How are the card requirements set by industry?
All requirements for cards are developed and agreed by industry. The ECS Steering Committee – comprising ECA and SELECT as employer associations, Unite the Union on behalf of workers, IET as a professional institution, Electrical Safety First as the industry safety charity, SSAIB on behalf of specalist sectors, and the Health and Safety Executive – review and agree the relevant sector proposals meet the necessary standard.
What is the necessary standard for an occupation?
Any proposal submitted to the ECS Steering Committee needs to meet the requirements of CSCS and the Construction Leadership Council (CLC).
The CLC is the forum by which government and industry meet to decide the future direction in areas such as skills, training and apprenticeships. CSCS are bound by their decisions on card schemes, and therefore ECS need to meet the same standard as a partner of CSCS.
This means that for every card which is produced, ECS needs to have evidence of a relevant qualification or assessment. This is why the requirements for some cards have changed in recent years to meet the CLC requirements of a fully qualified workforce.
What work does the ECS Steering Committee do?
This work, and that by the Technical Evaluation Group which report into the ECS Steering Committee, includes mapping across apprenticeships and vocational qualifications to the National Occupational Standards (as well as CSCS Partner Scheme and Construction Leadership Council requirements) and setting the necessary requirements for health and safety, CPD and competence assessments.
However, this work can only be complete once the sub-sector has decided on the relevant standard for each occupation or role. Here are some examples of how those groups work to propose these standards...
The ECS Steering Committee ensure the strategic outlook for the scheme and volunteer their time and expertise to ensure not only that standards are being improved where applicable, but also that ECS is positioned well for the future, adopting the right technology and working collaboratively with industry for a safer built environment.
Who is on the ECS Steering Committee?
Phil Wilbraham - Chair
Phil Wilbraham – BSc, CEng, MICE, MIHT, DMS - a chartered civil engineer who has worked as a consultant, contractor and client. He spent 20 years working for Heathrow Airport, leading the Terminal 5, Terminal 2 and third runway programmes. He is a non executive director of Epsom and St Helier Hospital Trust, Keltbray and Wilson James, and he is chair of Trustees at BRE and the BAA Pension Scheme, and also co-chair of Constructing Excellence.
Martyn Allen - Technical Director, Electrical Safety First 
Richard Clarke - National Apprenticeships and Skills Officer (Construction), Unite the Union
Richard served his apprenticeship in the electrical contracting industry, leading to becoming a JIB Approved Electrician and union representative, working on industrial, commercial and domestic contracts and projects across the public and private sectors. Richard sits on the JIB National Board, and is a Trustee of the industry apprenticeship training provider JTL, NET (National Electrotechnical Training) and TESP (The Electrotechnical Skills Partnership), as well as representing the union and advocating for its members in regard to apprenticeships, skills and competency across UK construction and the built environment
Andrew Eldred - Director of Workforce and Public Affairs, ECA 
Before joining ECA in 2017, Andrew was Head of Employment Relations on Crossrail, responsible for overseeing contractor management of site industrial relations and fulfilment of the project’s ambitious supply chain skills and employment targets. Andrew’s principal areas of interest include apprenticeships, competence frameworks, CPD and upskilling, especially in low carbon and other ‘new technology’ areas. In addition to his roles with ECA, as a member of the JIB National Board and Management Committee, and ECS, he is a trustee-director of the national apprenticeship training charity JTL, a non-executive director of the Electrotechnical Skills Partnership (TESP), and a member of the Construction Leadership Council’s People and Skills Network.
Fiona Harper - Director of Employment and Skills, SELECT
Fiona began her current role at SELECT in January 2019, having been the association’s Head of Employment Affairs since 2006. Before arriving at The Walled Garden, Fiona was Deputy Director of the National Joint Council for the Engineering Construction Industry (NJC). Fiona started her career as an industrial relations officer with Babcock Construction and also worked as Personnel Manager at Diamond Power Specialty in Dumbarton. Fiona was educated at John Neilson High School in Paisley and the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, where she graduated in Industrial Relations and Administration. She subsequently obtained a MSc in Economics and Industrial Relations from the London School of Economics.
Steve Mason - HM Principal Specialist Inspector (Electrical Engineering), HSE 
Steve is an experienced electrical engineer, having worked for over 25 years in electrical engineering consultancy in a range of technical, commercial and management roles. Steve currently works for the Health and Safety Executive and provides the ECS Steering Committee with advice on matters relating to health and safety legislation and safety of electricity.
Michelle Richmond MBE, CENg, FIET - Director of Membership and Professional Development, IET
Michelle is a Chartered Engineer who started her career in 1981 with Siemens Plessey Radar, Isle of Wight, as an apprentice and then microwave technician engineer. On completion of her electronics engineering degree, Michelle became Principal Microwave Design Engineer and then Development Manager. Michelle also represents the IET on the Engineering Council Board of Trustees, is a non-executive Director on the Micro:Bit Education Foundation and the SFIA (Standard for the Information Age) Foundation. She was awarded Britain’s ‘Young Woman Engineer of the Year’ in 1990. She was awarded a Fellowship of the IET in 1999 and an MBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list 2019 for services to engineering.
Mike Smith - Technical Director, ECA
Mike Smith became ECA’s Technical Director in 2019, he also currently holds positions of Secretary of the Fire and Security Association, NET Board member and Trustee, Observer on SSAIB Board, Member of BAFE Council, Electronic Call Handling Operations Ltd Board Member, NPCC Security Systems Group FSA representative and is a member of various BSi Standards Committees. Mike previously held a variety of technical and commercial roles at SES Engineering Services over a 25 year period, including as the firm’s estimating and sector director. Mike is the son of an architect who worked for construction firm Taylor Woodrow. Mike followed in his father’s footsteps, joining the construction industry as an electrical apprentice straight from school. Mike’s JIB electrical apprenticeship was with R & I Harrison in Leeds, which resulted in him gaining Approved Electrician then Technician status. Mike was previously ECA President 2017/18 and has held numerous other roles with the ECA including membership of the Labour Relations Committee since becoming directly involved back in 1999.
Paul Reeve CEnv - Director of CSR, ECA .jpg?width=80&height=120 "Paul-Reeve-(1).jpg")
Paul Reeve is ECA Director of CSR, which includes health, safety and environmental issues. He has held several senior policy and business roles in leading industry bodies. He has an extensive track record in H,S&E, public affairs and media relations, having previously held senior roles at the Engineering Employers’ Federation (now Make UK) and the Chemical Industries Association. Paul is a Fellow of both IOSH and IEMA. He is on the impartiality board of the certification body Exova BM Trada and Deputy Chairman of HSE’s construction ‘Managing risk’ group and Build UK’s prequalification Industry Steering Group.
Trevor Jenks - Training Manager, SSAIB
The training manager for SSAIB, Trevor Jenks joined the organisation back when the SSA was forming in 1991 – after working his way up from a family security company. After serving a security engineering apprenticeship himself back in 1969, he has been a main player in security and fire training since 1986. As well as being a Member of the Chartered Institute of Personal Development (MCIPD), Trevor represents SSAIB on the national Trailblazer body and various sub committees – in addition to working as a systems auditor.