CITB Extends Grants for Grandfather Rights CSCS Cardholders

A ONE-YEAR extension of CITB funding to support the transitioning of Grandfather Rights CSCS cardholders to recognised qualifications has been announced.

All Industry Accreditation (IA) – or Grandfather Rights – cards issued from 1 January 2020 will expire on 31 December 2024 and cannot be replaced using IA.

The Construction Skills Certificate Scheme (CSCS) says the move from IA cards is needed to meet industry aims for card schemes to operate with nationally recognised qualifications in place for all occupations.

CITB Extends Grants

Enhanced grants are available to CITB-registered employers for specific qualifications achieved until 31 March 2026.

To support construction workers’ transition from an IA card to a qualification, CITB have increased the grant for specific supervision NVQ Diplomas/SVQs to £1,250 and specific management NVQ Diplomas/SVQs to £1,500 for achievements from 1 April 2023.

No Need for College

Those affected by changes to IA do not need to attend college to get their new qualification. There are numerous options to gain qualifications through onsite assessments and portfolios of work for experienced workers.

Training providers will provide assessors who visit the workplace to get evidence showing competence – sometimes this can also be done remotely. Employers can then claim the grants to get money back for their employees taking the qualifications.

Temporary CSCS Cards

Temporary, non-renewable red cards exist with CSCS and can be used by those waiting to complete their qualification. This means they won’t need to lose access to site and can continue working. Existing qualifications and memberships may make them eligible for other CSCS cards too.

Anyone affected by IA changes who does not get assessed and qualified by the 31 December deadline will have an expired card that will no longer be valid.

Skills Gaps

Adrian Beckingham, Strategy and Policy Director at CITB, said: “We are pleased to be extending the grant and helping to reduce the financial burden on individuals and employers to get qualified in time.

“With the support and options available, there’s no reason for anyone to not be able to get on site to work while transitioning to recognised qualifications.

“The temporary enhanced grant is just one way in which we are continuing to encourage more people to get qualified for leadership and supervisory positions and fill crucial skills gaps in construction.”

Garry Mortimer – Executive Director of Operations, CSCS, said: “CSCS welcomes the grant being made available by CITB for those affected by the withdrawal of Industry Accreditation. In addition to the flexible assessment options available, grant support is a key pillar of the support package available, which has helped reduce the number of active IA cards in circulation from 60,000 to approximately 16,000.

“Since the original package of support was announced, many IA cardholders have found it a straightforward process to replace their cards using an existing qualification or professional membership or by evidencing their skillsets to an assessor.

“CSCS remains committed to playing its part in delivering a fully trained and qualified workforce and the removal of cards issued under IA represents another significant step in achieving this goal. We will continue to support the remainder of those affected by the withdrawal of IA, including those on temporary cards while working through qualifications, up until the December 31st deadline and beyond.”

CITB will continue to work with CSCS to identify what further support is needed once the 31 December 2024 deadline passes.

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