The management of construction skills cards has moved to end the involvement in the scheme of the Construction Industry Training Board by opening up its health and safety test to other service providers

Under the CSCS’ strategic plan, launched on Wednesday, a subcommittee will be set up to oversee the health and safety test. This will be rebranded as a CSCS test, and any organisation that meets standard criteria will be allowed to administer it.

The test has been been seen as the key element in the scheme, not least because workers pay £17 to take it, and more than 1 million have been taken since the CSCS was established in 1995.

Speaking at the launch of the business strategy, George Brumwell, the CSCS chairman, said he was trying to “put some blue water between the board and CITB. We now want to operate more as client–contractor relationship”.

The CSCS board has also moved to regain more control over the scheme by setting up a strengthened management team with a chief executive officer. The board will be expanded to nine directors, will include client groups and will take on a more strategic role. The old board will be replaced by a stakeholder body. Brumwell said the CITB would not have members on the board, but would be able to join the stakeholders.

The board will be based in Crawley, Surrey, at the Building and Civil Engineering Scheme. Brumwell would not be drawn on possible candidates for the £75,000-a-year role of chief executive officer, but did say it would be someone within the industry.