CSCS Card Help?

[Midge221]

Hello, A friend of mine has offered me a job as a labourer on weekends but says to get on site I need a CSCS card he said it would cost about £50 with the test and everything. This is all good but as I am trying to become an electrician I've heard alot of talk about the ECS?
I have the C&G lv.2 2330 and have enrolled on the lv. 3 for September but have no NVQ. Also the work he has offered me is purely labouring and at the moment I don't know if this will be temporary or permanent.
As I have pretty much no idea about either of these cards and what they can offer me and is better to go for in my situation I was hoping somebody on hear could enlighten me a little and advise me.

Any help would be appreciated, Thanks.

 

[Jay Sparks]

If you are going to work on site just a general labourer then you need the cscs card but if you intend to do any electrical work you need the ecs card which is simular to the cscs except its just for electricians. Most sparky firms ask for either the cscs or ecs card. The ecs card exam is mainly about safely working on site with electrics and I think the cscs card is general health & safety. Hope this helps.

 

[chris gray]

cost £25 and are a doddle, as above regards what card you should get.
correct me if im wrong but i thought that you needed to be employed to get your ecs.

 

[Midge221]

Well if thats the case then CSCS is the way too go, cheers for the help guys.

 

[Rikki Barrett]

That is not correct. JIB realise that people in the 2330 position need this card to get employment. I got my ECS while being unemployed and it helped me pretty much straight away. Call me lucky but I got a job the day I received my card in the post!

 

[Jay Sparks]

That is not correct. JIB realise that people in the 2330 position need this card to get employment. I got my ECS while being unemployed and it helped me pretty much straight away. Call me lucky but I got a job the day I received my card in the post!

When you got your card what did they grade you as?

 

[Rikki Barrett]

Ancillary operative. But I only had 2330 lvl 2 at the time. It really isnt about grading at that stage. If you need a CSCS to work and you want to work in electrics, do the ECS. Its exactly the same test except ECS has an electrical chapter at the end of the study book. The test still has the same amount of questions as the CSCS.

 

[ringer]

I have a CSCS card but not ECS. Would there be any problem with doing electrical work on site with having the CSCS but not the ECS?

 

[Jay Sparks]

I have a CSCS card but not ECS. Would there be any problem with doing electrical work on site with having the CSCS but not the ECS?

Not sure about that but alot of electrical companys when advertising for jobs put down you need to have cscs/ecs so either will do. I think its to just show you know your health and safety on site. I got my 2330 lvl3 and the 2382 17th edition I also have about 4/5 years experiance. I did the ecs test and passed but when I applied for the ecs card they only graded me a trianee electrician which doesnt look good if your going for a job as a sparky.

 

[Rikki Barrett]

CSCS is exactly the same. Basically the JIB has opened an ECS for electricians which is the exact same as the CSCS, the ECS card has the CSCS hologram on it. Its a JIB card.

 

[chris gray]

Not sure about that but alot of electrical companys when advertising for jobs put down you need to have cscs/ecs so either will do. I think its to just show you know your health and safety on site. I got my 2330 lvl3 and the 2382 17th edition I also have about 4/5 years experiance. I did the ecs test and passed but when I applied for the ecs card they only graded me a trianee electrician which doesnt look good if your going for a job as a sparky.

hahaha ive been graded the same, only been qualified 11 years

 

[Jay Sparks]

hahaha ive been graded the same, only been qualified 11 years

Its a joke. How can you have 11 years experiance and quals and still be graded as a trainee. It dont look good if you go for a job as a experianced sparky and show em your card with trainee on it. JIB.

 

[mb8888]

there are different types of cscs cards, which one applies to electricians ?

 

[dodger]

As already mentioned the ECS card is specifically for those engaged in the electrical industry & is administered by the JIB.

Check out both these sites.

Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (ECS) card
Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (CSCS Affiliated)