FAQs

Qualifications that can be printed on a CSCS card are:

• City & Guilds Craft Certificate
• City & Guilds Advanced Craft Certificate
• SCOTVEC Advanced Craft Certificate
• Winter Maintenance Qualified (for Highway Maintenance Operatives)
• Indentured Apprenticeship (where this is not the main Route of Entry)
• CAS (Construction Apprenticeship Scheme)

To add these qualifications to a card, copies of certificates must be sent to CSCS. If they are included with the initial applications there is no additional charge. If a request is made for them to be added after a card has been issued an additional £36.00 must be paid for a new card.

FÀS/SOLAS Safepass cardholders are exempt from having to take the Operatives level of the CITB Health, Safety and Environment test when applying for a CSCS card. This is providing the Safepass has been achieved in the last two years.

FÀS/SOLAS Safepass cardholders are not exempt from having to take the Manager and Professionals level of the CITB Health, Safety and Environment test.

There are two routes to obtain a CSCS Card through an apprenticeship.

Employers Apprenticeship (Blue & Gold Card)

The card applicant will need to provide a copy of their final completion certificate from the employer with whom they completed the apprenticeship with details of when it was completed. They will also need to provide copies of their Individual’s City & Guilds (Craft or Advanced) Certificates.  The applicant will then be issued with a blue CSCS Card if they have the Employers Apprenticeship and Craft City & Guilds.  A gold CSCS Card will be issued if they provide copies of Advanced Craft City & Guilds Certificates with the Apprenticeship Papers.

Approved Apprenticeship (Gold Card)

The card applicant will need to provide copies of their fully Indentured Apprenticeship papers gained through the  apprenticeship provider eg NJCBI. Different providers will have different types of certificates for their apprenticeship.

If the card applicant can provide copies of City & Guilds Certificates with this as well, this will be included on the reverse of the card.

If the card applicant does not have their apprenticeship documents find out more about the appeals process here.

The cost of the test is £22.50.

The qualification you need to achieve will depend what job you do on a construction site. Check the requirements here

We are aware the cost of training to obtain a qualification can be an issue for many people seeking to enter the industry, or already employed and wishing to upskill.

The cost of training is determined by the numerous training companies delivering training and will vary depending on who is delivering the training and where in the UK the course is delivered.

There is a wide range of financial support available to both employees and the self-employed seeking to achieve qualifications within the UK construction industry. Below are some of the funding options for you to consider.

Click here for further information.

Profiled Route was introduced in 2011 and was intended for construction site managers or supervisors who have on site experience but do not hold a nationally recognised qualification in construction. Applicants are only required to submit evidence of their experience for independent review to qualify for a card.

The construction industry has since told CSCS that it wants to qualify the workforce. This means clients, employers and contractors want construction workers to achieve a nationally recognised qualification for the occupation they are working in.

Profiled Route does not support industry’s desire for a qualified workforce – it tells your employer you do not hold a nationally recognised construction related qualification.

On this basis Profiled Route is no longer fit for purpose. CSCS has consulted with industry to determine the best way to address this issue. From 1st April 2016 CSCS will stop accepting new applications for Profiled Route.

The introduction of these new measures is a practical approach to industry’s desire for a fully qualified workforce.

While experience is important, the construction industry’s aim is to improve standards and safety on UK construction sites. This is why clients, employers and contractors want construction workers to achieve a nationally recognised qualification for the occupation they are working in.

Employers are increasingly using CSCS cards as a means to check that workers on their sites have the correct qualifications for the job they are doing. Profiled Route tells your employer you do not hold a nationally recognised construction related qualification.

You are required to obtain a Construction related NVQ/SVQ levels 4, 5, 6 or 7 in the relevant construction management level qualification.

The qualification you need to achieve will depend what job you do on a construction site. Check the requirements using the CSCS Card Finder.

Existing cards issued under Profiled Route will remain valid and can be renewed as normal provided applicants renew their cards in line with CSCS scheme requirements.

The CLC has asked industry, including trade associations, contractors, clients and government to specify and promote card schemes carrying the CSCS logo with no equivalents accepted. It is our understanding that the vast majority of principle contractors and homebuilders intend to adhere to the CLC strategy.

Many industry card schemes are already engaging with CSCS and we believe most others are developing plans to meet the CLC’s requirements to qualify for the CSCS logo.

Several card schemes are in the process of applying for the CSCS logo and we hope to be making further announcements as more schemes meet the CLC requirements and sign agreements with CSCS.

If your card scheme has not already engaged with CSCS to discuss displaying the CSCS logo, we would encourage you to ask a representative from your card scheme to contact CSCS to discuss the CLC’s requirements and what they need to do to meet them.