You Don’t Need To Pay The Usual Fee Of £36 For An Apprentice CSCS Card
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Although SuperSkills no longer trains Apprentices, we offer congratulations this morning to the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) for removing the £36 fee for getting a CSCS Card in the case of employees starting an apprenticeship.
There used to be quite a lot of faff for employers to get an ‘Apprentice’ CSCS card. So many of them were instead opting to register staff for a green ‘Site Labourer’ CSCS Card. This meant also getting them through the Level 1 Health & Safety in Construction qualification. And also the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) ‘Site Operative’ Health & Safety test.
The New System
- Submit evidence of the CITB Site Operatives test pass
- Fill out the Enrolment Evidence Application Form (You can download a copy here) for the Apprentice CSCS Card
- Finish the brew you made before you sat down to make the application
Using the form should prevent unnecessary delays, but the CSCS will also accept other forms of evidence:
- A letter or email from the Managing Agency of your apprenticeship. This confirms which qualifications (with full titles and pathways) you are registered for.
- A letter from your apprenticeship training provider confirming which qualifications (with full titles and pathways) you are registered for.
- Your Apprenticeship Agreement, provided it shows the occupation and qualification (including pathways) you are registered for.
- A letter from your training provider delivering a programme from the CSCS Approved Apprenticeship Standards (England Only) list. (It’s helpful to consult the list to make sure you use the right title in your application. They’re not all in ‘Plain English’)
The CSCS will also accept different forms of Health & Safety accreditation:
- A CITB Health, Safety and Environment test pass from within the last two years (as above)
- A completion certificate for a one-day Construction Health and Safety Awareness course. You can take this with SuperSkills online – see here.
- A Certificate of Unit Credit showing completion of a Construction Health and Safety unit. If this is included in your induction or initial qualification.
Some Hints & Tips
Make sure you have the right Photo ID. Lots of young people (so the majority of Apprentices) don’t get Photo ID until they are 18 (for obvious reasons). It’s a good idea to get one sorted out now, because you will need it for training/examination/CSCS Card purposes.
Don’t just ‘Google’ CSCS tests when you want to book. There are websites that will charge you a (wholly unnecessary) ‘Booking Fee’. Book your CSCS Test directly from the CITB here. If you are being asked for more than £22.50 – you are on the wrong website. See here for more details
If you are joining an employer for a ‘trial’ period, just get a ‘Provisional’ CSCS Card, which last six months. All you need for that is a CITB Site Operatives test pass. It save the faff of getting a health & safety qualification. By the time it expires, you will know whether the Construction is the right choice for you.
Not the card you’re looking for? Perhaps you are more suited to the Green ‘Site Labourer’ CSCS Card referred to above, rather than the Apprentice CSCS Card. Take a look here or call us on 01845 527 445 for some Free Advice.
