Many of you will have noted already that the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) has withdrawn the Construction Related Occupation (CRO) card with effect from 31 March 2017. Further, all CRO cards issued since October 2015 will expire on 30 September 2017, although those issued before October 2015 will remain valid until their expiry date.
The rationale behind this move is summarised by CSCS Chief Executive Graham Wren: “The withdrawal of the CRO card is a practical step towards achieving the Construction Leadership Council’s requirement of ensuring nationally recognised qualifications are in place for all occupations. By certifying construction workers have the correct training and qualifications, CSCS can play its part in improving standards and safety on UK construction sites.”
The change will affect more than 230,000 existing CRO card holders, who will need to ensure that they apply for a new CSCS card, where possible, before their CRO cards expire. It is likely that there will be many instances where current CRO card holders will need to register for existing or newly developed qualifications. There will also be some card holders who will be directed to one of CSCS’s Partner Card Schemes which are deemed more appropriate for their line of work.
Finally, there will be some for whom their occupation is not construction related (or no suitable qualifications exist) and a CSCS card will no longer be granted.
For more information, please visit the official CSCS website at www.cscs.uk.com
