The GQA Q-card design is changing
Published: April 7, 2025
From June, GQA will update the design of its Q-Card to align more closely with the look and feel of a CSCS card.
This change aims to enhance consistency across the construction industry and reduce instances of valid cards being rejected, ensuring a smoother process for workers and employers alike.
The CSCS logo has long been a trusted marker in the construction industry, ensuring that workers have the appropriate training and qualifications for their roles. By aligning the Q-card’s design more closely with the CSCS card, GQA is improving recognition and acceptance of its cards across construction sites. This consistency helps avoid confusion and ensures workers with valid cards are not unfairly turned away at site gates.
Acceptance of Both Old and New Q-cards
Q-cards with both the old and new designs will be in circulation for a number of years until individuals renew their cards. Regardless of the design, all GQA Q-cards should be accepted at site gates, provided they are confirmed as valid and in-date by CSCS Smart Check. This will ensure that workers with the correct qualifications continue to have access to job sites, whether they hold the old or new design of the Q-card.
The Importance of CSCS Smart Check for Verification
CSCS Smart Check plays a key role in verifying the legitimacy of all cards, including those from the CSCS Alliance, such as GQA’s Q-card. This digital verification system is essential in preventing fraudulent or fake cards from being used on-site. The system is designed to quickly and accurately check the training and qualification records of individuals across all 38 schemes, ensuring compliance with Construction Leadership Council standards.
GQA Q-cards issued from June 1st with the new design will be checkable using the Contactless option on the CSCS Smart Check app.
Seamless Integration with Site Systems
The CSCS Smart Check API can be easily integrated into existing site access systems, providing a quick and reliable way to verify workers’ qualifications and training. It’s also available through the CSCS Smart Check website and mobile app.
With these changes, GQA’s Q-card now better aligns with industry standards, helping to streamline verification processes and maintain the integrity of the workforce.