CSCS Withdraw Industry Accreditation (IA) Card Scheme

CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme) have announced the full withdrawal of the CSCS Industry Accreditation (IA) card scheme. All cards issued from Jan 2020 currently in circulation will expire on 31^st December 2024, with no renewal possible.

What is the CSCS IA Card Scheme?

The CSCS IA card scheme was introduced as a way for workers to obtain an Industry Accredited card based on employer recommendation rather than qualifications obtained through formal training. Whilst this has been beneficial for workers to be able to further their careers and continue in their chosen industry area, this has led to many workers not holding the full qualifications for the work they are undertaking.

The CSCS have long acknowledged this issue and stopped issuing new CSCS IA cards in 2010, but existing card holders have been permitted to renew their IA cards since then. This full withdrawal will stop these renewals and draw a line under the IA scheme entirely.

The CSCS have long committed to supporting fully trained, competent workforces around the country, and this decision works to ensure that all construction workers hold the right qualifications and undergo the correct training for their job role(s).

Next steps for IA card holders

Existing CSCS IA card holders (of which there are over 60,000) will be able to use these until 31 December 2024. In this time, all workers are encouraged to ensure their training and qualifications are up to date in their relevant sectors, so when their IA card expires, they will have no loss in continuity within their job role. CSCS will stop issuing any renewed cards from 30 June 2024.

New guidance from an industry task group with representation from CSCS have put forward guidance on what existing IA card holders can do to ensure this continuity. There will be new achievement grants from the CITB to ensure funding for S/NVQ qualifications where required, and existing IA card holders can also undertake training to work towards other CSCS cards. Organisations and training providers will need to put plans in place to ensure there is a smooth transition for workers ahead of the December 2024 deadline.

Resources

·         IA withdrawal support: https://www.cscs.uk.com/news/ia-withdrawal/

·         CSCS Black Card training courses (Manager) – https://www.bookmycourse.co.uk/courses/cscs_black_card_manager_492/

·         CSCS Gold Card training courses (Supervisor) - https://www.bookmycourse.co.uk/courses/cscs_gold_card_supervisor_491/