Latest News

One of the building services industry’s largest personnel registration schemes has revamped the cards operatives must carry to gain access to sites.

Engineering Services SKILLcard has produced a new design to better reflect its contactless operation and make it easier for site managers to check all workers have the appropriate training and qualifications for their specific occupation.

The new look card now has a contactless symbol in place of the old chip and the holographic ‘health and safety tested’ symbol has been removed. The contactless facility makes it easier to check the holder’s...

Changes to educational policy in the UK have seen an increased focus on vocational education. This includes the introduction of the Traineeship Skills Development Programme and T Level qualifications. These new pathways into construction involve a mixture of classroom learning and extensive on-the-job experience.

To support learners transitioning from the classroom into the workplace, the construction industry is introducing the Industry Placement Card.

The card displaying the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) logo will be available from September and is for learners aged...

BESA and SKILLcard are continuing their support for redundant workers by extending the ability to apply for and renew SKILLcards free of charge until 30th June 2021. The initiative was initially launched in July 2020 to cover the period up to the end of December 2020. It was extended to 31st March 2021 and now extended again to continue vital support to individuals in the sector.

Anyone who suffered redundancy as a result of the Covid-19 crisis since March 1 will have their fees waived if they apply before 30th June 2021.

Engineering Services SKILLcard is one of the construction industry’s...

In order to make it even easier for engineers with overseas qualifications to secure their SKILLcard, BESA have now signed up to partner with ECCTIS, who will provide a skills mapping service.  

ECCTIS is a leading information service provider offering impartial, trusted judgement on international qualifications and SKILLcard are delighted to welcome their services. ECCTIS are the parent company who previously looked after the UK Naric brand and are now the externally facing name following Brexit.

Anyone interested in applying for a SKILLcard using overseas qualifications should go to the...

The Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) is notifying the industry that all Building Engineering Services qualifications currently accepted for the Academically Qualified Person (AQP) card are being transferred to the SKILLcard scheme.

SKILLcard is managed by the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) and is the card issuing scheme for the mechanical sector of the building engineering services industry. It is used by heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigeration operatives to provide proof of qualifications, skills and experience.

SKILLcard recently launched...

One of the construction industry’s largest skills certification registers is launching a special card for engineers with degrees and other higher-level qualifications. 

Engineering Services SKILLcard, which has over 64,000 card holders across the UK, has developed the Academically Qualified Person (AQP) card so individuals with higher level qualifications can visit construction sites to help them gain more practical experience.

SKILLcard, which is managed by the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) and is part of the construction-wide CSCS scheme, is used by heating, ventilating,...

Today SKILLcard announced that the CRO card for 29 occupations are closing starting on 31st January 2021. This is the 6th 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, i.e. NVQs/SVQs 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...

Important update about the Construction Site Visitor Card

Please be aware that SKILLcard are now in the process of withdrawing the Construction Site Visitor Card. Please see below for the timetable of closure dates.

• From 1st December 2020, any Construction Site Visitor cards will only be valid up to the 30th November 2022.
• From 31st April 2022, SKILLcard will stop issuing the visitor card.
• For the avoidance of doubt, visitor cards issued before the 1st December 2020 will remain valid until their expiry date.

Why is the card being withdrawn?SKILLcard is a partner card scheme of CSCS and is...

SKILLcard are waiving the card fee for those affected by redundancy in order to help retain vital skills in the sector and support our skilled workers. This is a significant financial investment by SKILLcard in the future of the industry but seen by the company as the right thing to do.

Holding the relevant card is an essential part of finding work in our sector, enabling individuals to demonstrate relevant qualifications, skills and experience for their occupation.

Over 500,000 people left the industry in the last recession so SKILLcard want to do whatever it can to ensure the sector...