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Ductwork & ductwork cleaning


¡ Accredited third party certification of companies ¡ Level 2 or 3 qualifications for individuals ¡ A card scheme such as, but not limited to, CSCS ¡ CPD refresher training and maintenance of individual skills ¡ Core knowledge of fire safety in buildings – training to be standardised and made mandatory


New competency requirements


These powerful driving forces mean that competencies for construction personnel are now rightly viewed as essential and upcoming changes to SKILLcard requirements reflect the increased focus on raising industry standards. SKILLcard’s are issued against an industry


Driving positive change in ductwork sector


With the clock ticking on revised SKILLcard requirements, David Baldock, President of the Association of Ductwork Contractors & Allied Services (ADCAS), highlights the driving forces behind the need to prove competency in the ductwork sector


T


he wider construction sector is facing calls to improve competency levels across the board and upcoming changes to SKILLcard


requirements mean that for some it’s a race against time to obtain the qualifications required as proof of competence.


Set against the backdrop of the Dame Judith Hackitt


Report, the Building Safety Act and the formation of the Building Safety Regulator under the Health & Safety Executive, ADCAS is now working on an industry roadmap designed to offer guidance on how members will eventually be able to demonstrate that they are working to the highest possible standards.


Driving forces


Section 35 of the Building Safety Act now contains the following direction on competence requirements: (1) Building regulations may, in relation to any work, impose competence requirements on: (a)any appointed person, or (b)any prescribed person.


(2) A “competence requirement” is a requirement relating to: (a) the skills, knowledge, experience and


behaviours of an individual; (b)the capability of a person other than an individual to perform its functions under building regulations. (3) The regulations may require an appointed person who is not an individual to give an individual acting under its control who has the appropriate skills,


knowledge, experience and behaviours the task of managing its functions as an appointed person. Alongside the amendment of Section 35 of the Act, the Building Safety Regulator recently determined that an Industry Competence Committee be formed to consider the outcomes of the 11 occupational groups established as part of the response to the Grenfell Tower disaster. Of these 11 groups, Working Group 2 was tasked with developing a competency framework for those involved in the installation and maintenance of fire safety and other safety critical systems for higher-risk buildings. In its Phase One report, Working Group 2 stated


that: The industry should adopt a framework for all the installer sectors working on in-scope buildings that can be applied to other project types. The framework will consist of:


occupation as set out by the CLC Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) licensing conditions and this is applied across all 38 CSCS partner card schemes which cover the whole of the construction sector. NVQ/SVQ level 2 is required for a blue card whilst NVQ/SVQ level 3 is required for a gold card. By the end of 2024 all cards currently secured under ‘Industry Accreditation’ (IA) or employer endorsement will no longer be accepted as proof of competence. This follows the requirement set out by the Construction Leadership Council that only workers with nationally recognised qualifications will be eligible for cards and this is in line with broader government policy on how skilled workers must prove their competence in the future. As a result of these changes, work is being done to establish what experienced workers need to do to guarantee that they are able to get on site from 1st January 2025. Essentially, if an installer holds a card obtained via industry accreditation (also sometimes referred to as grandfather rights), that individual will need to enrol on an NVQ or SVQ relevant to their skillset and pass an experienced worker assessment. New cards issued after 1st January 2025 will have to be against an individual being assessed and any cards already issued will be valid until they come up for replacement. Experienced workers can start enrolling now and need to be enrolled on a course by 31st December 2024 - they then have 18 months to complete the qualification from the initial enrolment date.


A pathway for the ductwork sector


As with other areas of the industry, the ductwork sector requires considered guidance if it is to fully embrace the challenges and opportunities associated with raising levels of competency. ADCAS is keenly aware of the deadlines that are in place and is working to establish a clear pathway for its members by exploring all training provider and assessment options as well as examining the costs involved. There are significant changes going on within the


construction industry and further accountability and certification are quite rightly being insisted on. ADCAS is committed to ‘raising the bar’ within the ductwork sector and by establishing a robust industry-leading framework for its members the association will play a key role in demonstrating competence and upskilling the industry.


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