Pan-industry recognition of registers is required

Re: 'Electricians pull plug on cowboys,' Contract Journal, 23 June, p7



Sir,

I read with interest the article by John d'Arcy regarding the merger of the JIB grading scheme with the UK Register of Electricians to form the Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (ECS).

This move is both forward thinking and welcome, but it is not unique.

You will appreciate that the construction industry is an extremely large and complex one.

There are currently, at the very least, 28 individual sector-based registration schemes covering electricians, plant operatives, scaffolders and so on.

The Construction Skills Certification Scheme is one of these registration schemes. It was designed originally to 'mop up' those disciplines that had no form of registration at all.

Within the Construction Skills Certification Scheme alone there are some 35 individual (construction-based) disciplines recognised and it is seen by many as the pioneering scheme because it seeks to enable a measurement of competence chiefly through National Vocational Qualifications.

What is now needed is a truly pan-industry mechanism for mutual recognition of each individual registration scheme so that clients, major contractors and others throughout the supply chain can instantly recognise an operative by virtue of the fact that his competence has been measured.

It is important too to ensure that this is instantly recognisable, perhaps through the use of a pan-industry identifier.

One would hope therefore that given time and goodwill, individual sectors of industry will be able to pool their resources with a view to working together for their mutual benefit and to help beat the 'cowboys.'



Keith Aldis

Director of training

Construction Confederation

London EC2