The new higher hurdle for acquiring a labourer’s green card has been welcomed by the industry, but the jury was still out on the value of the new Academically Qualified Person’s card.
Paul Bogle, policy manager at the National Federation of Builders, said that the tightening of green card criteria was a positive move for the industry. “Essentially what they’re doing is closing a loophole that allowed people to get on site using the wrong card.
“We haven’t taken the temperature of the membership yet [on the cost of training and assessment] but when you introduce a minimum qualification level, as we saw with the Green Deal, it’s more about the application and assessment process than the training. Contractors will probably find that a lot of people are already qualified – it’s an administrative hurdle but not an educational one.”
CSCS cards shake-up: see full story
He linked the new AQP card, and the wider variety of non-vocational qualifications CSCS now recognises, to the overall “image of the industry” agenda set out in the Industrial Strategy for Construction.
“A key pillar of that is communicating that we are a professional industry, it helps us attract new talent and give clients confidence. The new card all goes to build that confidence.”
But other commentators were concerned that an “academic” card would carry little real weight on site, and undermines the concept that CSCS cards should be linked to job roles, not qualifications.
“If someone with an HND working as an assistant site manager shows this card, what does it suggest?” said an industry source who preferred not to named. “It seems pointless – it doesn’t tell you anything about the person. There is already confusion about the number of cards out there, and introducing a new one is likely to add more.”
Existing cards include: a red graduate card for technical, supervisory and management roles; a red trainee card, for technical, supervisory and management roles; and a red experienced worker card.
Chartered CIOB members can hold a Professionally Qualified Person’s card, but have to pass an NVQ 6 or a CIOB Level 4 Site Management qualification in order to hold a black CSCS site manager’s card.
Further details on the exact qualifications that will entitle an applicant to the new AQP card will be published on the CSCS website later this week.
Duncan Bullimore, director at Hays Construction, commented: “Holding a CSCS card is a demonstration of a worker’s commitment to health and safety and it is entirely appropriate for there to be a greater range of cards that reflect a worker’s level of competence.
“It is important, however, that workers are given the appropriate support to secure the right CSCS card under the new system. Without this support, it may lead to a shortage of construction workers who are eligible to work on site, which will have a knock-on effect on the industry as a whole.”
Meanwhile, the new Level 1 NVQ that will become a requirement for Green card applicants does not yet exist: CSCS has invited Edexcel, CSkills Awards (part of CITB) and City & Guilds to put forward their proposals for the content of the new NVQ and ideas for how it should be delivered.
Graham Wren predicted that it might cost £25-£30 to assess an individual, while the cost of the pre-assessment training would depend on their existing skills level.
The NVQ would involve “40 notional learning hours” which could be delivered via site assessment, or via employers’ existing training programmes if they meet agreed criteria. For instance, the CITB’s Site Safety Plus course could be “mapped” as an alternative route to the NVQ qualification.
CSCS hopes to pilot the new NVQ later this year and the beginning of 2014, allowing the new Green Card regime to be implemented from July 1 2014.
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I do not like paying for your cscs card and the book. Why should one I have my C&G with craft as a carpenter/joiner. In the past I have self/built two houses with arch/certs. It’s money for the building federation. If it was Govt. legislation then yes.
Self employed subbie, 30 years in suspended ceilings and partitioning. I can only get a red temporary card, valid for 6 months then I have to pay to get assesed for a job I’ve been doing for 30 years to get an NVQ, no grandfathers rights. No thought at all for the older subbie, rip off Britain again !
Whoever devised this is making money. I’m looking to get a new card, the prices are so unreal who is going to do something about it. By the time we’re finished it will be costing a fortune to renew cards it’s becoming a money making racket and who gets it)
Used to get well paid general operative jobs now they have just deleted that card title so that is operatives are put on labourers rate.
I learned all my carpentry on boats and small sites in the West Country over thirty years on and off. I am quite skilled but not properly qualified. After a period of studying music and education I now realize that carpentry is what i do best. how do I proceed to get qualified affordably? I worked on a site for a month recently and found that some of the qualified chippies did some pretty shoddy work…
I have been a qualified joiner for over 40 years, received ULCI equivalent to city and guilds in joinery and plumbing at college in 1967, still cant get a card for site without NVQ. I know more about joinery than the people that so called access you to do the job, Its a complete joke. Cant get a job on site without a card and cant get accessed without a job.
Dear Sir,
I’m a chartered member of the CIOB and need to get a CSCS card.
Can you please advise how best I can achieve this.
Regards,
Dermot
Just another way to make money and fleece the construction worker and make life more difficult than it already is , for hard-pressed construction workers
I really cannot believe that anyone with any sense sees yet more new CSCS cards adding value or increasing skill levels. The text says it all, allegedly, we are to tighten the criteria, the skill level will be just 1, but the tests do not exist. Hang on though, we have to assess workers first to see if their existing skills allow them to enter the pre-assessment training (an opportunity for a level minus 1 test perhaps, only £20 folks). BUT here we are, the learning hours are “Notional” and employers training programmes or a CITB safety course could be “mapped” as an alternative route to the so called qualification. You really could not make up this farce. Professional members should be horrified at what is happening to this industry. I know I am. A plague on all your houses and please stick the cards where the monkey places his nuts. What he has down there is about as much use to this industry as these idiot cards are. Other than insurance companies and those that get paid to run the courses, what prats think they are of any real value?
I am MCIOB what is the best way to obtain a Professionally Qualified CSCS card?
I have had foriegn workers turn up at site with insufficient understanding of English to fully comprehend site rules and safety details.
The tests should not be translated, if the student does not understand such a simple test, then they should be failed.