IET membership - ECS fast track

[Deleted member 26818]

Says on the ECS website, that you need to be eligible for a gold card before being able to apply for the black card.

Don’t really want to apply for two cards, if only one will suffice.

 

[Toneyz]

The problem with the card is that all site managers are concerned with is that you have a card that they can photocopy for their site file. They mostly would not know what my level of competency is. It is reliant upon the company that is employing them making sure although they may be competent in doing a job they have not got the academic qualification to go on the card so in theory should not be undertaking it without supervision.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

Site managers are concerned with operatives having the relevant H&S qualification.
A valid and in date CSCS or ECS card is proof of this.
Photocopying the card is just record keeping.

The various trade Managers are concerned with the operatives having the qualifications required to do the work.
The colour of of the trade card should be proof of this.

I’ve worked on sites, where not only do they require operatives to produce physical forms of ID and Trade cards, they also require them to be verified via a third party as genuine.
Westfields required their contractors to verify their operatives IDs with a company that they nominated.
The contractors also had to verify the trade cards with the respective issuing organisations.
This was quite easy with the ECS, each operative had to log in to their ‘My ECS’ and email a copy of their card to the contractor.
With the CSCS scheme it was a little more involved, they had to get the CSCS people to email a copy of the receipt for the operative’s card.

One of the reasons contractors use agencies, is because they rely on the agencies conducting due diligence on their workers. Verifying cards and qualifications and obtaining references.

 

[Anthony S]

One of the reasons contractors use agencies, is because they rely on the agencies conducting due diligence on their workers. Verifying cards and qualifications and obtaining references.

The main reason companies use agencies is, they get 60 days credit and normally get paid themselves 42 days. Most companies are not cash rich and need credit to survive, hence credit at wholesalers now labour force credit via agencies who are also funded from an out source also take a cut for their financed payroll services.

 

[Zdb]

If you're a member you can now have your membership status and the IET logo printed on your ECS card.

Works out to be quite an expensive logo when you add the membership fee and card renewal together

Here's a photo of someone's I found on Google image:

 

[Andy78]

Says on the ECS website, that you need to be eligible for a gold card before being able to apply for the black card.

Don’t really want to apply for two cards, if only one will suffice.

Whatever application you are doing, try to do it online. I did mine recently and it came back in less than 2 weeks.

On another electrically oriented social media platform some guys were moaning about months and months waiting for their cards, some other guys popped up and said "What you on about, mine took less than a week"
It transpired the difference seemed to be postal vs online applications. Shouldn't be like that but apparently it is at the moment.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

I think my last renewal, took less than a week to arrive.
Getting the IET logo added increases the time.

 

[westward10]

Never even realised mine had the logo until I just looked.