Competency is rapidly becoming one of the most significant pressures facing the UK construction supply chain, and soon, it may directly determine whether companies win work, keep work or even get paid.
That was the clear message from Wates Construction’s principal façades manager, Claire Fenton, speaking at the Council for Aluminium in Building’s (CAB) 31st Annual General Meeting.
Addressing members in Stratford-upon-Avon, Claire offered a candid view of how tier-one contractors are now treating competency under the Building Safety Act: not as an administrative hurdle, but as a measurable requirement that must be evidenced, recorded and maintained.
Competency is no longer optional
Claire reminded attendees that the Building Safety Act now applies to every building, not just high-rise or higher-risk residential projects.
“Competency isn’t about having a certificate on the wall. It’s about knowledge, experience and behaviour,” she said, stressing the shift from one-off qualifications to continuous evidence of capability.
One statistic in particular illustrated the scale of the challenge. When Wates first reviewed Constructionline Gold members earlier this year, only 56 out of 20,000 had completed the platform’s Building Safety Act requirements. Many companies incorrectly assumed the Act didn’t apply to their work.
Wates, along with other tier-one contractors, is already tightening its approach. From January, firms that haven’t demonstrated organisational competence may be unable to be onboarded, and, in some cases, may not be paid without director-level approval.
What tier-one contractors now expect
According to Claire, competency must be demonstrated at three levels:
- Organisation-level competence – including Constructionline’s new Building Safety Act requirements.
- Individual competence – covering designers, engineers, surveyors, project managers and anyone exercising technical judgement.
- Installer competence – assessed through national frameworks emerging from the Joint Competency Initiative (JCI).
Claire also warned against relying on informal decision-making on site. Installers adapting design details without the authority or competence to do so are inadvertently taking on design liability, a growing concern under the new regulatory regime.
“What matters now is knowing exactly where your competence begins and ends. If a decision sits outside that boundary, it must be escalated, not improvised.”
Early engagement is becoming essential
One of Claire’s strongest messages was the need for manufacturers and installers to be involved earlier in the design process.
Before 2008, she noted, design meetings typically brought all parties together, contractors, fabricators, installers, designers and engineers. That collaborative model has since eroded, leaving gaps in decision-making and accountability. Under the Building Safety Act, those gaps are no longer acceptable.
Bringing manufacturers into the pre-construction phase, Claire said, helps ensure that details, interfaces and performance requirements are properly understood and correctly specified.
How CAB is helping members prepare
CAB chief executive, Nigel Headford, confirmed that the association is already working with the JCI, CITB and government bodies to support members through the emerging competency landscape.
The aim is to ensure that training delivered by CAB members, including system-specific training, installation courses and technical CPD, can be formally recognised within national competency frameworks.
“Competency is becoming the new currency in construction. CAB is making sure our members can demonstrate it with clarity, consistency and confidence.”
The session highlighted a significant cultural shift: competency is no longer a box to be ticked but a foundation for gaining and retaining work. With tier-one contractors embedding competency audits into procurement and payment processes, the implications will reach every part of the supply chain.
CAB is now encouraging members to:
- Review organisational competence against Constructionline’s Building Safety Act criteria
- Map staff roles against JCI competency frameworks
- Ensure installer training aligns with forthcoming national occupational standards
- Engage earlier with designers and contractors to reduce risk and ensure compliant detailing
- Treat competency as a continuous, documented process, not a one-time assessment
For more information about the benefits of CAB membership, visit www.c-a-b.org.uk.
