CSCS chiefs to revamp green skills card

Grant Prior 11 years ago
Share

The new chief executive of the CSCS skills card scheme is planning a shake-up of the basic green card currently held by 500,000 construction workers.

The main qualification for the green card is passing a health and safety test which has come under fire for being too easy.

CSCS chief executive Graham Wren is now looking at ways of improving the entry-level card to make it a more relevant qualification.

Proposals under consideration include making candidates commit to extra training to gain the green cards so it becomes a “stepping stone” to higher CSCS card grades.

Wren said: “The rest of the CSCS cards are based around NVQs and relevant qualifications and we need to upgrade the green card so it becomes more aspirational and relevant for operatives and contractors.”

Changes to the green card are part of a modernisation of the CSCS scheme which currently has more than 1.7m cards in circulation across the industry.

Wren is hoping to phase-out older “dumb” cards for the new generation of smart cards which are readable by mobile phones.

He said: “Technology is advancing rapidly and we need to reflect that.

“Smart cards can contain all sorts of information relevant to your career and training.”

Wren hopes that detailing a worker’s training history on microchips in the CSCS smart cards will save contractors millions.

He said: “There is far too much duplication in the industry at the moment in terms of people taking the same induction courses every time they start work for a new contractor.

“Having that information embedded in the card will stop that sort of waste and help the industry improve its efficiency.”

Latest news

Gove invites Kingspan for talks on fire safety compensation

Insulation firm urged to pay for its part in cladding crisis after unveiling record profits
4 hours ago

Galliford Try and Midgard bag 350 homes deal at Brent Cross

Galliford Try will build 249 BtR flats and Midgard 107 flats for sale
4 hours ago

Sizewell C project gains key environmental permits

Waste permits allow client NNB Generation Company to move to site investigation and construction environmental approvals
3 hours ago

Cost of Robertson school contract soars to £100m

Construction to start next month after cost jumps from original £60m
4 hours ago

House building cost inflation eases as build out rates fall

Housing cost inflation expected to grow by 1.4% this quarter
3 hours ago

Modular builder ilke Homes hires Deliveroo chief to drive profit push

David Scott charged with making business profitable
3 hours ago

£500m Leeds South Bank scheme gets green light

Leeds City Council approves plan for 1,350 flats in mixed-use South Bank development
1 day ago

Galliford Try takes rebid £150m Carlisle Southern Link Road

Main construction works are due to start on 8km road in June
2 days ago

Arup takes stake in graphene-enhanced concrete venture

New concrete additive Concretene™ promises 30% savings in CO2 emissions
1 day ago

Winners revealed on £1.42bn materials framework

Thirteen builders merchants land places on huge procurement deal for social landlords
1 day ago

Travelodge eyes plans for another 300 hotels

Hotel giant writes to local councils offering partnership deals with a £3bn investment target
1 day ago

Balfour Beatty to invest £60m in pop-up EV chargers

New Urban Fox JV will roll out 35,000 charge points across the UK over the next decade.
2 days ago

Leading Channel Isles builder goes bust

Jersey-based construction firm Camerons placed in liquidation
1 day ago

HS2 Euston needs full design reset as costs set to double

Spending watchdog warns Euston stop-start delay will simply inflate already ballooning costs
2 days ago

Worker dies on major warehouse site in Stafford

Main contractor Glencar halts work while tragedy is investigated
2 days ago

Sellar switches London flats/hotel plan for 444 student rooms

Southwark's King’s Place scheme will comprise five buildings of up to 11 storeys
2 days ago

Bid race starts for Norfolk £30m Long Stratton Bypass

Council hopes to start work on 3.9km bypass in April 2024
2 days ago

GMI to build first warehouse at £200m Teesside business park

Work to start early next month on first shed at airport business park
2 days ago

Skanska Costain Strabag JV sets up own rebar plant

HS2 team now running on-site manufacturing facility to avoid supply chain issues
2 days ago

Bid rigging: Keltbray to appeal and so could Squibb

Both contractors "disappointed" with level of fines
5 days ago

Ten demolition firms fined £60m for bid rigging

Full details of fines with Erith and Keltbray hardest hit
6 days ago

Retail contractor J M Scully files administration notice

£23m turnover Dorset based contractor lodges court notice
5 days ago

Civils specialist M Lambe delivers record performance

Housing civils specialist seeks to diversify in face of challenging housing market
5 days ago

Willmott Dixon clinches £60m Oxford Brookes University job

Preparation work starts on two new buildings at Headington Hill campus
5 days ago

Ferns seals £50m+ Openreach network services deal

Five-year south west deal to provide civils, poling and complex manhole programme
5 days ago

20 firms win £4.5bn Southern construction framework

A dozen new firms secure spots on fifth generation public sector deal
6 days ago

Call grows for bolder 18m second staircase rule for flats

Architects, surveyors and builders professional trade bodies demand lower height threshold than proposed 30m
6 days ago

GRS Roadstone warns staff following cyber attack

Materials giant sends out letters highlighting the extent of the attack
6 days ago

Inland Homes to suspend shares as results delayed again

Auditors need more time to go through embattled house builder's books
6 days ago

Kier wins £73m Southport events centre job

Local supply chain set to benefit from major new project
6 days ago

Contractor services