YTA Training

Liz Spider

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Why not spend just one day at our training centre to earn your bricklaying NVQ Level 2?

When prospective or current tradespeople from a wide range of backgrounds and circumstances have wished to put in place the strongest possible foundations for their future career in construction, they have long turned to YTA in West Yorkshire. The reasons for that are many, although the main one is undoubtedly our training courses themselves. 

Depending on your own situation, however, you might not necessarily want to take on an entire construction training course. Consider, for example, our Experienced Worker Practical Assessment (EWPA) routes. 

We offer these routes for wall and floor tiling, site carpentry, plastering, and bricklaying. As the above term suggests, the EWPAs are aimed at those who already have a certain level of experience and expertise in the field in question. 

By completing an EWPA – which you can do at our centre in one day – you can earn an NVQ Level 2 qualification, thereby greatly upgrading your CV, and enabling you to attain the blue skilled worker CSCS card allowing you to gain work on a construction site. 

So, what is the bricklaying EWPA about? 

For this blog post, we are focusing in particular on the bricklaying EWPA option for those who already have at least five years’ bricklaying experience. We’re well-known for our both beginner and advanced bricklaying courses at YTA, but this practical assessment route is a very different proposition. 

Taking on the EWPA is not about adding to your existing skills and knowledge – it’s about demonstrating to an assessor the skills and knowledge you already possess, through a process involving witness testimonies, practical assessment, professional discussion, and direct questioning.

During your day at our centre, you will be assessed in five mandatory units, covering general workplace safety, efficient work practices, the movement and handling of resources, the erection of masonry structures, and the setting out of masonry structures. There is also a series of optional units, with one of these able to be chosen to support your bid for the qualification. 

The result, as long as you satisfy the requirements of this assessment, can be the award of the Cskills Awards Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Trowel Occupations (Construction) QUA813. You will be told at the end of the day whether you have achieved the qualification, and if you have indeed been successful in this aim, you can expect to receive your certificate within 14 days. 

What if you can’t wait that long to get on-site? Well, you do have the option – as soon as we have you registered – to apply for and gain a temporary card that will provide you with a six-month window in which to complete the EWPA. 

Talk to us about our services in bricklaying training and assessment 

Whether you are considering contacting the YTA team to discuss with us the novice, intermediate and advanced bricklaying courses we have to offer, or instead with the EWPA in mind, we are well-placed to help you advance as a bricklayer. 

Amid hopes that the worst of the coronavirus pandemic is finally receding, and with many of us eager to make changes to our lives for the better, now could be the perfect time to invest in acquiring a new bricklaying qualification. For further information about the bricklaying EWPA and to book your place on a convenient date for you, simply call 01274 682199 today. 

 

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Take the first steps to becoming a plumber in just five days

When first setting out into a new profession, it’s crucial to have a solid foundation on which to build a satisfying career. 

 

This is why, when it comes to our Preparation for Plumbing Operations level 1 course, we at YTA want you to emerge with the ability to take on a variety of plumbing jobs. 

 

Our five-day plumbing level 1 course is just one of our many popular and renowned plumbing courses. It is suitable for total beginners or tradespersons who want to expand their skillset. These days, the tradesperson who can do a wide range of plumbing tasks is likely to win more jobs than the person who can only do one or two.

 

What does this course entail? 

 

Our five-day level 1 plumbing course will provide you with invaluable insight and understanding into the plumbing trade. 

 

The course is very hands on and practical, but you will also be trained and assessed in two units: Introduction to construction work and Carrying out plumbing operations. Completing both of these units successfully will enable you to achieve the full Level 1 Award in Preparation for Plumbing Operations. 

 

On day one, you’ll work with 15mm and 22mm copper pipe and fixings, fitting isolation valves and pipe bending. You’ll also get to grips with various fitting tools for the production of pipework. 

 

Day two will see you planning and fitting a bathroom. The bathroom will be tested against mains working pressure – any leaks will have to be fixed. 

 

The third day of the course will teach you the anatomy of a toilet and the process of repairing different faults. You will also learn about common call out jobs, work out how to price them, and give thought to hourly and day rates.

 

Day four will be all about radiators. You will install a small two-radiator system, or even three radiators if your skills and the timeframe enable this, using copper pipe and fittings. Then, you will fill to pressure and bleed the radiator, checking for leaks, before removing the radiator with water inside, and learn about the hanging and refitting of radiators. 

 

Your final day will teach you about the kitchen and the various plumbing jobs commonly associated with this all-important part of the home. Eventually, it will be time for you to fit a garden tap to the kitchen pipework. This will be followed by us explaining how to install a shower. 

 

Does this sound like the course for you? Get in touch!

 

Many of the students of our plumbing courses go on to have highly rewarding careers as plumbers. However, this course is also designed to give you the confidence to fix plumbing issues around the house – no matter how big or small.  

 

Enquire to us today if you have any further questions about this or any of our other highly rated plumbing courses, as well as to book your place.

 

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Make a highly significant career step in just one day, in the form of our carpentry EWPA

While formal qualifications will naturally never be the ‘be all and end all’ of whether someone is capable of fulfilling a certain role, there’s no question that they can still be a very crucial element of a professional’s career development. 

That’s no less the case when it comes to our construction training courses here at YTA, with just one course potentially enabling you to take your career a very long way. 

And in the case of our Experienced Worker Practical Assessment (EWPA) routes, these ‘courses’ may not be courses at all! In fact, this is a fast-track assessment route allowing those who are already skilled and experienced in a particular trade to quickly upgrade their qualifications in line with the knowledge they possess. 

We give tradespeople the opportunity to undertake the EWPA at our West Yorkshire training centre, if they already have at least five years’ experience in wall and floor tiling, bricklaying, plastering, or site carpentry. Whichever of these options you choose, if you satisfy the terms of the one-day assessment, you could soon be the proud holder of an NVQ Level 2 qualification. 

This qualification, in  turn, doesn’t only allow you to obtain the blue skilled worker CSCS card so that you can work on-site, but can also help boost your all-round employability and career prospects. 

So, what will you experience if you do choose the carpentry EWPA? 

Presuming it’s the carpentry EWPA you’re interested in taking on due to already being a seasoned carpenter, when you first enquire to us, we will explain what’s involved and put you in touch with an NVQ carpentry assessor, so that a ‘skills scan’ can be undertaken. 

If, as a consequence of this discussion, you and the NVQ assessor are confident of your ability to pass the assessment, we can go ahead with booking the EWPA for you. 

You can choose to spend just a single day undergoing the assessment at our training centre if you are prepared to arrive for 7:30am, finishing at about 4pm. Once you are here, we will be able to get on with the combination of professional discussion, witness testimonies and practical assessment that makes up the EWPA. 

Those undertaking this carpentry route will be tested on such aspects of the job as general workplace safety, efficient work practices, the movement and handling of resources, the installation of first fixing and second fixing components, and the maintenance of non-structural carpentry work. This will be integral to the assessor’s efforts to ensure you are up to NVQ Level 2 standard. 

Get in touch with us now to discuss this important assessment route 

While we will always take great pride in our full construction training courses here at YTA, we also realise that many of you don’t necessarily need or want to take on a longer course that might be covering aspects of your trade you are highly proficient in already. 

This is where the EWPA route – whether for plastering, bricklaying, wall and floor tiling, or site carpentry – can move than prove its worth. Get in touch with us now for a more detailed discussion of your requirements, and to book the EWPA if this is the appropriate path for you. 

 

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Five or 10 days is all you might need to become a skilled and confident plasterer

As the UK economy continues its steady comeback from the lows of the coronavirus crisis, it’s fair to say that key construction skills like plastering will hardly become less important any time soon. 

This helps explain our own wide range of highly regarded intensive plastering courses in the UK, including both five-day and 10-day options for those interested in working towards an NVQ Level 1 qualification. 

What’s the big difference between our Level 1 five-day and 10-day courses? 

While it’s far from the only qualification that aspiring plasterers might look to acquire, the NOCN Cskills Level 1 Certificate in Plastering can provide a very strong foundation for subsequent success in this in-demand field. 

You might have some experience in another trade, and wish to enhance your skill-set by taking on a course centred on plastering. Or maybe you’re a complete beginner? Regardless, taking on a five-day or 10-day Level 1 NVQ course at YTA’s West Yorkshire training centre could be one of the wisest decisions you ever make for your career. 

The five-day course is effectively the first week of the 10-day course, and is priced accordingly. Completing and passing the five-day course will give you a NOCN Cskills Level 1 Plastering Walls unit accreditation. If, then, you would like to gain the full Level 1 Certificate in Plastering in one go, it’s the 10-day course that you will need to enrol on. 

Put yourself to the test – and bolster your capability and employability 

Whichever course of these two you commit to, we will give you a set of plastering tools to use during the course, and your own full-size plastering training bay to learn your craft in. Plus, with only five plastering training bays being used, you can be sure of benefitting from the high level of tuition and attention made possible by a low student-to-teacher ratio. 

Students of our five-day course will have plenty of opportunity to learn the basic technique of plastering, in addition to over-skimming and repairing plastering. They will also get to grips with feathering in and board fixing. 

These elements will also be covered if you enrol on our full 10-day course, but in the second week, you’ll also get to tackle the plastering of a full wall and ceilings as a complete project. We’ll also teach you more advanced techniques, including the plastering of arches and curves. In addition, as one of our students, you’ll learn how to work with the increasingly popular K-Rend onto block work. 

You’ll cover an awful lot of ground on one of our intensive plastering courses in the UK – such vital subjects as health and safety, and starting up in business also being covered – and when you come out of it, you’ll possess a clear practical and theoretical understanding of plastering. 

If, then, you want to put a platform in place for sustained success as a plasterer, you’ll struggle to find a better one than one of these Level 1 courses! If you have any further questions about what’s involved before booking your place, don’t hesitate to get in touch directly with the YTA team today.

 

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Desire a bricklaying NVQ Level 2? You might not need to take on a full course if you already have extensive experience

There’s no question that an NVQ Level 2 diploma can quite literally ‘open doors’ for bricklayers, due to this being the qualification they require if they are to attain the blue skilled worker CSCS card for on-site work.

 

But if you are an ambitious tradesperson in this field and you wish to upgrade to this qualification, will you need to enrol on a lengthy course that you might struggle to even find the time to complete? 

 

The answer is no, not necessarily. In fact, if you have at least five years’ bricklaying experience, you have the option of embarking on the Experienced Worker Practical Assessment (EWPA) route, which could result in you being better qualified in the space of just a day. 

 

A fast-track route that will boost your employability 

 

As the UK looks to gradually emerge from the coronavirus crisis, it’s fair to say that the economy is raring to go – and that bricklayers will continue to be in big demand for major construction projects. It should be no great surprise, then, that bricklaying plays a big part in our own extensive range of quality construction training programmes. 

 

However, you won’t want to have to spend time being trained in aspects of this trade that you are already knowledgeable and skilled in, if it simply doesn’t feel necessary. That’s where our EWPA route comes in. 

 

It’s based on a combination of professional discussion, witness statements and practical assessment, designed to ascertain whether you’re already a bricklayer of Level 2 NVQ standard. For you, it will simply be a case of demonstrating the skills and knowledge in bricklaying that you possess already, spending a day or two at our West Yorkshire training centre. 

 

You will be told at the end of the assessment day whether you have passed – and if you have, you will be sent your certificate within 14 days. That’s it – you will then be able to apply for your blue skilled worker CSCS card in order to get on site. In fact, if you need to get on site even before completing the NVQ, we can arrange to get you registered and allow you to apply for a temporary six-month card, shortly after you have paid your deposit. 

 

You’ll be put to the test – but the reward is a great qualification 

 

We would urge you to click through to the page of our website dedicated to the bricklaying EWPA to learn more about what this popular assessment route involves. There are five mandatory units that make up the bricklaying NVQ, and you can pick one further optional unit to support your bid for the qualification. 


One thing’s for sure – you’ll be in a great position to thrive in your bricklaying career for months and years to come when you obtain your NVQ Level 2 diploma with YTA. Get in touch with us now if you have any further questions about the EWPA or any of our wide range of other quality construction training programmes.

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In just 10 days, you could be a highly capable carpenter – with a Level 1 qualification

Becoming a carpenter is not something that just anyone can do, and this is reflected in the various qualities one requires in order to succeed in the trade – including thoroughness, attention to detail, the ability to work well with one’s hands, and the ability to work well with others. A carpenter role can also be well-rewarded financially, with experienced joiners earning as much as £38,000 a year.

 

But if you have no or very little experience in joinery, and not necessarily much time for training, how can you be sure of getting your new career off to a solid start? 

 

One piece of advice we would give you here at YTA, is to ask us about our certificate in carpentry & joinery courses. Spending just 10 days at our West Yorkshire training centre presents you with the opportunity to achieve a full qualification – the NOCN Cskills Level 1 Certificate in Carpentry and Joinery. 

 

Such a qualification will give you something powerful to show to would-be employers or customers, to indicate to them your competence in your trade. This, in turn, will allow you to set down the strongest possible foundations for your new career. 

 

Getting to grips with a wide range of key carpentry and joinery skills 

 

You might be wondering just how much you can expect to learn about this varied trade in 10 days, and the short answer is: a lot. You don’t need any prior experience in carpentry and joinery to be able to take on this 10-day course, which will train and assess you in no fewer than five units making up this sought-after Level 1 qualification. 

 

The course begins with those enrolled learning how to use the basic hand tools associated with carpentry, including saws and chisels. You’ll go on to learn about the vital processes of marking, cutting and chiselling, producing a series of common woodwork joints – each joint being slightly more challenging than the last. 

 

As the course progresses, you will have the opportunity to put these newly-acquired skills to good use, including to chop in hinges using a chisel into a door and door frame, as well as for the construction of a door frame with a half lap joint. You will also be tasked with building a stud partition from scratch, including the door frame. 

 

Also key to your programme of learning will be architrave and skirting. We will get you to work a jig that consists of various awkward angles, so that you can develop your capability in the miting of a skirting board on internal and external angles, as well as straight angle cuts. 

 

Ask us today about our highly rated certificate in carpentry & joinery courses 

 

The above is just a summary of what you can expect when training in carpentry on this in-demand 10-day course; to learn more about what else is involved, please consult our online course page. 

 

As the UK and the wider world gradually emerge from what we all hope will be the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, now is a great time to carefully consider what you want from your life – and whether a career change may be in order. If training in carpentry and joinery is an ambition of yours, YTA can help make it a reality for you. 

 

Call 01274 682199 or 07400 922788 today, or email info@ytatraining.com, and we’ll talk you through the possibilities, so that you can settle on the training route that best suits your current abilities and aspirations. 

 

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