CSCS skills card data: what a younger workforce means for UK site safety
Reviewed by Joe Ashwell
First reported on The Construction Index
30 Second Briefing
Skills card data from the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) show the proportion of under‑30s holding cards has risen from 17% in 2021 to 25.2% in 2025, challenging long‑standing concerns over an ageing UK construction workforce. CSCS chief executive Sean Kearns attributes the shift to verified digital registration data that track who is actually working on site and entering the industry. The key issue now is retaining these younger workers through structured upskilling to maintain a flexible, long‑term site workforce.
Technical Brief
- CSCS uses verified digital registration data to identify who is physically present and active on sites.
- Digital tools allow age-profile analysis at cardholder level, rather than relying on survey-based workforce estimates.
- Age data are drawn from individual CSCS card applications, tying demographic information directly to specific competence categories.
- Because CSCS coverage is incomplete, the dataset effectively samples the more formally regulated, safety-critical site roles.
- Verified identity and competence data support enforcement of site access rules linked to training and safety qualifications.
- Longitudinal CSCS records enable tracking of individuals’ progression to higher-skill, higher-responsibility roles with additional safety training.
- Retention and structured upskilling of younger cardholders are framed as essential to maintain a flexible, safety-competent workforce.
- For other UK construction schemes, the CSCS approach illustrates how digital card systems can underpin evidence-based safety management.
Our Take
The sharper rise in under‑30 CSCS cardholders between 2021 and 2025 comes as the UK government is proposing to loosen some apprenticeship competence requirements, which several bodies in our coverage warn could create a mismatch between formal cardholding and real on‑site capability.
CSCS’s role in both this age‑profile shift and the Construction Industry Council’s updated safety certification (delivered via Accredex) suggests that younger workers entering the UK construction workforce will be the first cohort fully exposed to the post‑Building Safety Act dutyholder and competence regime.
Within our 717 Infrastructure stories, CSCS appears repeatedly alongside CITB and the Construction Leadership Council, signalling that card data is increasingly being treated as a proxy dataset for workforce planning and safety culture rather than just a site‑access requirement.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
Related Articles
Related Industries & Products
Construction
Quality control software for construction companies with material testing, batch tracking, and compliance management.
Mining
Geotechnical software solutions for mining operations including CMRR analysis, hydrogeological testing, and data management.
QCDB-io
Comprehensive quality control database for manufacturing, tunnelling, and civil construction with UCS testing, PSD analysis, and grout mix design management.