CSCS at UK Construction Week

Published: October 3, 2025

CSCS enjoyed a strong presence at UK Construction Week last week as part of the scheme’s 30 year anniversary. In addition to connecting with various industry stakeholders at the CSCS stand, we also hosted two packed-out sessions at the Culture and Skills Change Hub.

Discussions at the stand and on the stage centred on the role of the My CSCS app – the CSCS Digital Skills Passport – and CSCS Smart Check as the industry’s border control.

The conversations we had around My CSCS, particularly the My Skills section, highlighted how important digital tools are becoming for the industry.

With My Skills, workers can record their qualifications and track their ongoing CPD, in addition to storing their digital CSCS card, helping to show a clear pathway of their professional development. Paired with CSCS Smart Check, which enables quick and efficient verification of cards, we’re making it easier than ever to ensure that the right people, with the right skills, are on site.

Session 1 – CSCS: Digital Innovation and Workforce Competence in Construction

Earlier this year we unveiled the new-look My CSCS app, a major milestone in how skills and training are stored and shared across the industry.

In this session, Sean Kearns, Group Chief Executive of CSCS, discussed the impact of the Building Safety Act and the role CSCS cards play in building a safer, more competent workforce. He explained the ethos behind the Digital Skills Passport: every individual in the industry should have a secure, portable, and reliable way of proving their competence — not just qualifications, but also training, health and safety records, and ongoing development.

Sean compared the evolution of the Digital Skills Passport to the move from manual to digital passport checks: both are about making verification faster, safer, and more reliable.

Joining Sean was Simon Meyer, Digital Transformation Director at MSite, who gave the IT partner perspective. He explained how MSite integrates seamlessly with CSCS Smart Check via an open API, allowing real-time data sharing that reduces duplication and errors, and scales to businesses of all sizes.

Session 2 – Competence in Construction: The Role of CSCS Cards and the Digital Skills Passport

In our second session, chaired by Colin Marrs (Editor, Construction News), we hosted a panel of industry leaders to discuss how the sector is tackling the evolving demands of workforce competence.

The panel included:

Charlotte Brumpton-Childs (National Officer, GMB Union)
Mark Blundy (Group Director Health & Safety, Bowmer & Kirkland Group)
Faye Burnett (Super Sector Programme Director, Mace)
Garry Mortimer (Executive Director of Operations, CSCS Cards Ltd)

The discussion highlighted the different perspectives on competence:

Faye Burnett shared her work with super sectors, mapping workflows for the roles in those five sectors.
Charlotte Brumpton-Childs spoke on behalf of workers, stressing the importance of recognising and respecting the skills employees bring to site, and how the CSCS card captures this.
Mark Blundy underlined the critical need for ensuring the right specialists are present for the roles they carry out.
Garry Mortimer tied these insights back to the CSCS card and the My CSCS app, showing how these tools bring together the many threads of competence into one accessible system.

We want to thank everyone who attended our sessions, visited our stand, and took the time to engage with us at UKCW. It’s clear that digital innovation is central to the future of construction, and we’re proud that My CSCS and CSCS Smart Check are helping to lead the way.

Learn more about My CSCS and CSCS Smart Check.