Whilst out and about speaking to clients about the bureaucratic nightmares they face – specifically, keeping tabs on training certificates, dealing with accident claims, and justifying their eligibility for CITB grants – I have come across various ways of taming the beast.

Of these, the most efficient software solution I’ve seen is called Competency Cloud, which several of our larger clients have embraced.

While we are always cautious about recommending third parties, the company is offering our clients an on-site demonstration plus a 30-day free trial. We have also waived the offer of a referral fee for anyone who signs up, so you’ll receive an extra discount should you decide Competency Cloud is right for you.

The product was originally developed to meet the needs of a civil engineering firm that was finding it difficult and time-consuming to manage the volume and variety of qualifications and accreditations required by legislation for operatives working on their sites.

Since then, it has evolved into a tool to:

• Increase productivity: Avoid delays by instantly identifying and assigning operatives to sites that need particular skills and qualifications
• Increase funding: Making it easier to plan, budget and claim training grants
• Go paperless: Store individual training records and certificates, course content, and record in-house and client training and briefings
• Reduce risk: Store historic data on site-specific training and records that could otherwise be lost in archive – a useful precaution, with accident litigation on the rise.

Competency Cloud has been designed for firms that manage upwards of 25 contractors, subbies and employees. The cloud-based system is accessible on mobile devices, enabling site managers to access individual training records and certificates 24/7 at the press of a button.

CITB Grant Update

The CITB has agreed that as of 1 April, Hudson Contract clients will be able to claim for training provided to their ENTIRE site workforce – and not just those on net CIS and PAYE. If you plan to take advantage, Competency Cloud could easily pay for itself in facilitating grants. We are currently in discussions about exactly how the new CITB grant scheme and training register will work and will update again as soon as we have news.

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