Highways Agency

Skill Card Schemes

There are a variety of skill card schemes that are relevant to operatives working on our network.  The CSCS card, for example, covers a multitude of occupations and skills, whereas the RSDA card covers a single occupation.

The adoption of the CSCS card by the Major Contractors Group (MCG) and CECA has had a significant impact on the take up of skill cards.  A number of existing card schemes are affiliating to the CSCS but until individual cards are due for renewal some existing cards will continue to be valid for periods of a number of years.  Such cards are also illustrated in this pamphlet.

The requirements for operatives to carry skill cards whilst working on the network will be drawn into suppliers' quality management schemes.  It is intended that suppliers will have responsibility to audit operatives and to record the audits with other quality records.  In particular, suppliers have a responsibility to check:

• that operatives carrying out specific duties hold appropriate registration/skill cards (each card carries a photograph of the holder of the qualification); and
• that the card is valid for the function being carried out, which may require reference back to the issuing authority.  This is important because highway sector schemes called up in the Specification for Highway Works require qualified operatives to have gained specific NVQ’s and undertaken specialist training and refresher training relating to their trade activity, for example, vehicle restraint systems.

A full list of skill card schemes that are recognised by the Highways Agency is given in Tables 1, 2 and 3.

A matrix of Occupations and Skill Card Schemes is given in Appendix A.  The matrix also shows whether the registration/skill card is illustrated in this pamphlet or in the MCG Manual of Approved Cards.  Appendix B contains images of the cards in this web page.

* RSDA/CSCS cards are issued by CITB.

** No RSMA cards have been issued since March 2003. They have been replaced by CSCS cards.  Existing RSMA cards and renewals are valid until December 2006.

*** The CSR scheme is affiliated to CSCS.  The cards are issued in Northern Ireland, but may be used throughout the UK as an alternative to CSCS.