Month: March 2020

NOCN Job Cards is aware that some individuals in the future will have difficulty renewing or updating their CPCS cards due to issues caused by COVID-19.

Difficulties in renewing may take the form of not being able to make HSE tests or CPCS renewal tests as Pearson VUE and many Internet Test Centers are closed. We also know it will be difficult to complete Vocational Qualifications in the next few months.

The industry has welcomed CPCS and NOCN Job Cards’ advice on the relaxation by sites on cards that have expired. On March 16th CPCS recommend to employers that their sites could be more lenient on accepting cards that have expired from mid-March onwards until the Covid-19 situation has been brought more under control. This is, of course, the Employers’ choice and decision. However, some employers require further controls and a longer-term solution to this issue.

Due to this and after strong industry direction CPCS is providing the ability to apply for an Emergency CPCS Card which would be valid for 12 months for those unable to renew cards or upgrade cards due to not being able to renew their HSE test or Renewal Test.

This card will also be available for individuals on a Red card which is expiring and they have been prevented from completing their Vocational Qualification due to the COVID-19 situation. Proof of Qualification Registration is necessary, however, if this is with Cskills Awards/NOCN then we can check this digitally without the applicant needing to provide anything.

This card is to support employers and individuals who do not wish to accept expired cards, giving our beneficiaries choice.

Apply Online or  Download the Form

The cost of this card will be £15

Who should use this card?

Can I renew my card without an in-date HS&E test?
Yes, we will issue an emergency card – please use this form

Can I renew my card without completing the Renewal Test(s)?
Yes, we will issue an emergency card – please use this form

Can I extend my Red card as I am registered for a Vocational Qualification, but my assessment cannot be completed so I can’t finish the qualification?
Yes, we will issue an emergency card – please use this form

I have not recorded sufficient hours in my CPCS logbook but cannot do my On-Site-Assessments (OSA).
CPCS will issue you with an emergency card – please use this form

HS&E Test for tester Card Renewals (MAP Test), A61 Appointed Person (MAP Test) and A62 Crane Supervisor (Supervisors test)
The same rules apply we will issue emergency cards for these occupations – please use this form

I cannot complete my Vocational Qualification “VQ” to upgrade my card to blue.
CPCS will issue you an emergency card to keep you working – please use this form

For any other applications please use the normal card application process

What is a CPCS banked category?

Example; I held a CPCS blue competence card which had the following categories;

• 360 Excavator Tracked
• Forward Tipping Dumper Wheeled
• Wheeled loading Shovel

When I last renewed my CPCS card I had not been operating the Wheeled Loading Shovel or the Forward Tipping Dumper, so my employer said I could not renew these categories, therefore my current card only shows;

• 360 Tracked Excavator

How do I get the categories back on my CPCS Card and what are the CPCS rules?

Categories not applied for at the time of renewal may be ‘banked’ and can be claimed at a later within a 5-year period providing the following rules are met;

• You hold a valid HS&E test (two years)
• You Hold a valid Renewal Test for the category grouping, check here.

• You have recorded 300 hours operating experience (per category or scheme rules in the last 5 years or If you have not recorded sufficient hours detailing operating experience then you can complete a CPCS On Site Assessment (OSA) these can be booked with any test centre in the UK that has accreditation to deliver the specific category please use the Test Centre Search.

 

The Competent Operator Card start date will be the date from the original expiry date of the previous Competent Operator Card, Therefore, it is important to start the renewal process as soon as possible.

More information on specifics can be found in the Scheme Booklet for Operators.

 

Banked categories can only be re-instated within a 5-year period, if categories are older than this these rules do not apply.

Following the transfer of CPCS from CITB to NOCN Group, we have implemented the first of several improvements planned for the scheme – smart cards.  The new smart cards will gradually replace the old CITB issued cards, as these come up for renewal. The smart cards feature Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, enabling multiple benefits for cardholders and employers.  NFC works by tapping the card on any NFC enabled device – most modern mobile phones and tablets – the cardholder’s name, photo, categories/courses and endorsements will automatically appear.  NOCN Job Cards are currently working on the next stage of smart cards, where qualifications and NOCN Site Right training will also appear on the card as well as renewal notifications. The new system provides high security and authentication for employers, it is far more difficult for criminals to interfere with the system, preventing duplication and fraud. NOCN Job Cards can also ‘switch off’ a card remotely if it has been compromised, alerting employers to potential fraud. In many cases, employers will not need to download an app, as the NFC automatically works on most android devices and iPhone XS, XR, 11 and newer devices.  If an app is required it is free to download, reducing expense and improving efficiencies for cardholders and employers. To help distinguish the difference between the CITB cards, which are still valid until they expire, and the new smart cards, CPCS has updated the card design too, making it clear to employers which cards feature NFC technology.  This also brings us in line with the CSCS colour scheme and design. In summary, the benefits of the new Secure ID Cards are: Increased security – Individuals who have cloned/altered cards cannot pass the digital test of the card being swiped on a reader or smartphone. Compliance/ health and safety – Ensuring the correct person with appropriate competence is carrying out the work. Additional data is available – All the training/qualification data is held in the cloud, making it easier and quicker to prove levels of expertise. Easy to update – New qualifications/ certifications are held in the MyTAG system and displayed when the card is tapped.  These can be updated without having to renew the card itself. You can display and share the poster below (click to view the full PDF)

1. Applications Backlog

Where we have the correct HSE test, photo and CPCS test results that match with CITB/Pearson VUE data. There are still outstanding data issues remaining between CPCS, Pearson VUE and CITB, but these have been significantly reduced with you help and assistance.

2. Notifications Resulted as Achieved through Test Centre Management System

For all notifications where we can match the correct HSE data, photo and CPCS test results, cards are now being dispatched within SLA of 15 working days.

3. Card renewals/applications

We are processing new applications as quickly as possible. All applications that have met scheme requirements have been processed and have been sent to print.

Applications that are incorrect, incomplete, or where an assessment has been failed will receive Rejection letters.  Rejection letters will be sent to the applicant who requested the card. Please check that applications have all the correct information entered. An extra check will save a lot of time waiting and chasing for a card.

4. Test Centres; Carding Without Application

We are processing all Carding Without Applications as soon as possible, providing we can match for all HS&E data with CITB.

CPCS / NOCN would like to thank you for all your support over the past months of difficulty, since the transfer of CPCS data, and apologise again for the challenges that this has caused you and your customers. 

Card Applications Update

Our team of temporary and permanent staff have been working overtime on evenings and at weekends to put the card processing on track.  We are making good progress and have processed, printed and despatched 13,698 CPCS cards to date (week ending 6^th March).

Incorrect cards

Unfortunately, we are still having some problems with incorrect cards, and these are being re-issued as a priority.  SMART data is being updated or turned off where necessary, so Card Checker is corrected immediately.  We have updated the IT system to avoid repeat errors and apologise for the inconvenience that this has caused.

To help us focus on these incorrect cards, we have set up a specific mailbox for all incorrect card enquiries:   incorrectcards@jobcards.org.   CPCS card carrier letters are also being updated with this mail address so that we can quickly resolve any issues.  Please only use this email address if you have any issues with incorrect cards to enable us to resolve any issues as soon as possible – all other queries please email: enquiries@jobcards.org

Card Fraud

Cardholder details are visible on the online Card Checker within a few hours of an application completing the print processing stage.  The new CPCS SMART system protects against card fraud, as a fraudulent card will not link through to the online Card Checker. You may encounter issues around tapping the card with your NFC devices, if the card links to MyTag and you get an error code please also report this to the email address incorrectcards@jobcards.org.  We are aware that the new card designs are already being fraudulently copied. Tapping the card on any NFC enabled device will ensure that the integrity of the system is retained.

Grant Payments

We have been working closely with CITB to enable CITB to pay grants to employers for CPCS theory and practical tests that have been achieved.  Grant payments are now being processed by CITB for these achievements and employers should be receiving automated grant payments and grant remittance forms. All grant queries should go to levy.grant@citb.co.uk.  If employers have missed Grant then they can claim this from CITB via the ‘missed Grant’ process.

Customer Call Volumes

Despite improvements we are still experiencing high customer call volumes, we have implemented a new phone strategy which has reduced customer call time significantly. If you are a test centre we would still advise you to email your dedicated customer coordinator to ask for a call back to save you time.