Types of SKILLcard

This card is for new entrant trainees who:

a. have no prior experience and are registered for a relevant NVQ or SVQ but have not yet achieved the qualification

b. Adult Trainees

c. Student Engineers training to be Project Engineers/Project Managers

d. Commissioning Trainees/Assistants

In the case of (a), the employer must sign an endorsement that the Trainee has undertaken basic site safety induction training.

In the case of (b), (c) and (d), applicants will need to demonstrate compliance with the SKILLcard health and safety requirements.

This card is valid for five years and is non-renewable.

Trainees are expected to upgrade to a Blue SKILLcard when NVQ/SVQ Level 2 is achieved and to a Gold SKILLcard when NVQ/SVQ Level 3 is achieved.

Student Engineers are exected to upgrade to a Gold (Supervisory) SKILLcard on completion of their training to indicate their status as a Junior/Assistant Project Engineer.

A Gold SKILLcard is available if you are a:

• Skilled worker with NVQ/SVQ Level 3
• Skilled worker with an indentured apprenticeship
• Skilled worker with an informal apprenticeship and a City and Guilds or SCOTVEC (SQA) advanced craft certificate appropriate to your trade

All applicants must meet the SKILLcard health and safety requirements.

This card is valid for five years.

The card is renewable upon application, subject to SKILLcard renewal rules.

This card is available for the following supervisory occupations:

        a. Team Leader (previously Foreman)

        b. Building Services Engineer Supervisor (previously Firstline Supervisor)

        c. Junior/Assistant Project Engineer (who has completed a Student Apprenticeship)

        d. Building Services Technician (previously Senior Commissioning Engineer)                                 

Team Leaders (previously Foreman) and Building Services Engineer Supervisors (previously Firstline Supervisors)

In order to qualify for a Gold (Supervisory) SKILLcard, applicants will need to undertake a recognised short course in supervisory management. For details of courses that will satisfy this requirement please contact the SKILLcard Helpdesk on 01768 860406.  Examples include, Site Supervisors Safety Training Scheme (SSSTS), Site Managers Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS), IOSH Managing Safely.

For the statements of competences to be used in Industry Accreditation of applicants for Gold (Supervisory) SKILLcards please click here. 

Junior/Assistant Project Engineer

Applicants must have completed a relevant course of training in a recognised building services engineering or construction-related qualification at an appropriate educational establishment (typically through an industry-related Student Apprenticeship) and be registered for a relevant management/higher level NVQ/SVQ once he/she has acquired sufficient post-qualification experience.

Building Services Technician 

For a limited period only, if you do not have a relevant NVQ or SVQ, you can apply on the basis of Industry Accreditation (sometimes referred to as 'grandfather rights') through an employer's endorsement.  This is the principal entry route at the present time.

These cards are colour-coded Gold on the basis of NVQ/SVQ Level 3.

All applicants must meet the SKILLcard health and safety requirements.

The card is renewable upon application, subject to SKILLcard renewal rules.

This card is issued if you are a:

• Modern Apprentice with NVQ/SVQ Level 2; or
• Skilled worker with NVQ/SVQ Level 2 or approved equivalent; or
• Skilled worker with an informal apprenticeship and a City and Guilds craft certificate appropriate to your trade; or
• Skilled worker without formal qualifications but who originally obtained a SKILLcard by Industry Accreditation (sometimes referred to as 'grandfather rights').

All applicants must meet the SKILLcard health and safety requirements.

This card is valid for five years.

The card is renewable upon application, subject to SKILLcard renewal rules.

This card is issued to those who have missed the chance to obtain a SKILLcard by Industry Accreditation (sometimes referred to as 'grandfather rights') and who have no formal industry qualifications.

To get a SKILLcard by the Experienced Worker route you will need to register for an NVQ/SVQ Level 2 or 3 relevant to your trade or occupation and complete an NVQ/SVQ profile with an assessor.

This card is issued while an NVQ/SVQ is being achieved.  It should be replaced by a five-year SKILLcard on achievement of NVQ/SVQ Level 2 or higher.

All applicants must meet the SKILLcard health and safety requirements.

This card is valid for three years and is non-renewable.

Engineering Services SKILLcard and the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry Board (ACRIB) offer a joint badged ACRIB/SKILLcard which incorporates the requirements of the ACRIB Register of Refrigerant Handling Operatives with those of SKILLcard. 

A Blue card is issued if you are a:

• Skilled worker with NVQ/SVQ Level 2; or
• Skilled worker with an informal apprenticeship and a City and Guilds craft certificate appropriate to your trade

A Gold card is issued if you are a:

• Skilled worker with NVQ/SVQ Level 3; or
• Skilled worker with an indentured apprenticeship; or
• Skilled worker with an informal apprenticeship and a City and Guilds or SCOTVEC (SQA) advanced craft certificate appropriate to your trade

All qualifications must be in a refrigeration/air conditioning discipline.

Applicants must also hold appropriate F-Gas qualifications - for example:

• City and Guilds 2079
• ConstructionSkills J11
• BESA FG Cat1
• Appropriate unit of NVQ or 7189 as recognised by DEFRA
• Logic 603/1917/3 (Cat1)
• CITB J11 F Gas Certificates/Cards within validity date (please note CITB no longer offer F Gas assessments or renewals)

All applicants must meet the SKILLcard health and safety requirements.

Cards can also feature additional refrigeration related qualifications such as those covering additional refrigerants, brazing, electrical and REAL Zero.

These cards are valid for five years and cost just £40 inc VAT.

Cards are renewable upon application, subject to SKILLcard renewal rules.

This card is available for the following managerial occupations:

• Contracts Manager
• Commissioning Manager*
• Design Engineer*
• Project Engineer*
• Project Manager*
• Quantity Surveyor*
• Service and Maintenance Manager*

The card is colour-coded Black on the basis of NVQ/SVQ Level 5.

For the statements of competences to be used in industry accreditation of applicants for Black SKILLcards please click here.

All applicants must meet the SKILLcard health and safety requirements.

This card is valid for five years.

The card is renewable upon application, subject to SKILLcard renewal rules.

This card is available to Building Services Engineers who meet the corporate membership standards of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) and who are able to provide evidence that they are maintaining their Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in accordance with the Institution's membership requirements.

To apply for this card the following must be provided:

• independent confirmation that the applicant has at least one year's on-site experience or other appropriate experience as a Building Services Engineer;

• independent confirmation that the applicant meets the minimum standards required for Fellow/Member (FCIBSE/MCIBSE) or Associate membership (ACIBSE); and

• evidence that the applicant has maintained his/her Continuing Professional Development.

Applications are routed through the CIBSE Membership Department, who are responsible for checking that the Institution's membership requirements are being met.

All applicants must meet the SKILLcard health and safety requirements.

This card is valid for five years. 

The card is renewable upon application, subject to SKILLcard renewal rules.

Engineering Services SKILLcard and the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry Board (ACRIB) offer a joint badged construction related occupation ACRIB/SKILLcard designed for registered Operatives competent to handle refrigerants.

Applicants must hold appropriate qualifications, for example:

• City and Guilds 2079 (Cat1)
• ConstructionSkills J11
• BESA FG Cat1
• Appropriate unit of NVQ or 7189 as recognised by DEFRA
• Logic 603/1917/3 (Cat1)
• CITB J11 F Gas Certificates/Cards within validity date (please note CITB no longer offer F Gas assessments or renewals)

All applicants must meet the SKILLcard health and safety requirements.

Cards can also feature additional refrigeration related qualifications such as those covering brazing, electrical and REAL Zero.

Cards are renewable upon application, subject to SKILLcard renewal rules.

This card is intended to cover ancillary occupations related to the heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigeration contracting industry which include activities of such a specialist nature that no full NVQ or SVQ exists, nor are there any identified NVQ/SVQ Units relevant to those occupations.

Click here for a list of the occupations for which (White) Construction Related Occupation (CRO) cards are available.

All applicants must meet the SKILLcard health and safety requirements.

This card is valid for three years.

The card is renewable upon application, subject to SKILLcard renewal rules.

Please note that the CRO card is now in a phased closure programme. Each occupation is under review and as new qualification routes are identified, cards will be closed. For more details please see our dedicated CRO Closure page.

This card is issued to those carrying out basic site work only.  It shows that the cardholder has met the SKILLcard health and safety requirements and can carry out basic site skills.

All applicants must meet the SKILLcard health and safety requirements.

This card is valid for five years.

The card is renewable upon application, subject to SKILLcard renewal rules.

Construction Site Visitors cards

This card is intended for those personnel who, while being regular visitors to construction sites, do not themselves undertake, or are not directly involved in construction, maintenance or planning operational activities on construction sites.

All applicants must meet the SKILLcard health and safety requirements.

This card is valid for five years - see note below on update.

The card is renewable upon application, subject to SKILLcard renewal rules.

The issue of a construction or occasional visitors card does not exempt the employer and/or site managers from their legal responsibilities to ensure health, safety and welfare of people visiting their sites.

Important update about the Construction Site Visitor Card

Please be aware that SKILLcard are now in the process of withdrawing the Construction Site Visitor Card. Please see below for the timetable of closure dates.

• From 1st December 2020, any Construction Site Visitor cards will only be valid up to the 30th November 2022.
• From 31st April 2022, SKILLcard will stop issuing the visitor card.
• For the avoidance of doubt, visitor cards issued before the 1st December 2020 will remain valid until their expiry date.

Read more here.