The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has highlighted a lack of regulation in the construction industry for professionals, as part of its response to a government consultation examining the UK’s approach to the recognition of professional qualifications.
The CIOB, which has published its response to the call from evidence from the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), warned that the current system, where membership of professional bodies is voluntary, did not help to “serve the public interest”.
In its response, it suggested it was too easy for individuals to work in construction trade roles.
The CIOB said: “Currently there are only voluntary licensing schemes, such as TrustMark, which are available for people to use and does not deter cowboy or incompetent builders. The home improvement sector, for example, has seen numerous cases of rogue traders which has led to poor workmanship and lack of trust in the sector.
"It is, however, more difficult for an individual to gain access to a construction site unless they have a CSCS card which provides proof that individuals working on construction sites have the appropriate training and qualifications for what they have been hired to conduct.”
The CIOB argued that as membership organisations, professional bodies “do not represent the narrow commercial interests of an individual or organisation and instead create an agenda that supports the best interests of the industry and the public”.
The points the CIOB made were part of a substantial response to the consultaction, covering the current processes for recognising a professional and providing them with chartered membership, how it approaches those applying for membership outside of the UK, and the importance of mutual recognition.
Eddie Tuttle, director of policy, research & public affairs at the CIOB, said: “Today’s response to the BEIS consultation on recognition of professional qualifications is an important topic as this could have an impact on prospective and current members both here in the UK and internationally. Our policy and public affairs team at the CIOB continue to monitor the political landscape. By responding to consultations, we are adding our voice and our members’ voices to help with policy formation that will have an impact in the built environment.”
The CIOB’s consultation response can be found here.
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Interesting that the CIOB are under the impression that a CSCS card provides proof that individuals working on construction sites have the appropriate training.” This is not always the case.
The Construction Plant Competence Card (CPCS) carries the CSCS logo but the individual might have obtained his/her card without any formal regulated plant operator training.
The CPCS scheme deregulated its plant operator training in 2008 when owned by the CITB and at the time of writing the deregulated training remains the same with its new owner, NOCN.