End of the line for CRO Cards
The Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) is reminding the industry that time is almost up for 85,000 Construction Related Occupation (CRO) cards.
CSCS withdrew the CRO card at the end of March this year and all CRO cards issued since October 2015 expire on 30 September 2017.
CSCS first announced the CRO card withdrawal back in 2015 and card holders should now be developing plans to replace their cards before they expire. What each individual card holder needs to do next depends on the qualifications they hold and whether their occupation is considered to be construction related. Those who do not take the necessary steps to move off the CRO card will find they will be unable to apply for another CSCS card.
Many of the 85,000 CRO card holders will be required to register for existing or newly developed qualifications before their CRO cards expire. In others CRO card holders will be transferred to one of CSCS's Partner Card Schemes that are more appropriate for their occupations.
CSCS Chief Executive Graham Wren said: "The withdrawal of the CRO card is a practical step towards achieving the CLC's requirement of ensuring nationally recognised qualifications are in place for all occupations.
"The 30th September is fast approaching however, together with our industry stakeholders, we have been preparing for the withdrawal of the CRO card since 2015. A lot of work has taken place to ensure CRO card holders know which qualifications are available and to make the transition to appropriate alternative arrangements as straightforward as possible."
