The CSCS board is consulting on its plan to scrap the 13 colour-coded cards in its suite of skills cards, replacing them with a single “smart card” carrying the specific qualifications of each individual card-holder.
The plan was announced in the CSCS’s Annual Review 2014, which says that the new system could be implemented as soon as 2016.
A spokeswoman for CSCS told CM that the board was championing the idea as its preferred option to make the scheme simpler to administer and understand, but that it would take on board the feedback of the industry.
“It’s a strategy for consultation, but if it’s not what the industry wants it won’t happen. We’re currently talking to various stakeholder groups about the issues,” she said.
“But it should remove the frustration of people feeling they have the ‘wrong’ card. Employers would have to ask for the appropriate qualifications instead – it’s not about the colour of the card.”
If the decision is made to adopt the new policy from 2016, she pointed out that all existing cards would still be valid for up to five years.
