2012 - ACE card renewal process
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT TO ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION
MEMBERS
There are important changes to the ACE Card Scheme for renewing
your card. Below is a communiqué from the ACE Industry Steering
Group.
Please
click here to directly download the communiqué shown below from
the ECITB website in PDF format
Further information is available on the ECITB website at:
www.ecitb.org.uk/CardSchemes/ACE/
You can also contact the ECITB's ACE
card administration department on 01923
260000 for further advice.
Assuring Competence in
Engineering Construction (ACE): card renewal
process
The purpose of this communiqué is to clarify the nature of
forthcoming changes to ACE card renewal.
The ACE initiative has been running for a number of years. Its
policies are decided by an industry steering group (ISG) made up of
representatives from Trades Unions, Employers (ECIA), Clients, the
National Joint Council and the industry’s training board
(ECITB).
To maintain the credibility of the ACE Card scheme, the ISG
previously endorsed a card renewal process. According to this
process, to remain valid, ACE cards must be renewed every 3 years.
Currently the sole criteria for renewal of an ACE card is (as
agreed by the ISG) possession by the individual concerned of an up
to date CCNSG safety passport (which also requires 3 yearly renewal
to remain valid). There is an ACE card renewal fee of £25.00 paid
by the holder of the card. ECIA policy is that employers reimburse
this fee to the individual concerned on production of an original
receipt.
Although reimbursable, the £25.00 fee has proved to be unpopular
amongst employees. To address these concerns (as well as to
simplify card issuing procedures) the ACE ISG and the CCNSG
Committee have agreed to combine issue or renewal of a CCNSG
passport and renewal of an ACE card into a single process.
In future when a CCNSG card is issued or renewed the individual
will, if he/she holds an ACE card, be entitled to receive a new
card that will bear both the CCNSG and ACE logos plus the CSCS logo
and ECITB logo. In this way the individual’s ACE card status will
be automatically renewed by successfully completing a CCNSG course
(the two day initial course or the one day renewal version).
Subsequently the individual’s ACE and CCNSG renewal dates
will fall on the same day.
Administrative fees associated with the issue of a CCNSG card are
already included in the commercial cost of the CCNSG course.
There will be no fee to be paid by
individuals for renewal of their own ACE cards through these new
arrangements.
- These new arrangements are expected to
commence from 1 January 2012 from which time new combined CCNSG/ACE
cards (for legitimate ACE card holders) will be issued whenever a
CCNSG passport is issued or renewed.
- Currently held ACE cards will remain
valid until the individual completes a CCNSG renewal course at
which stage a new joint CCNSG/ACE card will be issued.
- ECITB will replace all ACE cards issued
in 2011 with a new design card free of charge
- From 31 December 2014 only new design
ACE cards will be valid
- The ECITB-IOSH approved Managing Safety
course will continue to be recognised as an acceptable alternative
to CCNSG for ACE card renewal purposes
More information on ACE and CCNSG card issue is on the ECITB
website at http://www.ecitb.org.uk/CardSchemes/
Jim Rowland
Chairman ACE ISG
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