Last month (28 August 2024), Paul Taylor, Head of Card Schemes at NOCN Group, spoke at Unite the Union’s event at Canary Wharf about the issues around fake CPCS Cards, saying that current labour shortages are leading to short-cutting by some contractors, making card checks “more important than ever.” He gave examples of some current investigations that he is involved with, one resulting in a CPCS Centre being closed down and all the cards it had issued being revoked.

At the event, Unite showcased the process that Canary Wharf Contractors have put in place to ensure the 1,300-1,400 operatives attending the site every day have the correct Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card for their trade, demonstrating they are trained and competent to do the work. This includes used of the CSCS Smart Check phone app.

The event also highlighted the scale of fraudulent activities that exist in the industry, the danger this poses to on-site health & safety, and how to detect it. Examples given included labourers paying £700 to a fraudulent centre for a fake card.

This is something that NOCN Group’s Carl Hassell wrote about in Construction News back in January 2023 and is growing in-line with widening skills shortages in the construction sector, as highlighted in this recent report about the impact of construction skills shortages on the UK economy.

NOCN Group has recently launched digital innovations to make obtaining, renewing and managing CPCS Cards as efficient and convenient as possible for skilled operatives. This includes a new Digital Logbook and the replacement of the CPCS Renewal Test with a new Online Renewal CPD Course. The NOCN Operative Health, Safety & Environment Test is also bringing more robust training and accreditation to the construction plant and wider sectors.

Find out more and use the CPCS/CISRS Card Checker at: https://www.nocnjobcards.org/