CSCS card changes for trainees Managers and supervisors

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CSCS has announced a series of changes to the process for obtaining Trainee, Supervisory and Manager cards as of 1st of August 2016.

Trainee Cards

From the new date only one Trainee card will be available which will cover all construction occupations. This will replace the Trainee (Craft and Operative) and Trainee (Technical, Supervisory and Management) cards that are currently available, although these existing cards will remain valid until their expiry date.

In order to obtain the new Trainee card, an individual must:

• Register for a CSCS recognised construction related qualification which will be based on National Occupational Standards (NOS)
• Have completed the appropriate CITB Health, Safety and Environment Test within the last 2 years.

The new Trainee cards will be valid for 5 years and cardholders must complete their CSCS recognised construction related qualification before the card expires. This will ensure they are able to progress onto a skilled CSCS card.

Individuals had previously been able to obtain a Trainee (Technical, Supervisory and Management) card if they held a construction related qualification that was not based on National Occupational Standards, such as SSSTS, SMSTS and NEBOSH General. This approach had caused confusion, with cardholders unable to progress to a skilled CSCS card if they had not subsequently gained a NOS based qualification. This route will therefore no longer be available from 1 August 2016.

Supervisory and Manager Cards

CSCS has also updated the qualifications requirements for obtaining Supervisory and Managers cards with immediate effect. The qualifications that were previously required to obtain these cards are no longer available, although they remain a valid route for gaining a card.

To qualify for a Supervisory card you must now:

• Achieve a Construction Related Supervisory NVQ or SVQ level 4, or;
• Hold a Construction Related Supervisory NVQ level 3 (course no longer available), and;
• Pass the Supervisors CITB Health, Safety & Environment Test.

To qualify for a Manager card you must now:

• Achieve a Construction Related NVQ/SVQ level 5, 6 or 7 in the relevant construction management level qualification, or;
• Hold a NVQ level 4 in construction management (course no longer available), and;
• Pass the CITB Managers and Professionals Health, Safety and Environment Test.

To help applicants apply for the correct CSCS card, Build UK has published a handyGuide to CSCS Cards flowchart which now reflects these changes.