End of Industry Accreditation

In line with the latest version of the CLC recommendation on Industry Card Schemes, which confirms that all cards carrying the CSCS logo for skilled occupations should be achieved by qualification, cards obtained via Industry Accreditation will no longer be renewed from 30 June and all such cards will expire on 31 December. There are 25,000 individuals still holding Industry Accreditation cards, down from more than 60,000, and CSCS has issued guidance on replacing Blue, Gold or Black Industry Accreditation cards issued by the core scheme.

Members should be identifying the appropriate route for each of their workers to move onto the relevant card, which will depend on their occupation and any qualifications they hold. For any workers who need to complete a qualification, you should be putting in place a plan as soon as possible, and there are currently increased CITB grant rates for the achievement of certain S/NVQs when replacing Industry Accreditation cards. CSCS does not issue cards for non‐construction related occupations and anyone who no longer attends site regularly may not require a card

 

Managing Contractual Risk

Professional Services member Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB) has published its latest annual Procurement Trends report, which indicates that clients are more willing to procure in ways that avoid shifting risk onto the supply chain. With contractors identifying the robustness of the supply chain as the greatest risk they face over the next year, Build UK’s contract terms recommendation identifies six contract terms which should be avoided in order to promote collaboration and ensure a fair allocation of risk throughout the supply chain.

We have published comprehensive guidance to help implement the recommendation, explaining why each term should not be used and setting out ways to manage the underlying issues more effectively, with specific guidance for JCT and NEC contracts. The recommendation is non‐binding and Build UK members are free to negotiate their own contractual terms with their clients.

Talent Retention Scheme

The CLC has confirmed that the Construction Talent Retention Scheme will continue to operate in order to help the industry retain people with the skills it needs. It is a free job matching service which members can use to recruit experienced staff by listing their vacancies and searching CVs of potential candidates.