Card tricks

The current anti-cowboy initiative by Government and industry has emphasised the need for industry-wide certification schemes to identify the levels of competence of properly skilled craftspeople.

There is now increasing pressure from government and clients for all building and construction trades to participate in skills certification schemes.

To provide such a system for the electrical installation industry the JIB National Board has created the Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (ECS) as a replacement for the UK Register of Electricians. It offers an enhanced identification card that fully meets the needs of a modern certification service. In addition, the National Board has decided to display the holder's JIB grade on the card.

The pedigree of the new ECS is impeccable as it is based on the two existing schemes that have been the foundation of the industry.

On the formation of the JIB in 1968, the JIB Grading System was introduced which defined an operative's level of skill and the rate of pay within the National Agreement. The Grading System has only ever been available to operatives who were directly employed by JIB member-companies and they are issued with a JIB Grade Card.

In 1993, in response to demands from industry, the UK Register of Electricians was established to provide an open access system of certifying the competence of electrical craftspeople. Admission to the Register was restricted to those who could demonstrate competence equivalent to the standard of at least National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Level 3. More than 76 000 have been admitted to the Register.

It is from this platform that the ECS has evolved. The ECS card is produced as a security identification card and all information on it is carefully verified by the JIB. The single card will combine the JIB grade card and the UK Register of Electricians card into a single document.

The front of the new card, which is issued to fully skilled craftspeople, is bordered in gold and shows the main occupation and up to four additional occupations in which the holder is certified. It also shows the JIB grade, where the holder has been graded by the JIB. ECS cards for trainees have a red border; cards with a green border signify skilled status but not to NVQ Level 3 standards; and cards for unskilled personnel have a brown border.

The reverse of the ECS card indicates, for the first time since the JIB has issued cards, the route which the holder has taken to obtain certification – whether through a registered or other apprenticeship, by NVQ awards or historic technical and practical qualifications. There is also the facility for additional qualifications to be shown on the card such as 16th Edition IEE Regulations and City & Guilds 2391 or 2400 certificates for testing and inspection, working in explosive atmospheres, etc. Other relevant qualifications may be allowed by the JIB Certification Committee in future.

The introduction of the ECS will also allow access to the JIB grading system for those people not working for a JIB member company. Members of the ECS who are qualified in areas covered by the JIB grading definitions will be entitled to apply for grading, or regrading if they already hold a JIB grade and are entitled to a higher grade.

The ECS was inaugurated on 17 June this year, when the first card was presented by the JIB chairman, Sir Michael Latham, to David Balderson, an approved electrician employed by J Wesley Electrical Contractors of Hitchin. At a ceremony in London, Latham said: "I am extremely pleased to be able to initiate this significant move by an industry which is determined to maintain the highest standards of competence and safety.

"Being able to recognise genuinely skilled craftspeople is of paramount importance both to clients and contractors. The ECS meets that need. It has the added advantage that it has been developed by industry after careful study and wide consultation. The ECS reflects the enthusiasm of the industry to provide a premier service for its clients."

The JIB is undertaking the issue of new ECS cards to all operatives working for JIB member firms to replace their existing grade cards. This process, which will involve the issue of some 25 000 cards, is expected to be completed by the end of the year.