CISRS cards are being brought into the 21st Century thanks to a new partnership between CISRS and NOCN Job Cards.
CISRS has today announced that by the end of the year, those applying for a new card will receive both a plastic card and a virtual card, which they can access via any smartphone or device.
By tapping their card on their phone, cardholders can see all their details; photo, qualifications and courses taken.
CISRS say the App is secure and can be kept on the phone so the individual has proof of their card at all times.
Interestingly, the app will also notify cardholders of renewal notifications to simplify the renewal process. A virtual ‘Card Wallet’ will allow multiple cards to be stored on a single device, allowing contractors to easily collate their operatives’ details and access them as required.
The cost of making an application for a new dual physical/virtual card will be £30, a slight increase on the current card cost but CISRS say it’s still much lower than the industry average.
It is hoped that card application processing times will be shortened and instances of card fraud significantly reduced through the new partnership.
CISRS contracted NOCN Job Cards to provide card scheme administration services following CITB withdrawing from this role as part of its Vision 2020 programme.
All three parties will be working very closely together over the next few months to ensure everything will be in place to roll the new card scheme out before the year-end.
NOCN will work with CISRS training providers to assist them in the new online application process.
David Mosley, CISRS Managing Director, said: “We have been talking about smart technology for several years. With the forced change in service provider it seemed to be the right time to bring the scheme up to date.
“We believe the new cards will add value to operatives, scaffolding contractors and end users.
“We are confident of achieving a smooth transition from CITB to NOCN Job Cards as we have been working closely with these parties over the last year and several of the staff currently working on CISRS administration at CITB are to be transferred to NOCN, so their knowledge and experience will not be lost.”
Mark Buckton, Executive Director for Job Cards & Services at NOCN Job Cards, said: “We are delighted to be working with CISRS to provide the card scheme for the scaffolding sector. The new cards will provide a number of benefits to operatives in terms of the speed and ease in which we will be able to offer them cards.
“It also helps to reduce card fraud in the industry as we will be able to rely on our own data for card applications instead of using paper certificates. We look forward to working with the scaffolding training centres, scaffolding employers and CISRS.”