As part of the integration between SkillGuard for Utilities and EUSR, all EUSR registrations held by an individual will now be uploaded directly from EUSR into SkillGuard. The SkillGuard admin simply confirms the EUSR ID number for the recordholder in SkillGuard and the system takes care of the rest, saving admins time and providing trusted information.

An individual worker needs to have an EUSR record and a SkillGuard for Utilities record. Relevant EUSR data will be visible in near to-real-time in the worker’s National Competencies tab once the link has been created. This is also visible when the card is checked using our app). Updates from EUSR are also passed automatically, providing trusted information straight from the EUSR source. It couldn’t be easier.

Initially these will continue to be accessible and classed as valid in SkillGuard for an interim period. This is to give SkillGuard employer admins enough time to log their workers’ EUSR ID numbers in SkillGuard so that EUSR passes us the information instead Later this year, previously manually-added EUSR data will be removed from worker records. We will communicate a date for this in due course and will provide adequate notice, but please do update your relevant worker records with their EUSR ID number ASAP.

Yes, you still can. This integration with EUSR only affects the way that EUSR registration data (including EUSR-CSCS data) are added and updated to worker records in the system. You will still be able to manually upload other competencies to the system.

No, this is simply an extra benefit where your workers have a record in both systems.

When you sign up to SkillGuard for Utilities, you will have access to the SkillGuard Support Centre. This can be accessed from the system when logged in. It includes:

• A powerful chatbot to help with your queries
• Regular webinars to help you get the most from the system
• Detailed user guides for each area of the system.

Upon registering with SkillGuard for Utilities, you will be invited to attend a free online training session with Reference Point. This training is aimed at Employer Administrators so you are welcome to invite any of your colleagues as well if appropriate. The online session will cover all the key information you’ll need to get started.

A virtual card is a smartcard held in our digital wallet, Vircarda, on your worker’s smartphone. It offers benefits over classic physical smartcards, for example, they are much less likely to be forgotten as they are on the worker’s phone, use no plastic and have unique messaging functions too.

Leading with virtual smartcards rather than physical cards has two major benefits:

1: It is a more environmentally friendly approach. Physical smartcards are made from plastic and contain a microchip; removing physical cards removes many tonnes of smart waste from across the supply chain.

2: Making physical smartcards optional has enabled us to reduce the price for everyone. Those companies that want to order physical smartcards for targeted members of their workforce can purchase them separately through the SkillGuard for Utilities system.

With virtual cards, it is much less likely that a worker will forget their card – if they have their phone on them, then they also have their smartcard. However, if a worker has forgotten their card, SkillGuard does allow cardless logins using unique worker information.

There is one simple annual cost of £27 per record-holder managed through an annual subscription, paid for by their primary employer. As well as delivering all standard functionality covering the worker’s activities for 12 months, this price also gives employing companies access to a variety of analyses and views, as well as standard reporting. Attendance at our training webinars as well as access to our wide range of support materials and online user support/chat are included in the above.

Click here for more information on pricing.

The annual charge per record-holder covers the system’s usage. The only additional charges that may occur are for physical cards (£5.50 + VAT), the API or for additional modules such as PAC.

Yes, workers can access mySkillGuard, which gives them visibility of their own complete record. This is ideal for managing your Subject Access Request obligations under GDPR whilst also helping workers take more ownership over their own training and competency. Individuals can also manage their contact and ICE details through mySkillGuard.

Data security is considered a top priority in every aspect of our business. This includes our enterprise-scale, cloud-based solutions such as SkillGuard and our own internal systems and day-to-day operational procedures that our staff follow when processing client data.

The SkillGuard application was designed and continues to be developed with data security at its heart. This is embedded in every application design decision, from the building, testing and deployment of the SkillGuard solution and mobile apps through to implementation. We also strictly ensure secure procedures are followed at all times by our staff during all post-implementation service delivery operations.

The measures and controls we have applied include regular external penetration testing by outsourced security specialists, along with regular internal security reviews and audits of the multiple layers of logical and physical security controls, which have been implemented to keep client data in SkillGuard secure in line with industry best practice and in accordance with our ISO27001:2013 and Cyber-Essentials accreditations.  

Virtual smartcards are held in secure storage in our Vircarda App on the card-holder’s mobile phone. All card-holder data stored in Vircarda (data-at-rest) is fully encrypted using modern AES 256-bit cryptography with keys unique to each device, which are stored in the phone’s secure key-chain store. All data sent to and from the virtual card (data-in-transit) is transferred over highly secure TLS 1.2 encrypted Vircarda infrastructure and communications channels. The QR codes generated by Vircarda are fully encrypted, high density and have a very short life – after which the QR codes expire and can no longer be used to access the card-holder’s data. This ensures the card-holder authorised the Vircarda app to share the virtual card’s QR code with an authorised SkillGuard card-checker.

Physical smartcards utilise the latest SmartMX microprocessor-based cryptographic technology and use highly secure industry standard AES 256-bit encryption protocols. The smartcard microprocessors where the data is stored have been certified as meeting very stringent EAL5 international security standards. These provide highly secure authentication and data encryption which is used at all times by SkillGuard – when the card is checked, read, written to (data at rest) and when being transferred to/from the cards using NFC (data-in-transit).

Yes. SkillGuard exposes a secure API that allows a range of record creation and update functions to be performed - e.g. adding individuals or awarding competencies (i.e. transferred from a third-party system). The API also enables data to be passed from SkillGuard back out to these third-party systems. Industry best practice has been followed in the API's development, making it secure, powerful and easy to use. Additional charges apply.  

Yes, this is possible. Depending on what is required, we can either perform one-off initial seeding, or clients can use our API to transfer data (both to and from SkillGuard). Additional charges apply. 

This is unlikely. Usually, clients implement SkillGuard using PCs connected to the internet for their office-based system administrators, whilst site users use SkillGuard apps on mobile phones, tablets or desktop PCs depending on the set-up on site. There is no reason why site-based card checkers cannot use their own mobile devices, whilst other companies already provide phones or tablets for their supervisors – in which case they case these can be used.

Yes, SkillGuard for Utilities is for all companies working in or supplying workforces to the utilities sector -  whether Utility Companies, Principal Contractors, Subcontractors or Labour agencies.

Yes, certainly. Everyone - no matter the size of the company - can join the Scheme.

To do so, you will first need to register your company by clicking on the Company Registration button on the SkillGuard for Utilities website.

Thames Water has been using the SkillGuard system for their own Thames Water Safety Passport for many years, but this was their own system and not open more broadly. Reference Point discussed with Thames Water how a platform for the whole industry would offer further benefits across the entire sector and supply chain. Thames Water has joined SkillGuard for Utilities since its launch, replacing its Passport system with SkillGuard for Utilities for its entire workforce and supply chain.

No. Participating utility companies will drive implementation across their own supply chains. However, the system offers the same enormous benefits to any project in the utilities sector, regardless of the client.

The system was developed and is hosted and  supported by Reference Point, the global leading provider of mobile workforce management systems. Reference Point also provides the Sentinel system for Network Rail, Highways Passport and has provided Thames Water’s Health and Safety Passport for many years among many other systems.