Are you in need of a Green CSCS Card and are unsure about how to get one? Are you questioning why so many employers list having a Green CSCS Card as an essential qualification?
The Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) is a nationally recognised award that proves you’re qualified to work on a construction site.
If you are looking to get onto a construction course or know anyone that is, please find all of our upcoming courses here.
What is a CSCS Card?
A CSCS card is the Construction Skills Certificate Scheme, which in short is CSCS, the leading skills certification in the UK. There are different types of CSCS cards but the one which you will need to show you are qualified to work in the construction industry is a Green Card.
A CSCS card will generally last you 5 years, after which time it will need renewing. The main reason for a CSCS card is to gain you access to the construction industry, so you can begin your career and even gain qualifications and progress to gain different cards such as a Blue CSCS card.
Having a CSCS Card proves to an employer that you are a competent person for the job you are applying for and have the necessary skills and knowledge to carry them out. Having a CSCS card is not a legislative requirement; it is solely up to the principal contractor or client whether or not workers would be required to hold a card before being allowed access to work on site. However, a large majority of contractors and major house development sites do require workers to hold a valid CSCS before beginning work on their sites, making it a “best practice” across the industry. So gaining one is crucial for launching your construction or labourer career.
How do you earn a CSCS Card and find Construction courses?
To obtain a CSCS card you must apply for one and have proof of construction related qualifications and training that you need to carry out your job.
The process for earning your Green card, and the qualifications needed are:
- Level 1 Certificate of Introduction to Construction
- Preparation and entry for a test required for the CSCS card
- Registration for CSCS card upon passing all the required units and exams
- ETA Level 1 Certificate of Introduction to Construction
- ETA Award in Personal Resilience and Perseverance
- ETA Level 1 Award in Understanding Mental Health
- ETA Level 1 Award in Health & Safety in a Construction Environment
To gain the relevant qualifications you can undertake a level 1 Construction course which we have available at Back2Work Complete Training.
If you choose to do your training through Back2Work Complete Training, not only will we fund your CSCS card exam, but we will also be with you every step of the way after, be it; get you into employment or giving you support until you find it.
Why having a CSCS Card is important and the benefits
- Job opportunities
- Better pay
- Helps towards keeping you and your colleagues safe
- Career progression
- Personal growth
1. Job Opportunities
As the Green CSCS card covers the construction industry, it opens you up to a lot more roles to get into, such as Roofing, Bricklaying, Scaffolding, Plastering, Carpentry, Plumbing, Electrician and more. Having access to these gives you on-the-job training in whichever trade suits you best and helps you progress your career working your way up the hierarchy.
Companies are always in need of skilled CSCS cardholders, so work will be easy to find once you have your CSCS card.
2. Better Pay
The more experience, and knowledge you have onsite would result in better pay as highly skilled workers would hold more value. The average CSCS card salary in the United Kingdom is around £21,019 per year or £10.78 per hour. If you are new to the industry an entry legal position would start at £17,567 per year while most experienced workers make up to £32,767 per year, this gives you more incentive to gain more experience. Now if you were to get a job that does not need a CSCS card, this would get you a salary of £19,042 per year or £9.77 per hour. If you are just starting out as a labourer your starting salary would be £16,575 per year.
3. Helps towards keeping you and your colleagues safe
When you are fully qualified to work on a site and hold a Green CSCS card you are helping towards keeping everyone onsite safe, you will have a better understanding of health and safety, and what not to do.
4. Career Progression
Once you have your CSCS card and have gained the necessary experience this opens up more opportunities such as different cards to show the experience, qualifications and seniority level of a worker. All cards allow workers on site, but different coloured cards (higher level) are needed to perform more advanced tasks and access certain parts of a site. The list below shows the progression of cards and what you will need to do to access them.
Green Card – Labourer
- Entry-level workers with a small amount of experience
Blue Card – Skilled Worker
- Experienced Construction Worker with an NVQ Level 2
- Advanced craft is when a person is a specialist in their specific field
- Supervisory is supervising personnel in a construction environment
Black Card – Manager’s Card
- Experienced working with a managerial position on a construction site.
White Card – Academically Qualified/Professionally Qualified
- Highest level of expertise for senior managers or industry board members
5. Personal Growth
Having a CSCS Card will not only help you with progression in the construction industry but will also help you develop and grow as a person. The construction industry heavily relies on teamwork and communication and these are key skills to have. Having access to a range of jobs and opportunities will also help you build on your skills and build on your confidence when carrying out tasks.
Feedback from our learners and why they recommend us
We have multiple testimonials of learners who have done the construction courses with us, if you would like to read more please visit our blog page.
“I’m learning something new at 57 years old and would recommend it to everyone, it’s not too late to learn, especially after Covid 19.” – Janet Brett
“Yes, I found the course very relaxed with great tutoring and a good basis to get back into employment.” – Stephen Gladwell
For more information on the courses that we run and how Back2Work Complete Training can help you find employment, visit our Upcoming Courses page for the job and course opportunities in your area.
We are frequently recruiting for Construction CSCS Labourer job roles across the country, in areas including Greater Manchester, Greater London, West Midlands, Merseyside, Yorkshire, Cheshire, Lancashire, Tees Valley, Newcastle, Peterborough, Tees Valley, Bristol, and more.
Visit our Upcoming Courses and Job Opportunities page
