Want to find out more about how the ending of grandfather rights and industry accreditation might affect your construction career? Find out more below!
Here at DMR Training, we get a lot of questions about grandfather rights and what this means for construction workers and businesses in the UK. Understanding how the ending of grandfather rights will affect the industry as a whole and what it means for you can be complex – however, we want to make sure our clients and customers have the most accurate information possible.
If you or your workers need CSCS cards in order to be able to work on certain sites, you need to be aware of how Industry Accreditation to get these cards is changing. Industry Accreditation rules, more commonly known as Grandfather rights, are ending.
CSCS cards were launched in 1995 in order to help construction workers provide proof that they are competent at their occupational role. In order for workers to get their CSCS card, they will need to provide evidence that they can do the work.
When CSCS cards were first introduced, many construction workers did not have an NVQ because they learned on the job. However, they still needed to be able to get their CSCS card – which meant that industry accreditation was brought in so that workers who had been performing their occupational role for years could still get their card.
Industry Accreditation meant that CSCS cards could be issued with evidence from former employers, who would testify that the person was competent at their job. This evidence could be based on the work that the person had completed, or just the opinion of the person submitting the reference.
Industry Accreditation ended in 2010 – this meant that new applicants needed to have their NVQ before getting the relevant CSCS card. However, so that construction workers had time to be prepared, grandfather rights were introduced. This meant that previous cards issued through Industry Accreditation could be renewed, even if no new CSCS cards were issued through IA.
The CLC ended Industry Accreditation because the different criteria made it difficult to assess safety on site. It also meant that quality of work could not be properly assessed. However, grandfather rights were brought in to ensure that construction workers had time to prepare and could still work while working to get their NVQ.
Grandfather rights refers to a provision where an old rule continues to apply to some existing situations while a new rule will apply to all future cases – which is what happened with CSCS card application.
For over a decade, people who got their CSCS card with Industry Accreditation could still renew their CSCS card under grandfather rights. However, grandfather rights are ending. This means that old cards issued through IA will no longer be able to be renewed, and if you want to continue working with a CSCS card, you will need to get an NVQ.
Grandfather rights ending means that workers who didn’t need to get their NVQ will now need to do so in order to get their CSCS card and continue working on certain sites. They will no longer be able to renew their CSCS card issued under IA – they will have to re-apply with an NVQ certificate in their occupational area.
If you are a construction worker with a CSCS card issued under IA, or have a workforce with lots of workers with this sort of CSCS card, they will need to get an NVQ by the time grandfather rights end in 2024. The ending of grandfather rights means that you must get the NVQ in your chosen occupational area. If you’re in one of the trades, you will probably need to get your NVQ in order to renew your CSCS card.
At DMR Training, we can help you get your NVQ – the ending of grandfather rights doesn’t mean the end of your construction career! All of the construction NVQs we provide are right here on the website, and this list is growing!
For construction workers who are affected by the ending of grandfather rights, we can do your NVQ on-site, so that you can achieve your qualification without taking time away from your job. One of our trusty assessors will come out on-site to collect evidence, and will help you with any question you have when it comes to the job knowledge questions. Our flexible delivery and exemplary learner support means that the ending of grandfather rights is easy to manage when you choose to get your NVQ with us!
Furthermore, the ending of grandfather rights might not mean you need to pay for your NVQ. At DMR, we have access to NVQ funding across England – depending on your eligibility, you could get your NVQ at no cost at all. If you’ve been affected by grandfather rights ending and want to know more about which NVQs are funded and in what areas, please get in contact with us or call the office today.
However, if you’re not eligible for NVQ funding, you can pay for your NVQ in four instalments – you don’t need to go out of pocket just because grandfather rights are ending!
Grandfather rights running out means that you will need to get your NVQ – however, once you have your NVQ you are qualified to that level. You don’t need to renew your NVQ or take it again, unless you want to move from a level 2 qualification to a level 3 qualification and so on. Once you are qualified, that’s it.
Getting your NVQ soon would be a very smart choice – because of grandfather rights ending, you will no longer be able to renew your CSCS card after 2024 if it was issued under Industry Accreditation. Make sure you’re not left without a CSCS card by getting your NVQ with us today!
