Safe construction sites with SCSC

Construction workers at at construction site in the UK

 The CSCS is a popular scheme certification for all construction sites in the United Kingdom. Popularly known as the Construction skillCertification scheme, the programs aims to have optimum worker abilities on UK construction sites. However, although this seems to have been the secondary goal for the scheme, the main purpose of the Construction skill Certification scheme was to reduce to a minimum, the total number of accidents that were taking place on UK construction sites. 

As a noble scheme, the Construction skill Certification scheme enjoys several fringe benefits as far as support within the construction sector is concerned. For instance, the CPSC program has been touted as the most popular of these supporters. The construction secretariat is also involved in creating programs that are looking forward to creating better construction sector collaborations to boost growth and safety in the industry. 

Whether the Construction skill Certification scheme is beneficial to the economy remains a question of fact. There are critics who look at the program as another government ploy to charge more taxes for duplicated departments. However, looking at its noble course and the results it’s produced, the CSCS remains one of the most important ways to create and develop safer construction sites.

Getting the CSCS card

Construction work in progress on a UK site

Considered as one of the UK’s most important construction industry card and armed with over 220 trades and construction professions listed, the CSCS card is one of the most sort after certifications in the UK. The card can open myriads of opportunities for work among those people who have it, which is an open fact. Of course, this equally hurts those trying to work in the construction sector, yet lack it entirely. Whereas there are several manuals and websites with different pieces of information on how to get this important card, the purpose of this article is to lay bare, working steps to help you get the CSCS card.

Generally, before you apply for the CSCS card, you first need to determine why you need to have the card. This is because there are several CSCS Cards in the construction industry/sector. There are cards available for people who have very little to do with the real construction industry protocols like visitors; to the most advanced construction industry site managers and so on. Once this is determined, one can then follow up with the requirements of the trade depending on what they want. 

One can get a CPCS card by merely following the following two steps:

1.       Get the necessary vocational training

Like in all the other sectors of the UK economy, background professional training in a certain area of the construction industry is an industry necessary. For this requirement, all you need is a necessary NVQ course at whatever field you want to work. For other people willing to work their way up as apprentices in their trade to the point they are able to serve in their jobs, it may also be an adequately easier option. 

2.       Applying for the necessary CSCS Card

This is the last and yet most important step in getting the CSCS Card. This decision can be arrived at though consensus of what cadre of card is necessary for you, based on your role on the construction site. Generally, the application for a CSCS Card costs 30 pounds in the UK. After the application process is done, the step that follows is the testing phase. 

To this end, every CSCS Card applicant is expected to sit and pass a Health, Safety & Environment Test before proceeding on to the other levels. According to experts, moving on from one card in ascending order/hierarchy is also pegged on consistently taking and passing necessary tests. However, it’s also important to note that, whereas the scope of the test handles basic areas of the different construction trades and work description; prior study of the safety standards in whatever field can have good results on the individual. 

Overall, the above simple steps indicate the easiest ways to get the CSCS Cards at whatever level one is. If these steps seem difficult, one can also use third parties to get the card. There parties facilitate the application for these cards and have a presence online; although some operate offices in different parts of the UK. 

Generally, the CSCS Card is a very important card and can help you get ahead if you work in the construction sector. Investing in enough knowledge can go a long way in achieving the card and a thriving UK construction industry.

Benefits of the CSCS Cards

CSCS cards have become a norm in the general UK construction industry. They provide a benchmark over which construction industry work is awarded, managed and monitored for quality standards. For construction workers, the benefits of the CSCS cards are many. 

For the whole UK construction industry, CSCS cards provide an avenue to assure stakeholders that the sector works, totally safe and well placed to deliver quality to client in a competitive environment. The purpose of this article is to look at the different benefits enshrined in the CSCS cards for the individual construction worker and the UK as a whole.

The Benefits of the CSCS cards to the individual

The CSCS card is very important to the individual UK construction worker. It is widely used as a benchmark qualification for different jobs in the construction subsector. This implies that for one to qualify for a job in the construction sector, they need to have the CSCS card before they are accepted. The CSCS card is therefore beneficial as an avenue to clinch jobs within the construction sector. 

The other individual benefit of the CSCS card is the fact that it instills a quality standard in the individual’s way of working. The training offered in safety, and quality ensures that one has the skills to provide service more relevant than their vocational training. Certifying one as an expert committed to the different rates for safety and health creates a quality persona behind the workers making work more satisfying. 

The universal acceptance of the CSCS card in the different parts of the UK aside from Britain is also beneficial enough for the workers. This quality ensures that the worker’s skills, competencies and experiences are accepted everywhere in the UK. This unlocks labor mobility with ones improved chances of applying for work anywhere within the UK. 

The other benefit for the CSCS card for employees is the fact that it tends to keep them in their best shape as workers. This is because the qualification is not permanent and needs regular refreshers. This means that cardholders are up to date on the happening of in the sector as far as health, quality control and safety are concerned.

The benefits of the CSCS cards to the UK construction industry

To the whole sector, the CSCS Card is a very important monitoring tool for the cadre of construction workers present in the UK. In fact, the CSCS card is considered a great qualification that stands on its own in the UK for all construction workers, a formula that is not popular in different parts of the world. 

The CSCS card is also important for to ensure that all the quality measures put in place are adhered to the latter. This ensures that health and safety related mishaps because of poor training and quality adherence do no happen. This entirely safeguards the interests of the country as far as safety in the construction industry is concerned.

 Overall, the benefits of the CSCS card are many and span different sectors. Whether its to the individual or the whole UK construction sector, the CSCS Card is one of its own and is a savior to the whole industry, according to experts.

Where to start with a CSCS Card

The CSCS Card is a very important card for all UK inhabitants looking to work in the thriving construction industry. It’s the standard protocol of operation for many people because of its ‘must-have’ status for construction site related careers or even visitors who don’t work there. It is mainly used to assert the importance of working safety standards, health and environmental matters related to the construction field. 

Looking at the importance attached to the CSCS Cards, applying and getting it is sometimes considered half the journey building a successful career in the construction sites in different capacities. If you’re one of those people who after striving to get the CSCS Card, and you finally put your hands on it; then the most probable question you’re asking yourself is after getting the CSCS Card, what next? The purpose of this article is to give you a leeway to decipher where you need to start after you achieve the much coveted and revered card.

The CSCS Card is your personal assurance and to the state that you’re able to work with your safety and health standards in mind. The only thing you need to do with your card is seek construction work from both government and private sector. Like all the other fields, jobs in the construction industry are normally advertised and interviewed for; therefore, having great interview skills can go a long way in clinching that first job on getting the construction site. 

There are quite a number of places to look for construction sites hiring CSCS Card holders. Whereas it may seem tempting, to start looking for international jobs now that you have a universally accepted construction site card in the UK, experts warn against this. The first place to search for beneficial construction site jobs is the local jobs directory. These local directories are in fact considered the best places to find your starter construction site jobs, as they are easy to access from your local premises. 

The local bulletins and regional newspapers are also great places to look for construction site jobs. This is because more often than not, they contain invaluable adverts that can set you on the right career path. The other often-overlooked construction site job-resource is the internet. This comes in the wake of virtually all players in the sector running operational websites where job opportunities that list the CSCS Card as a requirement are posted. 

Apart from the above sources, there are several other avenues to follow with a CSCS Card in arm. In the course of the CSCS Card study and exams, expanding work search networks from your testers, who are traditionally people with vast experiences and corporates in the construction industry. They can provide an easy source of work after the tests are done. 

Overall, the CSCS Cards are very marketable tools of work in the construction industry. They help expand your networks as far as work search is concerned, improve your site safety, health and environmental awareness to make you a safer bet on construction site work. 

Anyone you feel would benefits from having you on their site in whatever capacity is worthy talking to, according to experts.

CPCS CARD TYPES

CPCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme) cards are some of the most important qualification tools for construction workers based or located in the United Kingdom, especially in Britain and Ireland. The cards are issued to certify that a construction worker actually understands all the relevant safety and health related matters of their job to enable them work on the construction sites.

 Normally, CPCS cards were implemented to improve the quality of workmanship, safety on construction sites and the general wellbeing and health of the workers at construction sites. Concisely, these cards are considered the unofficial construction site identification cards in UK building and construction industries since so much weight is attached to them. 

According to the construction sector regulations and cadres, there are quite a number of CPCS cards types put in place to tackle the different needs and competency levels within the construction sector. These cards can be either for created for testers or for operators depending on their competencies and work descriptions. However, although these two tend to be the most basic or generic CPCS card types in the IUK, the best CPCS card type setting is made for the construction site operators, depending on their work competencies, education and experience. Operator CPSC cards differ from the tester CPSC cards in the sense that these are for individuals or construction workers with a prior NVQ. 

Operator CPCS cards

There are quite a number of operator CPCS card types in the British construction industry. As the names suggest, these cards are for different operators in the sector and range from site crane operators, to machine operators, just to name but a few. Their cards are normally grouped depending on color and here is a complete breakdown of this CPCS card types:

Red CPCS Card Trainee

As the name suggests, this card is specially made for people who have no NVQ or any other formal training in whatever they are doing on the construction site. There are also yet other Red CPCS card trainees with a lot of industry experience with no NVQ training. Generally, these cardholders are generally the most basic and are a mere avenue to the higher-ranking cards.

Blue CPCS Cards skilled worker

This is the second most popular card for operators with a high level of skills and competencies. Many of these cardholders have an NVQ at level 2 and are yet to advance their skills to other higher levels.

Black CPCS Card for supervisors

As the name suggests, this card is for construction site supervisors. More than the blue and Red cardholders, this card is for people with advanced industry experience at construction project supervisory.

Grey CPCS Card for Trainers

This card is specially designed for trainers in the construction sector. This grey card requires that at the time of application, one must have an NVQ of at least Level 4. 

White CPCS Card for Professionals

This card is specially designed for professionals whose career life brings them into close contact with construction site machinery.  

Generally, CPCS cards types vary with the individual’s experience, proximity with construction site machinery, and so on.