NOCN Update to Issuing CPCS & CISRS Cards

It has been a couple of months since NOCN Group took over issuing CPCS and CISRS cards from the CITB, and it hasn’t all been plain sailing.

In January, NOCN posted an update that they were aware customers were experiencing a delay in receiving their cards, so how has this been resolved a month on?
NOCN Group are confident that, despite the technical and administrative issues that caused the original delays for card applications made in November/December 2019, they are actively catching up.

Updates

• New CPCS card applications from Jan 2020 onwards are being processed within a standard 15 working day time frame. This is an automated process and all systems are running correctly.
• CISRS card applications will take slightly longer, as this is a manual process.

Why did CITB pass this to NOCN?

We have written before about the CITB Vision 2020 programme of reform, and the decision to move all CPCS Card and CISRS Card applications to NOCN is part of this. CITB wish to take more of a strategic and influential role in training moving forward, and as such moving this to NOCN Group – who have already been awarding the Cskills scheme as of 2017 – was a natural decision. CITB will remain part of the NOCN Group Board as well as the CPCS Management Committee.

Who are NOCN Group?

NOCN Group are a not-for-profit limited company who deliver Job Card Schemes to help people into employment and give employers reassurance that potential employees have undertaken training to ensure they have the relevant knowledge, competencies and skills for the job in hand.

NOCN Group currently deliver the following schemes:

• CPCS (Construction Plant Competence Scheme)
• CISRS (Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme)
• Cskills Award
• Train the Trainer courses

The Future of CITB

2020 looks set to be an exciting one for CITB as more changes take place to streamline the organisation to their Vision 2020 plan. These will include:

• Support for small and micro employers to plan longer term training
• Ongoing investment in trained assessors with the view of delivering an additional 22,000 vocational qualifications per year
• Ongoing build of 8 new assessment centres, such as the Academy for Construction People in Glasgow

Resources:

· - NOCN Group update 31/01/2020: https://www.nocnjobcards.org/about/news/statement-from-nocn-job-cards-to-customers-regarding-cpcs-and-cisrs-cards.asp

· - BMC News: CITB Vision 2020 Explored: https://www.bookmycourse.co.uk/articles/future_citb_vision_2020_explored_14113/