Locks and Security News: your weekly locks and security industry newsletter
17th April 2024 Issue no. 701

Your industry news - first

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The MLA achieves CSCS card clarification for all locksmiths and safe engineers

Following on from numerous meetings and extensive negotiations, the Master Locksmiths Association are delighted to announce they received on the 21st of March confirmation from Angeleen Hill, Scheme Manager at CSCS, stating: "The occupation of Locksmith and Safe Engineer will be removed from the CSCS scheme this week."

Dr Steffan George, Managing Director for the Master Locksmiths Association said: "Having had a number of members contact us concerned with the changes being made to the Construction Skills Certification Scheme, we're delighted to have been successful in our quest to have locksmiths and safe engineers alike removed from the scheme as the roles are not construction-related. We believe that as this will benefit everyone in these roles, and not only MLA members, it is a major success for the industry as a whole."

The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) announced in 2015 that all card schemes must operate with nationally recognised qualifications in place for all occupations relevant to their sector.

Since the announcement, CSCS has developed a number of plans to meet the CLC's requirements, including agreement on appropriate qualifications for various occupations - with the minimum standard for skilled occupations established by the CLC at NVQ Level 2.

The Construction Related Occupation (CRO) card, which had, until now, been issued without the requirement for the applicant to hold a nationally recognised qualification and being the card most locksmiths had required to obtain, will no longer be issued from the end of March 2017. Meanwhile, as there is currently no nationally recognised qualification for locksmithing it would have been impossible for locksmiths and safe engineers to gain this CSCS card, but as the MLA has been successful in demonstrating that the roles aren't construction-related, they will no longer be subject to requiring a card. This not only saves them a considerable amount of admin and cost, but more importantly, removes the uncertainty surrounding the issue.

For more information you can contact:
Dr Steffan George
Managing Director
Master Locksmiths Association Ltd
Tel: +44 (0) 1327 262255
Web: www.locksmiths.co.uk

29th March 2017