YTA Training

Liz Spider

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How does our EWPA route benefit those who have been carpenters for years?

Carpentry is one of those professions that it seems will always be around – and why wouldn’t it be? After all, the furniture items such as cabinets, shelves, and drawers that carpenters measure, create, and repair will always be needed. 

And if you have spent years as a carpenter yourself, you will be aware of how varied and rewarding a job it can be, beyond the monetary reward – which can be as high as £38,000 or more a year in the case of the most seasoned carpenters. 

This, in turn, brings us neatly onto the subject of our Experienced Worker Practical Assessment route, also known as ‘EWPA’. 

While we are pleased to make available a variety of carpentry and joinery courses here at YTA, the EWPA is not a course. It is, instead, an assessment process, which can take just one or two days, and enables the already-experienced carpenter to achieve an NVQ Level 2 qualification. 

That qualification, in turn, would allow you to gain access to site work as a carpenter, so this fast-track assessment route can be well worth the time and money investment. 

Use your existing skills and knowledge to upgrade your qualifications as a carpenter 

You will need to have at least five years’ carpentry or joinery experience in order to undergo this EWPA. If you do satisfy this requirement and reach out to us about the EWPA, we will arrange a call with our NVQ carpentry assessor, who will complete a ‘skills scan’ with you to assess whether you have the necessary experience and knowledge of the NVQ units. 

And what are those NVQ units? Well, in the case of this site carpentry NVQ, there are three main units, covering the crucial subjects of general workplace safety, efficient work practices, and the movement and handling of resources. 

Various optional units are also available, and which could help you further strengthen your chances of passing the EWPA and achieving the NVQ qualification. These optional units encompass important aspects of the trade such as the installation of first fixing and second fixing components, the erection of structural carcassing components, and the maintenance of non-structural carpentry work. 

If you do decide to do the EWPA, you will need to arrange a date at our Yorkshire training centre. Two weeks prior to that date, pre-printed witness testimonies will be sent to you, and you will need to get them signed by a trade-related co-worker who has seen you carry out this work during the last three years. 

The other parts of the EWPA process – the practical assessment, professional discussion, and direct questioning – will take place on the premises when you join us at YTA for the day. Your performance across all these parts will determine whether you achieve the NVQ qualification. 

If you are indeed successful, you can expect to be sent your certificate within 14 days. From there, you will be able to apply for the blue skilled worker CSCS card that will enable you to get on-site. 

Are you ready to take the next steps towards an enhanced carpentry career? 

Would you like to get talking to us about whether taking on the carpentry EWPA could be the right step for you, or whether you might even be better served by one of our other highly regarded carpentry and joinery courses? 

If so, it’s a straightforward process to give YTA a call now on 01274 682199, or to send us an email. 

 

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Whether over five or 10 days, we’ll help you gain an invaluable plumbing qualification at Level 1

If it has ever crossed your mind to learn a trade, there’s a good chance that plumbing is one of the trades that you will have considered. There are understandable reasons for that, including the famed job security of plumbing as a career, as well as the fact that you could enjoy earnings as high as £40,000 a year once you have become experienced in this field.

But let’s presume that as someone reading this, you’re at the other end of the experience spectrum, having not even undertaken a rudimentary plumbing task so far in your life. 

Or perhaps you’re skilled in another trade such as tiling, plastering or joinery, and you like the idea of expanding your capabilities so that you can, for instance, change a tap or plumb in a kitchen sink, in the event of a customer of yours requesting this? 

If either of the above situations describes you, you might have already been comparing plumbing courses, and considering which one might represent the best match to your requirements. Well, here at YTA, we present the opportunity for you to earn a full Level 1 qualification in order to get your plumbing career off to the best possible start – in as little as five days. 

Could you really become a qualified plumber in just five days? 

Yes, you read that correctly; you only need to be at our Yorkshire training centre for less than a week if you join our five-day intensive Level 1 plumbing course, which – if you are successful in satisfying the requirements – leads to the Level 1 Award in Preparation for Plumbing Operations. 

This course will see you trained and assessed in two units – one that introduces you to construction work, and another focusing on carrying out plumbing operations. Over the five days, you will take on such tasks as the fitting of isolation valves and the bending of pipes on the first day, right through to a final day when you will be plumbing up a kitchen sink, completing a tap washer replacement, and finishing a small project, such as re-doing a bathroom in plastic pipe. 

Or you would be very welcome to join us for the full 10 days 

For an even more detailed introduction to what life is truly like as a plumber, you always have the option of enrolling on our 10-day intensive plumbing course at Level 1. 

This programme effectively rolls together two five-day courses – the latter our five-day advanced plumbing course – and will allow you to develop your plumbing skills to an even greater extent. The second week of this course will enable you to complete the fitting of a domestic hot-water storage system, in addition to learning how to fit a full bathroom suite. You can also expect to be trained in relation to rainwater guttering, hoppers, and drainage. 

The above rundown encompasses just some of the aspects of this exciting trade that our five-day and 10-day Level 1 plumbing courses here at YTA can educate you in, so that you benefit from the strongest possible platform for your future as a plumber. 

To learn more and to receive advice on the best route forward for you, why not contact our team via email or phone today, the latter by calling 01274 682199? 

 

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One day is all that it takes for existing bricklayers to significantly upgrade their qualifications – and employability

When you are comparing construction training providers like YTA, and considering which training options could most help take you to the place you wish your career to be, you might initially have in mind the notion of committing at least a few days to a course. However, that doesn’t always have to be the case.

Consider, for example, our Experienced Worker Practical Assessment (EWPA) routes. As the term suggests, the EWPA pathway is about assessment, rather than training. EWPA options are available for multiple trades, including wall and floor tiling, site carpentry, plastering, and… bricklaying. 

Introducing the one-day bricklaying EWPA 

The bricklaying EWPA is the one we’re addressing in this particular blog post, but the broad principle of EWPAs remain the same across the trades. These NVQ assessment routes are for people who already have at least five years’ experience in the given trade, and they involve the person in question spending one full day at our training centre in West Yorkshire, so that their skills and knowledge can be suitably assessed. 

In the event that you are successful in passing the requirements of this assessment, you would be awarded an NVQ Level 2 qualification – in the case of the bricklaying EWPA, the Cskills Awards Diploma in Trowel Occupations (Construction) QUA813. 

That qualification, in turn, will enable you to attain the blue skilled-worker CSCS card as an on-site bricklayer. 

What, exactly, can you expect to be assessed in when you take on this EWPA? 

The bricklaying EWPA comprises a series of mandatory units, encompassing such crucial aspects of on-site bricklaying as general workplace safety, efficient work practices, the movement and handling of resources, and the erection and setting-out of masonry structures. 

If you take on this EWPA, though, you can also support your bid for the NVQ Level 2 qualification by choosing to be assessed in a further, optional unit. You will see the complete list on our relevant page for this EWPA, but your options here cover such subjects as the erection of masonry cladding, the placing and finishing of non-specialist concrete, the maintenance of slate and tile roofing, and many more. 

With the assessment process for this EWPA including the use of witness testimonies, practical assessment, professional discussion, and direct questioning, you can be sure of receiving the suitably comprehensive assessment that will ascertain your skills and knowledge are up to NVQ Level 2 standard. Passing this assessment will then give you an excellent foundation on which to build the rest of your career as a bricklayer. 

To find out more about this popular assessment pathway or about any of our programmes of training we can provide as trusted and accredited construction training providers in West Yorkshire, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the YTA team today. 

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A unit-accreditation certificate in carpentry could be yours after 10 days of training

Carpentry is a traditional job that also remains hugely important in today’s world – not only to all manner of individual construction projects, but also the UK construction industry as a whole, and by extension, the broader UK economy.

If, then, you are considering learning carpentry as a trade from scratch, you can be sure that your skills will be in demand once you do acquire them. But with so many training options out there, how can you be certain of the one that would represent the best route for you?

When it comes to certificate in carpentry & joinery courses, we’re the experts here at YTA, and we would be delighted to recommend you our own 10-day NOCN Cskills Level 1 course in carpentry and joinery, which you can undertake at our West Yorkshire training centre. 

Is this really a course for those with no prior carpentry experience? 

Yes, it is! We won’t expect you to have any previous experience in carpentry and joinery if you are interested in enrolling on this 10-day course. And even if you do have a limited amount of past experience, we will help ensure your competency in the trade is quickly up to Level 1 standard, which will provide a strong foundation for further training at Level 2. 

Looking first to this Level 1 course, though, over the course of the 10 days you spend with us, you will get to train and be assessed in a number of crucial units, covering door lining, hanging a door, and skirting and architrave. 

If you are successful in completing this course and achieving the aforementioned units, you will gain six credits at Level 1. This will enable you to be awarded a NOCN Cskills unit-accreditation certificate for ‘Skills for Carpentry & Joinery’, which you will be able to show potential customers or employers as an indication of your competency in the trade. 

If you’re prepared to pay a little extra, you can also be assessed in a further optional ‘window frame’ module during your time at our training centre. It’s just one more thing that could equip you to be even more successful as a carpenter in your career to come. 

But what does this carpentry training actually involve? 

You can find out more on the page of our site dedicated to this course. But in short, you will have the opportunity to cover a huge amount of ground in carpentry over your 10 days’ training at YTA. 

From the initial training in how to use the basic hand tools associated with carpentry, right through to the actual development of your marking, cutting and chiselling skills, and then on to more challenging tasks such as the construction of a stud partition from scratch, you can expect to be equipped with knowledge and skills you will value having forever. 

There’s no need to consider any other provider of certificate in carpentry & joinery courses when you have the option of YTA. Simply give our team a call now, on 01274 682199, and we will be pleased to talk you through your construction training options in more detail, and whether this course could be the right match to your aspirations and requirements. 

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Convert your existing carpentry experience and knowledge into an NVQ Level 2 diploma – in just one day

The continued importance and relevance of carpentry skills simply cannot be doubted. Carpentry is a time-honoured skilled trade that entails such routinely essential work as the construction of furniture and fittings, repair and renewal work, and a variety of other woodworking projects. 

There are, then, a lot of opportunities in carpentry in the Britain of today. But do you possess the qualifications that would enable you to take advantage of those opportunities – or more specifically, the NVQ Level 2 diploma that would effectively grant you access to site work? 

If your answer to that question right now is “no”, don’t fear. Here at the renowned accredited construction training centre YTA, we offer what is known as the Experienced Worker Practical Assessment (EWPA) route for various trades, with carpentry being one of those trades. 

What is an Experienced Worker Practical Assessment? 

The most important thing to remember about an EWPA is that it is not a training course. Indeed, much of the point of the EWPA route is to enable a person with experience, skills, and knowledge in a particular trade to avoid the need for an entire new course. 

Instead, the idea is that by spending just a day at a CITB-approved NVQ centre like ours, a seasoned tradesperson can demonstrate the capabilities they have already built over the years, and earn an NVQ Level 2 qualification as a result. 

You do need to have at least five years’ experience in your chosen trade if you wish to take on an EWPA. But if you do, and you are eager to quickly gain the blue skilled worker CSCS card that would allow you to work on a construction site, it could be well worth calling YTA now, on 01274 682199, to discuss with us whether this would be a suitable route for you. 

What can you expect from our carpentry EWPA on the day? 

Whatever date you do book for your carpentry Experienced Worker Practical Assessment with us – and you will only need to spend approximately one or two days at our site – you can expect your skills to be evaluated by an EWPA NVQ assessor through a combination of methods. 

Those methods will encompass witness testimonies, practical assessment, professional discussion, and direct questioning – the idea being to allow you to show your competence and knowledge across the various units that make up the site carpentry NVQ. 

With those units covering such vital elements of carpentry as general workplace safety, efficient work practices, the movement and handling of resources, and much more across the range of optional units, you can be sure that if you do pass the EWPA process, you will be well-deserving of your newly acquired carpentry NVQ. 

Why not reach out to us right now about what the Experienced Worker Practical Assessment entails, and to arrange the ‘skills scan’ that will represent the next step in the process after reading this blog post? With the help of a proven construction training centre like YTA, you can be sure of making the moves that really will best serve your ambitions and requirements as a tradesperson. 

 

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Your new tiling career could be just 10 days’ training away

Tiling can be a great skill to add to one’s repertoire, for both experienced tradespeople from other fields, and those who have never learned a trade in the past. It could certainly greatly bolster your employability – but it’s also true that trying to make the right choice from all the tiling courses out there can be challenging. 

So, why should you seriously consider our own NOCN Cskills 10-day Level 1 accredited Wall and Floor Tiling course here at YTA in West Yorkshire? 

The short answer is that this course is an excellent one for teaching you the essentials of tiling, so that you can develop your knowledge and competence in this trade to show to potential employers or customers. It will also enable you to gain a unit certificate for the units that this course consists of. 

Let’s take a closer look at what makes this 10-day course a standout among the various other tiling courses on the market. 

The key details about this highly rated 10-day tiling course 

This tiling course is, significantly, a NOCN CSkills (Construction Skills) course. NOCN Cskills was formerly CITB Cskills, with this being the renowned awarding body for construction NVQs. 

So, you can be sure of reputability from this training course. But it is also a highly suitable course from a more practical, career-minded standpoint, with the units in question providing vital Level 1 tuition in Tiling A Wall With Decorative Features (Square Tiles) and Tiling A Floor With Obstacles. 

To complete the course, you will need to complete 10 days of training, which – if this would suit your practical needs better – can be separated into split dates at no extra cost. 

Once you have successfully passed the course, you will be set up nicely to continue to NVQ Level 2 training, and to build a tiling career. 

Now, let’s take a look at what each week of the course comprises. 

  • Week 1

The first week of the course effectively takes the form of a five-day tiling course, and is organised as follows:

Monday focuses on health and safety, before paying close attention to the preparation of surfaces and the setting-out of kitchen tiling. Tuesday will be about polishing off the previous day’s work, and using silicone heating to complete a tiled kitchen. Students will then look at tiling to and around windows.

Wednesday will see Tuesday’s work completed, before students will have the chance to learn about tile adhesives and grouts for a variety of situations. We will also be explaining tiling tools and tiling tool kits to you at this stage. 

Over the course of Wednesday and Thursday, you will learn about tiling a bathroom, which leaves Friday as the day when you will prepare, set out and tile the bathroom floor.

  • Week 2

The second week will begin with the tiling of a kitchen, but with a diamond splashback going up to a funnel. Further content during this week will cover windows, wet rooms, and bathrooms. 

You will finish this week tiling a bathroom floor, and learning about installing underfloor heating before tiling on it. Any final questions will also be asked, and certificates presented. 

In addition, during this course as a whole, students will find out about such things as marketing a tiling business, insurance, tax, CSCS cards, and more. It will all help equip you to make a success out of your subsequent tiling career. 

Final thoughts

Of all the tiling courses on the market, this course is an excellent one for ensuring you have the skills and qualifications that you will need in order to take your tiling skills to the next level, and to transform a useful skill set into a fully-fledged business. 

Call 01274 682199 today, and we would be pleased to discuss with you in greater detail what your requirements are from tiling training, and whether this course would represent the right path for you, so that you can then decide on booking your place. 

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