CITB plans fast-track skills accreditation

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) is seeking to revitalise the drive towards a fully qualified workforce with the introduction of a fast-track system of skills card accreditation for experienced operatives.

At best, it could result in some skills cards issued within seven days of an application. But a number of employers feel the move is a step backwards, with the criteria for accreditation  watered down. Specialist building contractors are said to be the
toughest critics of fast-tracking.

At the same time, the scheme has the backing of the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS), owner of the skills card scheme. “The take-up of skills cards among the traditional trades is abysmally low,” said CSCS chairman George Brumwell. “This is an issue. It will also cut out a lot of bureaucracy.”

Designated the “one-stop service”, the system is aimed primarily at areas where skills card accreditation has so far proved relatively low: bricklaying, carpentry and joinery; small and medium-sized firms; the self-employed; and domestic repair and maintenance work.

The initiative comes in response to fears that both new and renewal skills card
registrations have stalled. It is equally designed to meet complaints that existing processes
are bureaucratic, lengthy, and over-complicated.

It is anticipated that the “one-stop service” will enable the training board to test and issue cards for 250,000 individuals a year for the next two years.

The system has already been trialled, and a programme has been agreed for implementing it within the bricklaying, carpentry and joinery trades, where only 9% of operatives hold skills cards.

Fast-track accreditation is planned as a three-stage process. It involves:
A unique telephone number to allow contractors and individuals to apply for a card. Individuals will then be booked onto a health and safety test at which they will be photographed, have their previous experience verified and helped to complete a registration form.
On passing the safety test, they will be issued with an appropriate card within seven days.
A special team will liaise with the contractor over the practical assessment.
On achieving a vocational qualification, a CSCS skills card will be automatically issued.

The financial implications of the scheme are said to be significant, and the CITB has warned that it could create a shortfall in cash for its On-Site Assessment and Training programme. It will be renewing its pressure on government for additional public funding.

Critics of the plan argue that it is sacrificing a properly qualified workforce in favour of a registered workforce.