This is the third wave of CRO closures as part of its plan to deliver the Construction Leadership Council’s (CLC) 2025 vision. All card schemes carrying the CSCS logo including SKILLcard, must only certify those occupations with nationally recognised construction related qualifications such as NVQs or approved equivalents.
The project, expected to take a number of years to complete, will manage the phase out of CRO cards and support those affected by identifying paths to an agreed industry qualification for that occupation in order to obtain a skilled worker SKILLcard.
Vent Hygiene CRO Cards
SKILLcard will no longer accept applications for the Vent Hygiene Specialist, Ductwork Cleaning Specialist and Kitchen Grease Extract Operative CRO cards as of 1st November 2019. Applicants can now apply for red, blue or gold SKILLcards for which new qualification routes are now open. Both the new qualification routes and new cards applications are open immediately for applicants.
All existing CRO cards are still valid until the expiration date on the card but from November, renewal and new applications will have to be made via the new route. Cardholders may of course decide to opt for the new route early and take the newly opened qualification in order to obtain a skilled worker card immediately.
New Qualification Routes Open
SKILLcard have worked with BESA in order to open up the required qualification routes in order for operatives and technicians to obtain skilled worker and trainee cards.
For a red trainee card, you need to be either signed up for or undertaking the appropriate apprenticeship. For blue and gold skilled worker cards, new qualification routes have been agreed and can be completed in just a few days by taking and passing one of four BESA short courses now available at a selection of approved training centres.
Getting Ahead of the Game
These new courses and the qualification routes are now open, so existing CRO cardholders or new operatives into the occupation don’t have to wait but can qualify and apply for a skilled worker card now.
Vent Hygiene Elite Scheme
The new SKILLcard qualification route for Vent Hygiene comes hot on the heels of the full launch in July of the new ‘Ventilation Hygiene Elite’ (VHE) scheme which is based on BESA’s long-established and industry recognised specification and guide to good practice TR19. The scheme is developed, approved and administered by BESCA, who will audit firms’ work to ensure standards are maintained and manage a database of post-clean reports.
Duncan Sibbald, head of certification at BESA, which operates SKILLcard for the building engineering sector, commented: “Vent hygiene is a critical part of any fire risk assessment process and allowing vent hygiene professionals to clearly demonstrate their competence is essential. The new skilled worker cards for this occupation from SKILLcard is warmly welcomed, as is the new Vent Hygiene Elite Scheme.”