Corporate Overview 2012-17

CSCS Industry Vision

Deliver a scheme for industry that confirms individuals working in the built environment have the necessary competence.

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The largest competence card scheme for construction

There are nearly 1.8 million valid cardholders, and the scheme is widely used on the majority of construction sites. Most major contractors and homebuilders require their workers to hold a CSCS valid card as a demonstration of their commitment to safe and efficient working. CSCS Board
CSCS is managed by CSCS Limited whose non executive Directors all come from the construction industry. It is a Company Limited by Guarantee and therefore has no shareholders. The Board Directors are from: Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) Construction Clients Group (CCG) Construction Industry Council (CIC) Federation of Master Builders (FMB) GMB Union National Specialist Contractors Council (NSCC) UK Contractors Group (UKCG) Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (UCATT) UNITE the Union The Board is committed to moving the Scheme from the current industry perception of being complex and expensive, with misuse of green cards and confusion over whether the scheme is a Health and Safety card or a Competency card, to one in which the card is valued by both Employee and Employer, is the right card for the job and a clear demonstration of cardholder competence.

Corporate Overview 2012-17

Affiliated Schemes
In addition to the core scheme, CSCS works with 10 affiliated schemes to cover more than 800 construction related occupations. CPCS Construction Plant Certification Scheme (Plant Workers) CCDO Certificate of Competence of Demolition Operatives (Demolition Workers) CISRS Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme (Scaffolders) CSR Construction Skills Register (Northern Ireland Construction Workers) ACE Assuring Competence in Engineering Construction (Engineering Construction Workers) ECS Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (Electrical Workers) EUSR Energy and Utility Skills Register (Utility Services Workers) JIB PMES Plumbing Mechanical Engineering Services (Plumbing Workers England and Wales) SNIJIB Scottish and Northern Ireland Joint Industry Board (Plumbing Workers Scotland and Northern Ireland) SkillCard Building Engineering Services (Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Workers) CSCS and the affiliated schemes maintain databases of those working in construction that achieve an agreed level of occupational competence. Successful applicants are issued with a card giving them a means of identification and proof of their achievements.

SmartCards
To ensure everyone on site holds an appropriate, valid CSCS card for the job they are undertaking, an efficient method is needed to carry out checks. Often this has meant a combination of scanning, photocopying or manually recording cardholders details. With CSCS SmartCards and an inexpensive card reader, or enabled Smartphone, cards can be checked and information recorded within seconds. The CSCS SmartCard is a high capacity card that can be used for a multitude of purposes beyond just storing operative competence data including better access control, improved management of training records, links to project management systems and payroll. More recently CSCS has launched a new On-Site Training Recorder app that provides an easy method for site supervisors to record which workers have attended specific training such as toolbox talks or site inductions. Workers who have attended a training session on-site can be added quickly and simply to training databases using their CSCS SmartCards.

Leadership
CSCS appointed an independent Chairman, Mick Clapham, in late 2011 and Chief Executive, Graham Wren, in mid 2012.

SmartCard Aims Eliminate incorrect or fake cardholders gaining access to sites. Provide an easy method for contractors and clients to check workers are holding the right card for the job Reduce the number of different cards needed to access sites Save site manager and supervisor time in manually checking cards Give cardholders a portable means of providing evidence on site about their skills and training.

They have now redefined CSCSs strategy with the aim of providing the construction industry with a consistent means of proving site worker knowledge and skills.

Mick spent 18 years as an MP campaigning for improvements to workplace safety, including 15 years as the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Occupational Safety and Health Group and 14 years on the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee. He was also Deputy-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Construction Group and brings a wealth of experience from his time as a miner, and as Head of Industrial Relations at the National Union of Miners (NUM).

Graham previously worked at Balfour Beatty for 29 years, latterly as managing director of Balfour Beatty Ground Engineering. In the past he has been chairman of the Federation of Piling Specialists (FPS), president of the National Specialists Contractors Council (NSCC) and also sat on the Strategic Forum for Construction.

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CSCS Corporate Overview 2012-2017 I 03

Corporate Overview 2012-17

Challenges and Changes
It is vital that construction contractors and clients use a consistent method to check workers competence before allowing them access to their sites. There are, however, several challenges to overcome for CSCS to fully meet the construction industrys needs of a competence card scheme.

Challenges

To apply for a CSCS card, individuals currently need a minimum of Level 2 S/NVQ or equivalent vocational qualification, and all CSCS card applicants must take a health, safety and environmental (HS&E) test relevant to their occupation. With most contractors requiring employees and sub contractors to hold a CSCS card before they start work on site, many workers view a CSCS card purely as a passport to gain access to site, rather than confirmation of their knowledge and skills. Those without formal vocational qualifications therefore select the easiest card to obtain; the CSCS green card. This is the minimum entry level card and should only be held by those undertaking labouring occupations. It has been abused quite significantly as no formal qualification is required to obtain it, other than the HS&E test. A key requirement for the future will be for principal construction contractors to carry out more rigorous on-site checks to ensure that workers and sub-contractors on their sites hold the correct card for the work that they carry out. Both CITB-ConstructionSkills and the HSE are keen for CSCS to make urgent enhancements to help drive forward change and encourage qualification. Although construction employers and employees are keen to see improvements, they do face challenges primarily relating to available funds for training that would be needed to apply for skilled cards.

This change would be particularly significant. Many green card holders, some of whom hold qualifications other than S/NVQs, would be able to obtain the relevant skilled card. However, there will be those who need to undertake a training assessment and/or qualification either at entry level or at a higher skill level. Funding of training for new entrants, and up-skilling the existing workforce, is essential for both the construction industry and the wider economy. Market research undertaken by CSCS suggests that at least 60% of current green card holders have no construction related qualification. Many working in construction are likely to have not undertaken an apprenticeship or achieved a vocational qualification. This, we believe, reduces productivity and significantly increases the potential for serious accidents and fatalities to occur on construction sites.

Planned Changes

To address the green card issue CSCS is planning to introduce major changes, in particular to application requirements. Consideration is being given to requiring a series of training modules in addition to the HS&E test. The acceptance of a wider range of qualifications is also being considered for skilled cards, such as HNC/Ds and City and Guilds, although this would need to be supported with a vocational onsite assessment.

CSCS Guiding Principles

For the Individual The card demonstrates I am competent to do the job for which I am employed I have the right card for the job I value my card For the Business My workforce is valued My workforce carries the right card for the job A properly smart carded workforce is an asset to my business

For more information visit www.cscs.uk.com

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www.cscs.uk.com