New guidance and support for Industry Accreditation announced

Published: January 23, 2023

All CSCS Industry Accreditation (IA) cards issued from 1st Jan 2020 will expire on 31st December 2024 and cannot be renewed. This is in line with the Construction Leadership Council’s (CLC) decision to ensure a fully trained and competent workforce.

IA allowed workers to obtain CSCS cards on the strength of an employer recommendation rather than the achievement of a recognised qualification. There are over 60,000 workers in construction that hold one of these cards. What each individual needs to do next depends on their occupation and what qualifications they may already hold.

An industry task group, with representation from CSCS, was set up to prepare the industry for the withdrawal of IA. The task group have published new guidance on the CSCS website that clearly sets out the next steps CSCS IA card holders must take before the deadline. CITB have confirmed a number of achievement grants will receive enhanced funding towards the achievement of an S/NVQ to support industry with the cost of assessment.

Sean Kearns, Chief Executive at CSCS said: “IA cardholders will not need to attend college as much of the assessment can be deliver remotely. Many IA cardholders will find it a straightforward process to replace their cards, such as moving across to the Academically or Professionally Qualified Persons cards. In addition, those who no longer attend site or are in non-construction related occupations will not require a card.”

In support of today’s announcement, the CLC issued the following statement:

“Building Safety and competence are two of the CLC’s priorities. As an industry, and in accordance with various sets of legislation including the Construction Design and Management Regulations (CDM) and the Building Safety Act, we must demonstrate to the regulator, our clients, building occupiers and the wider public that those designing, building, and maintaining the built environment are competent to do so. The CLC recommendation introduced in 2015 and updated in 2017 & 2020 set an expectation of all CSCS cards being achieved via qualification by the end of 2024.” View the CLC’s full statement here.

Sean Kearns continued: “CSCS is committed to playing its part in delivering a fully trained and qualified workforce. The removal of cards issued under IA represents another significant step in achieving this goal. The new guidance and support will help cardholders to either retain their card via the S/NVQ or to easily transition to another CSCS card. We would urge employers, trade associations, awarding organisations and training providers to put plans in place to support these workers ahead of the December 2024 withdrawal.”

To view the latest guidance and support for IA visit: www.cscs.uk.com/ia.

Those with cards issued under IA by other CSCS Alliance card schemes should contact the appropriate card scheme for further guidance.