60,000 skills cards invalid from 2025 as training push gets underway

More than 60,000 skills cards will no longer be valid from the end of next year, it has been revealed.

Construction workers who obtained a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card through employer recommendation have just under two years to get the new qualifications or their cards will be withdrawn.

All CSCS Industry Accreditation (IA) cards issued from 1 January 2020 will expire on 31 December 2024, under an initiative put forward by the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) to ensure the construction workforce is “fully trained and competent”. 

IA cards could be obtained through an employer recommendation rather than a recognised qualification in the past. From 2024, this will no longer be the case.

Guidance released by the CSCS this week states that those who do not visit sites regularly and have moved into an office-based role may not need a card. For those who need a qualification, a number of routes that do not need college education have been set out to gain an SVQ or an NVQ in various trades.

CSCS chief executive Sean Kearns said: “IA cardholders will not need to attend college, as much of the assessment can be delivered 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.”

A CLC spokesperson said: “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.”

Research from the Construction Industry Training Board this month found the construction industry needs to increase recruitment by 25 per cent over the next five years to meet expected demand.