Calm down calm down its not the end of the world, well not as we know it. There has been plenty of talk concerning the dreaded CSCS card, some say they are a load of (french word) and you dont need them if your good at plastering and some are saying they are the best thing since sliced bread (thats me).
Right the cards have been around for quite a long time, I've had mine over 5 years, and its just run out so I've renewed it. Have I needed it to get a job?............... Sometimes I have................. sometimes I havent.
I have worked on domestic houses and on site for the last 21 years, and I am fully qualified to 'advanced craft' and thats not a boast just a fact.
The last five years I have noticed a change on sitework regarding the card.
Firstly what is the card? - The card is a Health and Safety card which incorporates your skills which are printed on the back of your card. There are different types of cards all to suit whatever trade you do and in different colours.
Take a look at - http://www.cscs.uk.com/types-of-cards.
There is further information on there that may come in handy to you aswell.
Lets go back 5 years - You could make a call to book your H&S test, and you was provided with a CSCS number, and this was enough to get you on site, because, and lets have it right, there was a boom in the construction industry and they didnt care who was on site, and what they did, as long as it was finished. Although not allways to a high standard.
A lot of plasterers I've worked with over the years, were very good plasterers, some qualified some not, but good all the same.
The same could also be said for some rough plasterers I've met, some qualified some not.
A lot of the unqualified plasterers just got 'labourers cards' to get on site and that was acceptable, because if you couldnt plaster you were thrown off site, and if you could you were sound, which has always been the way on site.
The olden days are well and truly over on site, a more qualified work force is wanted, mainly to do with insurance costs.
Some say its a meaningless and think its just the government, adding pointless paperwork and the cost of the card and its renewal fee is just a tax on 'being a plasterer', either way you will need the card to work on construction sites.
Well the time has come, whether you like it or not, 9 times out of 10 you will need the card and its specifically for the trade you are going to do.
So unless you want to labour on site, you will need a card which specifies your given profession on the reverse side. Most jobs advertised on site require you to have a card its a fact!
What about domestic work? - ie working in people houses doing a re-skimm etc.
Well up until now you dont need a card to work on domestic or lets call it private work.
But lets say once the public become aware of it and you are asked for one?
It may lose you a job if you dont have one, or cant prove your qualified, that is just a personal opinion.
All the information you need on the subject here http://www.cscs.uk.com/RunScript.asp?p=ASP\Pg0.asp.
A lot of people complain about the way people obtained there qualifications, saying my mate this and my mate that but it doesnt get away from the fact you need a card.
If I havent mentioned a certain faq there are all the ones you need here http://www.cscs.uk.com/faqs.
This is not another 20 pager its just for new members who want to know about them or for members who feel intimidated to ask on the dreaded subject of CSCS so on that note I am off, some of us have GOLD CSCS cards that dont polish themselves.
Right the cards have been around for quite a long time, I've had mine over 5 years, and its just run out so I've renewed it. Have I needed it to get a job?............... Sometimes I have................. sometimes I havent.
I have worked on domestic houses and on site for the last 21 years, and I am fully qualified to 'advanced craft' and thats not a boast just a fact.
The last five years I have noticed a change on sitework regarding the card.
Firstly what is the card? - The card is a Health and Safety card which incorporates your skills which are printed on the back of your card. There are different types of cards all to suit whatever trade you do and in different colours.
Take a look at - http://www.cscs.uk.com/types-of-cards.
There is further information on there that may come in handy to you aswell.
Lets go back 5 years - You could make a call to book your H&S test, and you was provided with a CSCS number, and this was enough to get you on site, because, and lets have it right, there was a boom in the construction industry and they didnt care who was on site, and what they did, as long as it was finished. Although not allways to a high standard.
A lot of plasterers I've worked with over the years, were very good plasterers, some qualified some not, but good all the same.
The same could also be said for some rough plasterers I've met, some qualified some not.
A lot of the unqualified plasterers just got 'labourers cards' to get on site and that was acceptable, because if you couldnt plaster you were thrown off site, and if you could you were sound, which has always been the way on site.
The olden days are well and truly over on site, a more qualified work force is wanted, mainly to do with insurance costs.
Some say its a meaningless and think its just the government, adding pointless paperwork and the cost of the card and its renewal fee is just a tax on 'being a plasterer', either way you will need the card to work on construction sites.
Well the time has come, whether you like it or not, 9 times out of 10 you will need the card and its specifically for the trade you are going to do.
So unless you want to labour on site, you will need a card which specifies your given profession on the reverse side. Most jobs advertised on site require you to have a card its a fact!
What about domestic work? - ie working in people houses doing a re-skimm etc.
Well up until now you dont need a card to work on domestic or lets call it private work.
But lets say once the public become aware of it and you are asked for one?
It may lose you a job if you dont have one, or cant prove your qualified, that is just a personal opinion.
All the information you need on the subject here http://www.cscs.uk.com/RunScript.asp?p=ASP\Pg0.asp.
A lot of people complain about the way people obtained there qualifications, saying my mate this and my mate that but it doesnt get away from the fact you need a card.
If I havent mentioned a certain faq there are all the ones you need here http://www.cscs.uk.com/faqs.
This is not another 20 pager its just for new members who want to know about them or for members who feel intimidated to ask on the dreaded subject of CSCS so on that note I am off, some of us have GOLD CSCS cards that dont polish themselves.
