02.08.2006

Skills-direct launched in UK

The CITB and Construction Skills companies have announced a new faster service to obtain the skills cards that will be required in the UK on all Major Contractor and building sites from the end of this year.

The new service is called SkillsDirect it is, say Construction Skills, a one-stop-service, delivering the three key elements of the CSCS card;-
-The CITB-ConstructionSkills Health & Safety Test,
-S/NVQ assessments, where required, and
-The application process.

A national hotline number - 0870 850 5262 to CITB-ConstructionSkills will say the company, automatically select the simplest route to qualify, and manage callers through the process from start to finish.

Mark Bodger, acting head of certification and registration at CITB-ConstructionSkills said:

“SkillsDirect was developed in close liaison with the industry to serve the industry’s needs. Just one call to one number will help businesses and employees through the process of becoming qualified and carded. New developments such as this mean there’s no excuse not to qualify your workforce, and with the MCG, MHBG and CECA clamping down on unqualified workers, the future of your business could depend upon it.”

The companies also say that the SkillsDirect system now has the capacity to deal with up to 750,000 applicants per year and expects to process up to 140,000 applicants before the end of 2006 as a result of the Major Contractors Group moving towards full compliance.

The cost of the Health and safety test plus card is now £42.50
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Skills Direct Students display the one stop telephone number

Vertikal Comment

If the actual service received measures up to the claims that the companies make for it, this direct service should greatly simplify the process of gaining a CSCS, and one assumes a CPCS card.

The horror stories of waiting for long periods of time to receive a card after having completed a CITB training course should also be a thing of the past,
It is claimed that the process now only takes seven working days from course to receipt of card, a dramatic improvement.

With the MCG literally threatening to blockade its sites against anyone not carrying an appropriate card, a more rapid and easy to use system was essential.

Skills direct sounds as though it will be quick and painless enough to encourage even the many conscientious objectors who see the card scheme as something of a money making scam to buckle and apply for one.