All CRO cards issued since October 2015 will expire by the end of September as they are phased out by the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS).

Around 230,000 CRO cards currently in circulation cover a host of ancillary construction roles but crucially you don’t need industry related qualifications to hold one.

CSCS Head of Communications Alan O’Neile said: “The Construction Leadership Council announced that skills certification card schemes carrying the CSCS logo must only certify those occupations with nationally recognised construction related qualifications, i.e. NVQs or approved equivalents.

“The CRO card is issued without the requirement to demonstrate the applicant has achieved an appropriate qualification and as such does not meet the requirements of the CLC.”

Alternatives available to CRO card holders will depend on the qualifications held by the applicant and whether their occupation is categorised as construction related.

In many cases CRO card holders will be required to register for existing or newly developed qualifications before their CRO cards expire.

In others CRO card holders will be transferred to one of CSCS’s Partner Card Schemes that are more appropriate for their occupations.

For some, where their occupation is not construction related or no suitable qualification exists, a CSCS card will no longer be issued and it will be the responsibility of site supervisors and managers to ensure these workers are properly supervised and managed.

CSCS Chief Executive Graham Wren said: “Together with our key industry stakeholders we have been preparing for the eventual withdrawal of the CRO card since 2015.

“This development is fully in line with the industry’s desire to ensure a fully qualified workforce. A lot of work has taken place to ensure CRO card holders know which qualifications are available and to make their transition to appropriate alternative arrangements as smooth as possible.

“The withdrawal of the CRO card is a practical step towards achieving the CLC’s requirement of ensuring nationally recognised qualifications are in place for all occupations.

“By certifying construction workers have the correct training and qualifications CSCS can play its part in improving standards and safety on UK construction sites.”