NOCN Job Cards, a wholly owned subsidiary of NOCN Group, has merged its activities into NOCN Group enabling it to continue to deliver its future-fit skills solutions with social impact for Colleges, training providers, employers and individuals, in a more joined-up and consistent way. The merger will not impact the Group's day-to-day operations for cardholders or test centres.

The merger came into effect on 31 March 2025 and sees the transfer of all assets and liabilities from NOCN Job Cards to NOCN Group as a basis for further growth of the Group. Graham Hasting-Evans, chief executive, remains in the role as executive leader of the merged charity.

Why now?

NOCN Job Cards was incorporated on 22 October 2018 and has been a member of the NOCN group of companies since incorporation. The two organisations have the same exclusively charitable purpose - the advancement of skills and education. They work closely together, with NOCN Group providing centralised “head office” services to NOCN Job Cards.

As an international charity delivering future-fit skills solutions, NOCN Group provides Qualifications, Apprenticeship End Point Assessment, Assured Courses, Competence Card Schemes and Short Online Courses, designed to advance skills in the areas where they are most needed, including construction, engineering & manufacturing, green skills, health & social care and employability skills.

NOCN Job Cards assessed the competency of workers to operate construction plant on construction sites through Competence Card Schemes, including its Construction Plant Competence Scheme (CPCS). It was also responsible for providing scheme administration services to the Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme (CISRS).

The boards of both charities, have consulted with Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS), Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme (CISRS), Ofqual and the Charities Commission before proceeding with the proposal to merge the two to create one single organisation, enabling a more integrated and efficient service to both sets of beneficiaries, some of whom are already beneficiaries of both organisations.

The future

Graham Hasting-Evans, chief executive at NOCN Group, comments:

“Essentially we have merged two parts of our organisation to deliver a simplified and joined-up offer to our training provider, college, employer and individual card holders and customers. NOCN Job Cards delivers one aspect of our full suite of skills solutions, and it was potentially confusing from a beneficiary/card holder journey and experience perspective for this to be a separate brand and corporate entity. Having everything under the one NOCN Group brand umbrella allows us to offer a ‘one stop shop’ to access any of our skills solutions, including CPCS and other competence card schemes, all in one place.”

FAQs

Has the merger resulted in any redundancies?

No it has not and will not result in any redundancies.

I am a CPCS card holder – how does this merger impact me?

There are no changes for card holders as a result of the merger.

Following the merger, what will happen to the Industry Engagement Group (IEG)?

NOCN Job Cards currently has an IEG for the construction sector which acts as an advisory committee to the Job Cards Group Board. The scope and Terms of Reference of the IEG will be extended so that it becomes a comprehensive advisory group to the NOCN Group Board for all NOCN Group-related construction products and services.