Experienced tradesmen 'losing out over paperwork'

A 55-year-old Shropshire carpenter today claimed he and hundreds of other experienced tradesmen were being knocked back from jobs as they cannot provide paperwork to prove they completed an apprenticeship.

John Howells, of Shrewsbury, began working as a joiner in 1972 and has decades of experience in the trade. He said in the last two years building firms had started to ask employees to provide a CSCS (Construction Safety Certification Scheme) card.

But Mr Howells said he could not secure a CSCS card as he has no paperwork to prove he carried out his apprenticeship, now almost 40 years ago.

He believes hundreds of other tradesman of a similar age are battling to find work due to the "scandalous bureaucracy".

Mr Howells, who has worked on projects involving Grade I listed buildings, said the new laws were a further punishment to an older generation of builders at a time when work is hard enough to find.

"There are hundreds of tradesman out there in my position who can't prove they done an apprenticeship," said Mr Howells.

"This means we can't get a CSCS card which you need to gain insurance on a building site. I've worked all over the county since the 1970s but I've not got paperwork to say I carried out my apprenticeship.

"Up until two years ago I worked for a company for 15 years. Now I have to find work through the job centre and most of the jobs require the CSCS card.

"Luckily I have found work through an agency who can insure me but this scandalous bureaucracy is keeping hundreds of experienced people out of work. It's totally and utterly wrong.

"A lot of these tradesman are the best in the game and yet they are being put through this rigmarole."

Jessica Brown, a spokeswoman for Health and Safety Executive, said: "There is no legal requirement for constructions workers to have a card to prove they are competent at their job.

"The CDM regulations 2007 require companies to ensure that they are using competent workers.

"They can do this by whatever means they choose, as long as they are satisfied of their competence."

The Construction Safety Certificate Scheme was unavailable for comment.

By Sam Pinnington