1. CPCS A Skills Card for the Plant Industry www.cskills.org/cpcs
Brian Pells
CPCS Assistant Product Manager

2. FORMAT
Items covered:
CPCS
Management
Consultation
New Scheme
ConstructionSkills Plant Grants

3. What is CPCS?
Construction Plant Competence Scheme (CPCS)
is a card scheme to prove the skills of plant
operators
CPCS is the largest and most highly recognised
Card scheme for the plant industry
It helps to prove worker’s operating skills and
health and safety awareness
CPCS provides a single skills card for the plant
sector of the construction industry

4. Accepted by Major Contractors Group (MCG)
MANAGED
Managed by Employers:
Construction Plant-Hire Association (CPA)
Construction Confederation (CC)
Federation of Piling Specialists (FPS)
National Federation Demolition Contractors (NFDC)
Scottish Plant Owners Association (SPOA)
Association of Lorry Loader Manufacturers and Importers (ALLMI), Epic Ltd
FMB, Lantra Awards, Unions and the HSE
Accepted by Major Contractors Group (MCG)
and Major Home Builders Group (MHBG)

5. Consultation

6. CONSULTATION
Intense period of consultation in 2007
Industry and Training Provider Meetings
Mailed over 11,000 employers
Consulted directly with federations and associations
Received direct feedback from individuals and companies representing over 44,000 employees

7. New Scheme

8. NEW SCHEME: Overview
Retention of:
ConstructionSkills Health & Safety Test
S/NVQ
CPCS Logbook
Operator cards
Introduction of:
CPCS Test Centres
CPCS Testers/Trainers
CPCS Technical Tests

9. NEW SCHEME: Underpinning Principles
Independent assessment of operating ability and underpinning knowledge at entry into the Scheme and at the point of renewal
Separation of testing and training
Training tailored to meet individual requirements against a training syllabus and delivered through a variety of channels
Competence

10. NEW SCHEME:

11. NEW SCHEME: CPCS Technical Test
A new core element:
Supported by a training syllabus
Two component parts
CPCS Theory Test
CPCS Practical Test
The S/NVQ will only need to be passed once
for a family of categories

12. NEW SCHEME: Competence Card Renewals
Underpinned by the principle of independent assessment of on-going competence against national standards
Health and Safety Test
Practical ability demonstrated through:
- logbook hours,
- On-Site Assessment or CPCS Practical Test
Renewal Theory Test to be taken to support all Competence card renewals from 1 January 2009

13. NEW SCHEME: How will it be delivered?
CPCS Test Centres offering a complete package of services from accredited CPCS Test Sites:
Deliver/arrange Health & Safety Tests
Deliver CPCS Technical Tests
Deliver/arrange S/NVQ Level 2 Plant Operations
CPCS Testers working through CPCS Test Centres.
CPCS Trainers accredited as appropriately qualified to train operators.
CPCS Monitors assuring the quality of the Tests

14. OPERATOR ROUTES THROUGH THE NEW SCHEME: Moving directly to a Competence card
An operator will be required to:
Pass the Health & Safety Test
Pass the CPCS Theory Test
Pass the CPCS Practical Test
Have the relevant S/NVQ/Units

15. OPERATOR ROUTES THROUGH THE NEW SCHEME: Working towards a Trained operator card
An operator will be required to:
Carry out any necessary training
Pass the Health & Safety Test
Pass CPCS Theory Test
Pass CPCS Practical Test

16. OPERATOR ROUTES THROUGH THE NEW SCHEME: Moving from a Trained operator card to a Competence card
An operator will be required to:
Pass the relevant S/NVQ and any additional units appropriate to the category of plant required, within the
2 year life of the card.

17. NEW SCHEME Logbook:
The Logbook rules:
Issued once with 1st Competence card only
All entries of operating hours to be fully endorsed and traceable
From 1st Jan to be independently validated and quality assured
The format of the Logbook has been updated:
Reduced in size.
Ring-binder to enable additional pages to be inserted.
Tabs to enable operating hours for each category to be clearly separated.

18. NEW SCHEME: Operator Cards

19. NEW SCHEME: Costs
CPCS Technical Test Fees
CPCS Theory Test Notification Fee £25
CPCS Practical Test Notification Fee £25
Additional fees for Advanced Technical Tests, Appointed Persons Tests and Out of Hours Tests are applicable

20. CITB-ConstructionSkills
Grants

21. CITB-ConstructionSkills Plant Grants 2008 - 2009 CPCS Technical Test – Theory Element
Theory Test - £100
An employer can (if eligible) claim for up to two
Standard or Advanced Theory Tests per individual
in each CITB-ConstructionSkills Grants scheme
year.

22. CITB-ConstructionSkills Plant Grants 2008 - 2009 CPCS Technical Test – Practical Element
Group A
Practical Test - £725 (360 Excavator)
Group B
Practical Test - £425 (Forward Tipping Dumber)
Group C
Practical Test - £325 (Ride on Roller)
An employer can (if eligible) claim for up to two
Standard or Advanced Practical Tests
per individual in each CITB-ConstructionSkills
Grants scheme year.

23. CITB-ConstructionSkills Grants 2008 -2009 Training and Development Plan
£10 per employee, for producing your Plan based on the number of employees declared in your 2008 Levy Return.
There is a £500 minimum payment for each employer.
£27.50 per person per day.

24. CITB-ConstructionSkills Grants Short Duration off-the-job Training
Attendance on plant training necessary to prepare an operator for the CPCS Technical (Theory and Practical) Test. £35 per day per person for each day of training lasting for a minimum of six hours training per day.

25. CITB-ConstructionSkills Grants 2008 - 2009
Health & Safety Test Grant £17.50
S/NVQ Achievement grant of £500
OSAT £100 Action Plan plus above S/NVQ grant
An employer will receive an additional 25%
supplementary payment automatically if eligible
and certain application conditions are met.

26. www.cskills.org/grant www.cskills.org/cpcs O844 815 7274
Further information O