23rd April 2024
Civil Engineering Labour Solutions – by
Qualifications expectations in 2023
Once upon a time you could walk on to a building site with no qualifications, specialist equipment or PPE and find yourself a job. Of course that was around the same time that accidents, injuries and even loss of life were “just a part of the job”. There wasn’t anyone for construction workers to complain to and conditions on site were pretty appalling on a number of levels.
You’d be forgiven for thinking that the description above is talking about construction in the 1800s. In actual fact, many of the experienced members of our industry will recognise this as the way it was in the early days of their careers.
The good news is – construction is now a much safer place to work. Conditions on site have improved beyond measure and, although incidents do still happen, serious harm and loss of life is no longer “just part of the job”. And rightly so.
As labour suppliers to a very specific part of the construction process – civils and groundworks – skills, qualifications and hiring trends impact our business every day. This is why we decided to share our observation of client requirements and the resulting challenges as they stand in July 2023.
CSCS cards
The most basic qualification that operatives need to work on a construction site is a Construction Skills Certification Scheme card – commonly known as a CSCS card. There are a range of CSCS cards available depending on the role, activities and qualifications of the holder. Skilled Labour Services has 100% compliance with this standard across its database of more than 3000 operatives – despite there being an increasingly difficult threshold to obtain a CSCS card.
Other commonly requested qualifications
In addition to the relevant CSCS card, clients typically ask us to ensure our operatives hold tickets from:
- Site Supervisor Training Scheme
- Street Works Qualifications Register
- First Aid
Plus Plant Operators to hold:
- NPORS/ or
- CPCS
Similarly to the CSCS cards, these specific qualifications will vary depending on the role of the operative.
The final thing to be aware of is the increasing use of Drug & Alcohol testing for any staff working for construction companies, whether on site or in their offices.
Why are minimum training requirements increasing
Whilst the construction industry has already come a long way in improving skills, standards and safety, there is a clear focus on continuously driving professionalism across the industry.
On top of the industry’s desire to improve how it’s perceived both by end clients and as a career option for young people, insurance requirements also have an impact. Significant events such as Grenfell forced insurance companies to reassess their appetite for risk in the sector. Some have withdrawn entirely and others have imposed tougher terms and conditions on construction firms. In order to comply with the terms of their insurance, they must be able to evidence that they run a robust and well-managed business. Training standards are an obvious and critical factor in doing that.
And of course, we can’t forget tougher H&S regulations and HSE requirements geared at making sites even safer.
Society & Culture
Having touched on the thorny topics of H&S and Drug & Alcohol Testing, it would be irresponsible not to acknowledge how much society’s acceptance of so-called soft drugs such as cannabis has changed over recent years.
Whereas smoking a joint was once a clandestine activity, it’s now all too common to walk around residential areas, through city centres and past bars with the distinctive scent of weed hanging heavy in the air.
As recreational drugs become more and more accepted as part of mainstream culture in the UK, so we – collectively – must ensure workers are prepared for the consequences of failing D&A testing. This is something the SLS team actively addresses with our operatives, making clear our zero tolerance policy.
How SLS stay at the forefront of skills and qualifications
As a labour supply business, it’s our job to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to skills and qualifications. To do this, we work closely with key training providers who can respond quickly, with quality training, when our operatives need upskilling.
A great example of this was a new client recently needing operatives with EUSR cards. Once we knew of these requirements, we quickly identified the best operatives for the job and arranged for the training to be delivered, enabling us to provide properly skilled workers where and when they were needed.
The right pay for a skilled workforce
An important factor in retaining our skilled workforce is fair pay. All our operatives are paid more than both the National Living Wage and the Real Living Wage. In fact, when compared to this recent survey we have established that we pay at least market rates.
By ensuring our people are properly paid for the skilled work they complete, we gain their trust and loyalty.This means you can rely on them to turn up when you expect them, to put in a good day’s work and achieve your required quality standards.
In contrast, labour supply agencies who pay their workers the absolute minimum they can get away with, soon find themselves facing customer complaints about poor reliability and shoddy workmanship.
With this in mind, we respectfully ask our clients not to ask us to compromise on standards. From experience we know – if you choose the cheapest option, it will cost you more in the long run.
Find out more about our labour supply services
If you’d like to find out more about working with one the region’s leading suppliers of skilled site operatives for your next construction project, get in touch with the team today.
