If you want to work in rewarding roles in the construction industry, you need to be able to prove that you have the skill and experience necessary to do them. That’s why CSCS Cards and the Construction NVQ have been dovetailed.
Your CSCS Card is like a portable CV, showing prospective employers than you have achieved the qualifications and passed the Health, Safety & Environment Tests required to fill the role you want.
The Blue Skilled Worker CSCS Card
As you achieve consecutive CSCS Cards, you’ll open your employment opportunities with every step. The first rung on the ladder is the Blue CSCS Card – awarded when you achieve a Construction NVQ Level 2.
Prior to this Card you will have held a Red CSCS Card for Trainees.
A Skilled Worker typically has three or more years on the job experience and is capable of working unsupervised at tasks within his or her trade.
The Gold CSCS Card
The next step up is the Gold CSCS Card, which you can apply for when you have NVQ Level 3. The Gold CSCS Card denotes either a highly skilled worker or a supervisor. At this stage, you will be eligible for master trades person roles or supervisory roles.
If you are a supervisor the Gold CSCS Card will say so on the front. For supervisory roles you will have passed the Supervisor Health Safety Test as well as achieving your Construction NVQ Level 3.
The Black CSCS Card for Managers
The final rung on the ladder, achievable when you have gained your Construction NVQ at either Level 4 or Level 5 (normally the job you are going for will determine the Level you need to get), is the Black CSCS Card for Managers.
In addition to gaining the NVQ Level required by your job, you will have passed the MAP (Managerial and Professional) Health Safety Test.
Affiliate CSCS Cards
Several trades, including electricians and plumbers, have their own awarding bodies, which are affiliated with the CSCS. The Cards supplied by these bodies are trade specific and take the place of a CSCS Card. They are:
• The CCDO Card (Demolition Workers)
• The CISRS Card (Scaffolders)
• The CPCS Card (Plant Operators)
• The ECS Card (Electricians)
• The Engineering Services SKILLcard (Mechanical Services)
• The EUSR Card (Electricity, Gas and Water Engineers)
• The JIB Card (Plumbing, Refrigeration and HVAC)
Affiliate CSCS Cards follow a colour scheme similar to the CSCS Card. For skilled work through to managerial positions, the colour indicator on your affiliate Card will normally be the same as the categories listed above.
Exceptions to the CSCS Colour Scheme
Some affiliate CSCS Cards divert from the CSCS colour scheme when you reach Construction NVQ Levels 4 and 5. Many of the affiliate Cards still use the old CSCS colouring for Managerial roles: platinum.
Experienced Workers, Managers and the Construction NVQ
The CSCS has recognised that many upper level workers in the construction industry don’t have a Construction NVQ because the scheme was introduced after their training days. It is mandatory for all these workers to achieve the NVQ Level that applies to their position before they can apply for a CSCS card that reflects their role.
This is achieved through On Site Assessment, where a Qualified Assessor watches you work and marks you up to the Level you need.
While you go through this process you will hold a temporary Red CSCS Card for Experienced Workers/Managers/Technicians.