NEWS
SPECIAL FOCUS
insideindustry T
he industry must modernise the way it presents evidence of professional competence
to satisfy increasingly demanding clients, according to the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA). Its members and the wider
industry are under increasing pressure to streamline the processes used to give proof of competence in line with government targets and to create the new professional culture demanded by the Hackitt Review last year.
BESA has, therefore, made a
number of significant improvements to its Engineering Services SKILLcard programme, which is used by more than 60,000 people working in the heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigeration sectors to prove they have the skills needed to deliver quality engineering projects. Engineering Services SKILLcard was the first of the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) Partner card schemes to go ‘smart’ easing the process of updating the holder’s qualifications and making it simpler and quicker for clients
and site managers to check skills and prevent potential fraud. The application process for new
and renewal SKILLcards moved online last year and the website (
www.skillcard.org.uk) has now been further enhanced so that it can deliver new cards in under a week.
There are plans for further improvements later this year when a ‘Fast Track’ service will be available for those who need their cards even faster. All CSCS Partner schemes,
including SKILLcard, are crucial to the government’s 2025 Construction Industry Strategy to improve technical standards, productivity and efficiency across the industry because they ensure workers have the right qualifications for the job in hand and have suitable health and safety training. This means all CSCS cards can
only certify those occupations with nationally recognised construction related qualifications such as NVQs or approved equivalents. This has led to SKILLcard developing and working through the
closure of the construction related occupation (CRO) route with a view to all card applicants requiring to have undertaken a relevant qualification. “Tightening up the requirements and speeding up the application process are essential to ensure we keep up with the pace of change across the industry and deliver the culture change required by the Hackitt Review and the government’s 2025 strategy,” said Rachel Davidson, director of certification at BESA. “Clients will increasingly demand up-to-date proof of competence backed up by appropriate and specific qualifications. The new streamlined SKILLcard process is designed to deliver exactly that and to do it as quickly and seamlessly as possible.”
To access the online application service go to:
www.skillcard.org.uk
N
early 80 participants met in Brussels on 23 and 24 January 2020 for this
year’s annual general meeting of ASERCOM. The changes in the refrigeration and air conditioning industry resulting from the F-Gas and Ecodesign Regulations were the central topic of the event. ASERCOM, the association of European manufacturers of components for refrigeration and air conditioning, once again invited its members to the annual general meeting in Brussels this year. Just as the intensive exchange in the working groups, the board meeting and the general assembly were held
under the overarching theme of ‘Time for Change’. The central topic of the two days was the transformation of the refrigeration and air conditioning industry, triggered primarily by the F-Gas Regulation. The main focus of the association’s general meeting was closely linked to this complex subject area. The discussions therefore focused on compliance with and the consequences of the F-Gas Regulation, the new stage of the Ecodesign Regulation 2015/1095 for condensing units and process chillers. In addition, the upcoming EU Cybersecurity Act, which could potentially have a major impact on the HVACR industries, was discussed in detail.
“The time for change is now and today,” explained ASERCOM President Wolfgang Zaremski. “It is time for important changes and setting the course for the future. We as ASERCOM do not only want to accompany this era, but to actively shape it.” The ASERCOM working groups reviewed their work of the past year and provided an outlook on planned work topics. The proven expert talk at the end of the event once again provided an opportunity to discuss the previously touched upon topics such as refrigerant availability, natural refrigerants and also the issue of shortage of specialists. All presentations held at the
annual general meeting 2020 can be found on the ASERCOM website.
10 March 2020
www.acr-news.com
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