Steel erecting is now classed as engineering construction. Here is what changed in 2024, the two ECITB diplomas that count, the ACE card route, and the misconceptions catching people out.
The rules for proving you are qualified to erect steel changed in 2024, and there is a lot of confusion about what now counts. The short version is that steel erecting is treated as an engineering construction activity, the older steel erector diplomas no longer lead to a card for new applicants, and the only qualifications that count are the two ECITB diplomas. This guide explains exactly what changed, why, which qualification you need, and the misunderstandings that are catching people out.
Prefer a quick summary? Watch our short video on the 2024 steel erecting changes: Steel Erecting Card Rules Changed in 2024.
Until recently, steel erectors could qualify through the ProQual steel erector diplomas and use them to apply for a CSCS card. That route closed to new applicants in 2024. CSCS stopped accepting new registrations on the ProQual Steel Erector Level 2 Diploma from 1 June 2024, and on the Level 3 diploma from 1 August 2024. The reason given was that these qualifications did not have the support of the relevant standard setting body, so they were no longer compliant with the Construction Leadership Council One Industry Logo, the standard that governs which cards the industry recognises.
One point is important and often missed. The change affects new applicants only. If you already hold a steel erecting card you are not affected and can continue to renew it. The new route is for people qualifying for the first time after those dates. This sits on top of a wider change across construction: the old grandfather-rights route, formally Industry Accreditation, has been withdrawn and the last of those cards expired at the end of December 2024.
The key to the whole change is how steel erection is classified. It is treated as engineering construction, which is a different sector from general construction and is overseen by the ECITB, the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board, rather than the CITB. That is why a CITB or general construction steel erecting qualification no longer fits, and why the recognised qualifications are ECITB diplomas. It is also why the card you end up with is different, as explained below.
Because steel erection is engineering construction, the new route does not lead to a standard blue CSCS card. It leads to the ACE card. ACE stands for Assuring Competence in Engineering, and it is a card scheme for the engineering construction industry that is a partner of the CSCS Alliance, so it is recognised on site in the same way. In broad terms the route is: achieve the right ECITB steel erecting qualification, hold a valid CCNSG safety passport, and then apply for the ACE card. The qualification proves your competence, the CCNSG passport proves your safety knowledge, and the card is the on-site proof that brings the two together.
There are two ECITB diplomas, and the one you need depends on the kind of steelwork you do. They are not interchangeable, which is one of the most common points of confusion.
| Qualification | Ofqual number | What it covers | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECITB Level 2 Diploma in Erecting Steelwork Components | 603/4031/9 | Architectural steelwork such as staircases, handrails, balustrades and metal decking. It does not cover steel erecting on engineering construction structures, plant and equipment. | Operatives who install and dismantle architectural steel components on site. |
| ECITB Level 3 Diploma in Engineering Construction Lifting, Positioning and Installing Structures, Plant and Equipment (Erecting pathway) | 603/3035/1 | Structural steelwork on engineering construction projects, including lifting, positioning and installing structures, plant and equipment. | Experienced erectors and riggers working on engineering construction sites. |
If your work is architectural steel, such as staircases, balustrades, handrails and metal decking, the ECITB Level 2 Diploma in Erecting Steelwork Components is the qualification for you. If you work on engineering construction structural steel, lifting and positioning structures and plant, you need the ECITB Level 3 Diploma in Engineering Construction Lifting, Positioning and Installing Structures, Plant and Equipment. The Level 2 diploma specifically does not cover engineering construction structures, so do not assume it covers every kind of steel erection.
Both diplomas are vocational qualifications assessed in the workplace. You demonstrate your competence carrying out real steel erection work on site, observed and assessed against the national standard. There is no classroom exam to pass. The practical implication is that you need to be working in the role while you complete the qualification, because the evidence comes from the job itself.
The 2024 change has created a lot of half-correct advice. Here are the beliefs that catch people out, and the current position on each.
| Common belief | The current position |
|---|---|
| Grandfather rights still get me a card. | Industry Accreditation, the grandfather-rights route, has been withdrawn and the last cards expired at the end of December 2024. A recognised qualification is now required. |
| Any steel erecting NVQ leads to a card. | The older ProQual steel erector diplomas lost card recognition for new registrations in 2024. Only the two ECITB diplomas now lead to a recognised card. |
| I will get a blue CSCS card. | Steel erecting is treated as engineering construction, so the route leads to the ACE card under the CSCS Alliance, not a standard blue CSCS card. |
| CITB runs steel erection qualifications. | Steel erection sits with the ECITB, the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board, which is a separate body from the CITB. |
| Existing card holders have to requalify now. | The change affects new applicants only. Existing card holders are not affected and can continue to renew their card. |
| One steel NVQ covers every kind of steelwork. | The Level 2 diploma covers architectural steel only. Engineering construction structural steel needs the Level 3 diploma. The qualification has to match the work you do. |
| It is a short classroom course with an exam. | Both diplomas are work-based qualifications, assessed on site in real working conditions. There is no classroom exam. |
Competence is a legal duty, not just a card-scheme rule. Under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, anyone appointed to carry out construction work must have the skills, knowledge, training and experience needed to do it safely. A recognised qualification and the right card are how a steel erector evidences that competence, which is why principal contractors check for them and why an unqualified erector will struggle to get on site at all. The 2024 changes did not invent the duty to be competent. They changed how steel erectors prove it.
If you already hold a card, you do not need to start again. You can keep renewing it. The route above is for erectors qualifying for the first time under the current rules.
There are two qualifying ECITB diplomas. The ECITB Level 2 Diploma in Erecting Steelwork Components is for architectural steelwork such as staircases, handrails and metal decking. The ECITB Level 3 Diploma in Engineering Construction Lifting, Positioning and Installing Structures, Plant and Equipment is for structural steelwork on engineering construction projects. Choose the one that matches the work you actually do.
Steel erecting has been identified as an engineering construction activity. The older ProQual steel erector diplomas did not have the support of the relevant standard setting body, so they were no longer compliant with the Construction Leadership Council One Industry Logo. CSCS stopped accepting new registrations on the Level 2 diploma from 1 June 2024 and the Level 3 diploma from 1 August 2024.
No. The change affects new applicants only. If you already hold a card you are not affected and can continue to renew it. The new route applies to people qualifying for the first time after the 2024 dates.
The ACE card, which stands for Assuring Competence in Engineering, is a card scheme for the engineering construction industry and a partner of the CSCS Alliance. For steel erection it is the card the new route leads to, in place of a standard CSCS card, because the work is classed as engineering construction.
In broad terms you achieve the appropriate ECITB steel erecting qualification, hold a valid CCNSG safety passport, and then apply for the ACE card. The qualification proves your competence, the CCNSG passport proves your safety knowledge, and the ACE card is the on-site proof that ties them together.
No. Both are work-based vocational qualifications. You are assessed carrying out real steel erection work on site, so you need to be working in the role while you complete the qualification. There is no written classroom exam.
It depends on the steelwork you do. Architectural work such as staircases, balustrades, handrails and metal decking is covered by the Level 2 Diploma in Erecting Steelwork Components. Heavier engineering construction structural steel, including lifting and positioning structures and plant, is covered by the Level 3 diploma. The Level 2 diploma does not cover engineering construction structures, so check the scope before you register.
Grandfather rights, formally called Industry Accreditation, have been fully withdrawn across construction. The last cards expired at the end of December 2024. Steel erectors who relied on them now need a recognised qualification, which for this trade means the ECITB route. Our guide to CSCS cards explains the wider card system in detail.
Competence is a legal duty. Under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, anyone appointed to carry out construction work must have the skills, knowledge, training and experience to do it safely. A recognised qualification and the right card are how steel erectors evidence that competence on site, which is also why most principal contractors will not let an unqualified erector work.