
Way to go CSCS – alienate a huge part of the ageing construction workforce! Why move the goalposts for thousands of skilled experienced workers, when there is such a skills shortage. Why would a proven site manager or supervisor, late into their career, want to study for an NVQ? This ‘initiative’ by CSCS will be responsible for the final nail in the coffin for many. Sad times.
PS – for me personally it’s an easy transfer to an Academically Qualified Person card, but that’s not the point.
I agree with all the above, but I could post my comment as it was longer than 2000 characters allowed, in short a money making scheme and the upper echelons of the industry are delusional
Switched OFF. That is what Paul Sutton illustrates regarding his nephew. “What chance has he of passing a qualification.” If young people are told all the time; they have no chance, never make it, waste of time, then their motivation and more important their dream is erased. CSCS should lead the industry to make all tests in bite size chunks for passing exams, like every one or two weeks a small exam in stages. So the person knows it is possible and can see their experience and exam qualifications building each week or so. Trades people should take small tests in any order with re-sits at any time. The same for Universities and Colleges not four days of eight 3 hour exams at the end of a year. If you are ill, on a period, had an accident that exam week, then your three years of graft and pressure can be erased. My daughter had dyspraxia, school teachers wrote her off in the bottom set, yet with my support she got a Management Degree from Sheffield Hallam. I used to teach YTS Building Draughtsmanship on drawing boards and after nine months my trainees (with no A-levels) were going to Architects Practices. The feedback was the trainees were equivalent to a two year architectural technician in knowledge and drawing skills. My 23 trainees all got employed (1982-86). I also coach athletics and I have heard two coaches say ” She can’t run, I don’t know why she bothers.” I say it is their job to coach the young athlete how to run and they should not be coaching with that attitude. How can schools (2006) have a Mathematics exam with the highest grade a D and you need a C to get to work or college for A-levels? Parents Teachers Coaches and Employers do not switch the next generation off. Encourage with a positive approach and support. CSCS holder Nicholas Matlak MRICS MCIOB MCMI (50 years in Construction)
The CSCS card scheme has worked without any problems so far so why the big change? Don’t get it and I have been sitting test for my CSCS card since they came out. Disappointed
If the CLC think a CSCS card indicates competence, they are simply deluded.
The CSCS card is nothing more than a mass registration allied to an NVQ system that is riddled with fault lines and inconsistency.
Tens of thousands of skilled artisans have left the sector never to return and the CLC and the CSCS must be held accountable for their gross misjudgment on industry accreditation.
You can get a CSCS card if you have been assessed against a specific NVQ.
But you can’t work at that specific trade if you haven’t got a CSCS card.
Very few training courses are available for you to achieve the NVQ (as the training industry is set up to assess rather than actually train).
Many trades don’t have applicable NVQ’s as they are too specialist.
Self employed can’t get funding as detailed, and principle contractors won’t fund them as they will only be on that specific project. Plus they are employed (even when self-employed) its via a sub-contractor.
An NVQ does not guarantee competence, it just assessed the person against a set of criteria. Doing the trade is much more complex than any NVQ.
If you’ve qualified in one trade, don’t expect to transfer to a different trade (even if your skills are transferable), as you are now boxed into one trade, with no career path upwards or sideways.
So how does it stop quality people leaving the industry and getting the young to join it?