Urgent call for more Craftspeople and Built Heritage Sector professionals to apply for CSCS Cards

Sir Michael Latham, Chairman of ConstructionSkills today joined with other industry partners to call for more craftspeople and building professionals in the built heritage sector to apply for CSCS cards. In a speech to clients, contractors, trainers, professional bodies and industry groups at the German Gymnasium, St Pancras, London on Tuesday 9th February, he stressed the need for the right blend of skills, expertise, knowledge and experience and demonstrating competency to do this work.

On the day, representatives from the National Heritage Training Group (NHTG), English Heritage, Unite the Union and CSCS joined Sir Michael to promote the many benefits the card scheme brings. At the meeting, a new ‘Quick Guide to CSCS for the built heritage sector was launched. This includes the CSCS Heritage Skills card for craftsmen and women who work on pre-1919 building projects and to improve safety standards.

Sir Michael Latham, Chairman of Construction Skills said: “The built heritage sector is benefitting from its own specific cards. Clients, heritage organisations and funding bodies should demand this evidence of competency and the right skills for the job and we are working with contractors and trade bodies to help those in the sector to obtain the CSCS Heritage Skills card.”.

Brian Adams, Chief Executive of CSCS said: “I am delighted to be launching the Quick Guide to CSCS for the Built Heritage and for us to be working in partnership with this important sector of the construction industry to help its craftspeople and building professionals display competency and health & safety awareness”.

Mike Moody, Chairman of the National Heritage Training Group adds: “As an employer, I know full well the benefits to my business of having safe and qualified employees and as qualifying the workforce is the key objective of the National Heritage Training Group we are urging other employers and individual craftspeople to follow suit and apply for the CSCS Heritage Skills card as soon as possible”.

John Edwards from English Heritage’s Conservation Department said: “English Heritage now asks for crafts persons employed by contractors working on its own estate of over 400 historic sites to hold the CSCS Heritage Skills Card for new contracts. We hope that in future this will be mandatory, once the number of cards has reached a viable level, but in accordance with EU procurement regulations. This will help improve the quality of the workforce which will help to ensure better treatment of historic buildings.”

The CSCS card was developed jointly by CSCS and the NHTG and launched in September 2008, as a response to the NHTG’s research findings that around two thirds of those who work on pre-1919 buildings do not have the right skills to do so, most commonly because the vast majority of those are general builders who move from new-build to repair and maintenance.

It is hoped that this call for more people to sign up for the scheme will help to further integrate this highly-skilled sector into mainstream construction practice, as well as contributing to maintaining heritage building stock in a sustainable and sympathetic manner.

Sir Michael concludes: “Training and development is key to a competent and safe workforce and as Chairman of ConstructionSkills, I believe that we are all striving to make sure that our industry and its many sectors has the right skills in place and the CSCS helps us show that people are competent and possess these skills.”

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Contact

Jessica Hope – Press Officer at ConstructionSkills - jessica.hope@cskills.org / 0300 456 5407

About ConstructionSkills

ConstructionSkills is the Sector Skills Council (SSC) for the construction industry. It is a partnership between CITB-ConstructionSkills, CIC and CITB Northern Ireland. It is UK-wide and represents the whole industry from professional consultancies to major contractors and SMEs.

Established as an SSC in 2003, ConstructionSkills is working to deliver a safe, professional and fully qualified construction workforce. All three partners are committed to working together to deliver industry-led skills and training solutions through the Sector Skills Agreement for construction. We work to negotiate the best partnership and funding deals for the construction industry to help raise standards, increase diversity and develop the skills products and services employers need.

The construction sector is central to the UK economy, generating over 8% of UK GDP and with a turnover of more than £210bn a year.