YTA Training

Liz Spider

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The bricklaying EWPA could be the next step in your career as an experienced bricklayer

Here at YTA, we boast a wide variety of practical courses for furthering one’s career in the construction industry, with bricklaying NVQ Level 2 courses being just one of our areas of specialism.

As an experienced or advanced bricklayer, you might be looking for the next step in your career, but it may not be feasible for you to take time off to undertake extensive training.

In this case, you might wish to find an assessment process that is reliable and trusted, but also economical and efficient, so that you can certify your skills and experience with an accredited qualification.

If you have at least five years’ experience as a bricklayer, and can evidence that you already possess an NVQ Level 2 standard of skills, there is a simple way to fast-track your way to certification – namely, through the Experienced Worker Practical Assessment (EWPA) pathway. 

A fast-track practical assessment for experienced bricklayers 

To undertake the EWPA, you will need to spend a day or two at our NVQ centre in Bradford, West Yorkshire.  

During your time at our site, you will be tasked with putting your hard-earned experience into action, which will then be assessed alongside a professional discussion and pre-prepared witness statements. 

There are five mandatory units for this course, relating to general workplace safety, efficient working practices, moving and handling resources, and erecting and setting out masonry structures. 

You can further this with a more specialised optional unit which will further help you demonstrate your particular expertise and specialisms within bricklaying and construction. This includes units concerning concrete, cladding, roofing, render, drainage, and more.

If you successfully complete the bricklaying EWPA, you will achieve a Cskills Awards Bricklaying NVQ Level 2 Diploma in Trowel Occupations (Construction) QUA813 Bricklaying. 

With this qualification, you will be able to undertake site work, and will be eligible for a blue skilled worker CSCS card. In fact, you can even get a temporary red CSCS card as soon as you have registered for the course. 

Further your career with specialist construction courses from YTA

When you already have hands-on experience in the construction industry, why not make the most of your expertise and upgrade your career by taking on the bricklaying EWPA? 

Get in touch with the YTA team to find out more and discuss your experience, as well as for advice on what might be the best route forward for you. Whether you are just starting out or have decades of experience, YTA is here to help you further your career through trusted training and accreditation. 

And it’s not just bricklayers we can support – we offer a selection of courses and EWPAs for a range of different trades in the construction industry. 

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If you’re already an experienced carpenter, our EWPA could be a great next step for your career

It is hard to imagine a world in which carpentry skills wouldn’t be required – and therefore hard to imagine a world in which carpenters wouldn’t be in demand. Whether you are looking to learn a trade in the UK in order to switch careers, to shore up your job security, or simply because of your interest in and passion for this field, it can be a very wise choice to train to become a carpenter. 

This particular blog post of ours, though, isn’t focusing on what courses you will need to take on if you wish to train in carpentry from scratch. 

Instead, we’re focusing on our Experienced Worker Practical Assessment (EWPA) offering, which you might be interested in if you already possess considerable carpentry experience, but wish to attain the blue skilled CSCS card that will allow you to access on-site work. 

A convenient, fast-track assessment route for already-capable carpenters 

As the name of this route suggests, it is not a training course, but instead an assessment process, with the opportunity – if you pass said assessment – to gain an NVQ Level 2 carpentry diploma. It’s as straightforward a process as coming to our Yorkshire training centre, and having your knowledge and skills assessed in the space of a day, or two days if needed. 

That process will include witness testimonies from someone who has seen you complete relevant carpentry work in the last three years, as well as a practical assessment when you do arrive at our premises on the Leeds side of Bradford. You will be expected to complete the practical task to spec and within the allotted time. 

During your time at the YTA site, you will also engage in a professional discussion with our assessor, the aim being to get you to talk through the units that make up the NVQ. This will provide the talking evidence needed so that with your existing knowledge and experience, you can show you are a carpenter of NVQ Level 2 standard. 

Finally, there will also be a ‘direct questioning’ element of the assessment. This is basically what it sounds like – you will be asked to ‘state’ or ‘describe’, and again, the focus is on ensuring that you talk through all the elements needed to earn your NVQ Level 2 diploma. 

Get in touch for further advice and information on this route 

With the assessment encompassing such aspects of carpentry as general workplace safety, efficient work practices, the movement and handling of resources, and the installation of first fixing and second fixing components, if you are confident in your existing carpentry knowledge, this EWPA could be an excellent step for your career. 

Simply click through to our dedicated page for this EWPA to learn more about what it involves. And if you have any further questions or queries, please don’t hesitate to send us an email or give us a call. 

We will be pleased to help ensure you have chosen the most appropriate route for your needs and aspirations, whether you are wishing to undergo assessment in a field in which you are already skilled and knowledgeable, or learn a trade in the UK for the first time. 

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Start your journey towards becoming a capable plasterer over just five days at our training centre

If you have been considering lately the merits of becoming a plasterer, and this process has brought you to the point of investigating and comparing intensive plastering courses in the UK, you might imagine that there surely isn’t much you can possibly learn about this rewarding trade in just five days. 

Here at YTA, we very much beg to differ! And for the evidence of that, you only need to look to our five-day plastering course at our highly regarded and accredited Yorkshire training centre. 

A complete course for both novices and existing tradespeople 

There are, of course, different kinds of people who enrol on intensive plastering courses in the UK such as those provided at YTA. Some will be people who really haven’t learned any practical trade before, while others will be DIY enthusiasts who have a moderate amount of skill in the given field, but who would like to develop this for any of a variety of reasons. 

Then, of course, there will be the people who have long worked in another trade, and who wish to take on a plastering course that will help them expand their skillset, perhaps in order to boost their employability. 

Rest assured that whichever category of these you fall into, you are welcome to reach out to the YTA team, so that you can discuss with us whether this could be the right route for you. 

So, what does the five-day plastering course actually involve? 

Whether you have no previous experience in plastering at all, or you do have a certain degree of skill and knowledge in the trade but would like to build it up, the chances are that you will find our five-day plastering course invaluable. 

This is a very ‘hands-on’ course, giving you the chance to get to grips with plastering in a big training bay of your own. And with there being no more than six students per instructor on this course, you can be sure of getting the attention that you will need if you are to develop your plastering capabilities quickly over your five days with us. 

What ‘capabilities’ are we referring to, exactly? Well, we’re talking in part about the boarding and preparation of your training bay, before you start with the ceiling and wall plastering itself. This will be followed by such tasks as repairing plastering and ‘feathering in’. 

Over the course of the five days, you can also expect to become familiar with processes like skimming to plasterboard and the setting of finishing beads, and will receive invaluable information on health and safety, and even starting up a business. You will even find out about such things as how to market yourself as a working plasterer, and insurance and tax issues. 

Oh, and you will also be given guides and information that you can take home for reference, so that you won’t have to depend on simply remembering everything you have covered during the five days at our premises. 

You can expect to emerge from our five-day course with a clear practical and theoretical understanding of the activity and trade that is plastering, which helps make this course an excellent foundation for continued training. Or, of course, you could just get straight on with establishing yourself as a working plasterer, or incorporating the new skills you have acquired into your existing career as a tradesperson. The next steps are up to you! 

If all the above sounds like a great and comprehensive solution for turning yourself into a capable plasterer, we would very much agree. To learn more about this course to discuss whether it would be the right training option for you, or whether you would be better off choosing one of our other intensive plastering courses in the UK, please don’t hesitate to phone or email us today. 

 

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The Cskills Awards bricklaying EWPA offers a quick route to site work

We may be known here at YTA for our beginner and advanced bricklaying courses alike, but it isn’t just training in this crucial trade that we provide; we can also offer a fast-track assessment route to enable you to truly fast-forward your career. 

This is – of course – a reference to our Experienced Worker Practical Assessment (EWPA) pathway, whereby already-experienced bricklayers only need to join us at our Yorkshire assessment centre for one full day (or two days at most), in order to achieve an NVQ Level 2 qualification. 

We make available the EWPA route for various trades – including wall and floor tiling, site carpentry and plastering, as well as bricklaying. 

Whichever pathway one chooses, the broad principle of the EWPA remains the same; through a practical assessment, you can prove that you already have an NVQ Level 2 standard of skills and knowledge, and thereby obtain the blue skilled worker CSCS card that will enable you to gain work on a construction site. 

What are the specifics of the bricklaying EWPA, in particular? 

If it is the bricklaying EWPA that you are especially interested in – and you would be eligible for this route if you have at least five years’ experience in bricklaying – then the principle of how it works is simple. 

When you visit our NVQ centre on the Leeds side of Bradford in West Yorkshire, you will be able to use the skills you have acquired over the years to complete a task, which will then be assessed. 

Your skills as a bricklayer will be evaluated by our NVQ assessor, through a combination of the practical assessment itself, witness testimonies, professional discussion, and direct questioning. 

The bricklaying EWPA is made up of five mandatory units, covering such matters as conforming to general workplace safety, conforming to efficient work practices, the movement and handling of resources, and the erection and setting out of masonry structures. 

You can further support your bid for this EWPA by picking out an optional unit from a long list, encompassing aspects such as erecting masonry cladding in the workplace, the maintenance of slate and tile roofing, and the installation of drainage, to name just a few. 

If, as a consequence of going through the EWPA process, you show that you have reached the standards of the NVQ Level 2 qualification, you will be told of this by the assessor at the end of the day. As a successful candidate, you will gain the Cskills Awards Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Trowel Occupations (Construction) QUA813. 

Would you like to find out more about this pathway for rapidly upgrading your career? 

There aren’t too many training or assessment routes out there that could have such a profound impact on your employability, as this one. So, why not reach out to the YTA team to learn more about what is involved if you take on the bricklaying EWPA, and whether it could be a suitable choice for you? 

Don’t forget that we also offer a variety of other novice and advanced bricklaying courses to help the development of your career. We are one of the most trusted accredited construction training centres in the UK here at YTA, and for good reason. 

 

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You’ll cover even more ground than you expect when you take on our 10-day accredited carpentry and joinery course

Here at YTA, we have long been known as one of the leading accredited centres for construction training, and this much is reflected in both the breadth and depth of our courses themselves. 

That ‘accredited’ detail is a particularly important one when it comes to our top carpentry course, the 10-day NOCN Cskills Level 1 Accredited Carpentry and Joinery Course. That’s because it is a course giving those who enrol the chance to complete three Cskills accredited units of training, in relation to three crucial aspects of carpentry: door lining, hanging a door, and skirting and architrave. A further unit on window frames can also be added as a ‘bolt-on’. 

Achieving all three of the essential Level 1 units will give you six credits and the opportunity to be awarded a NOCN Cskills unit accreditation certificate for ‘Skills for Carpentry & Joinery’. But what are the exact skills and knowledge that you can expect to acquire if you do commit to this course? 

Get your carpentry career off to the best possible start 

Our Level 1 course is specifically aimed at those who are interested in getting started in carpentry and joinery as a career, with an eye to eventually gaining the Cskills NVQ Level 2 in Site Carpentry. It is, then, a true beginner’s course, no prior experience in carpentry being needed before you embark on it – and this is reflected in how the course has been designed. 

As the course gets underway, then, you can expect to first learn about how to use the basic hand tools associated with this trade. These will include the different saws that are used for various woods, as well as chisels and how to correctly use them. 

You will then proceed to develop your skills in marking, cutting, and chiselling, by taking on a series of common woodwork joints of increasing levels of difficulty. That will provide the foundation for you to move on to such tasks as the building of a door frame, and the building of a stud partition with doorway. After that, you will get to handle architrave and skirting, including learning how to mite a skirting board on internal and external angles, as well as straight angle cuts. 

But there’s even more catered for in this comprehensive course

One of our hallmarks as one of the most trusted accredited centres for construction training, is a commitment to going beyond the basics. 

It is a policy that continues through our 10-day NOCN Cskills Level 1 Accredited Carpentry and Joinery Course, with the full breadth of important areas of carpentry covered also encompassing the likes of scribing joints to fit mouldings and skirting, terms used in partitioning, site carpentry operations included in second fixings, and much more. 

If you have any questions about what is and isn’t covered in this 10-day course, and if you would appreciate some more tailored advice on whether it could be the right training option for you, you are always welcome to give our team a call – on 01274 682199 – before you commit. 

Alternatively, feel free to send us an email via our online contact page. With our courses being delivered every week from Monday to Friday, we are confident that we will be able to provide you with this training on dates to suit you, if you do decide this route matches well with your circumstances and ambitions.    

 

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What are the stages involved in our one-day carpentry EWPA process?

You might think to yourself that once someone is a carpenter, they’re “always a carpenter” – but alas, when it comes to gaining access to on-site work, the situation isn’t quite as simple as that! 

This helps to explain the great popularity of our Experienced Worker Practical Assessment (EWPA) routes here at YTA in West Yorkshire. The principle behind these fast-track assessment pathways is to give an experienced worker in a particular trade the opportunity to demonstrate the specialised knowledge and skills they already have, as a means of earning themselves an NVQ Level 2 qualification in the space of one day (or two days, if necessary). 

Our carpentry EWPA, then, is not to be confused with our other intensive carpentry courses that focus on equipping would-be carpenters and joiners with the skills they require in order to take on the job in the first place. 

So, now that we have established what the carpentry EWPA isn’t, let’s explore in greater detail what the carpentry EWPA is. For this, we will concentrate on the steps you will need to go through in order to achieve the associated Cskills Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Wood Occupations (Construction) – Site Carpentry QUA900. 

Get on the phone to us to arrange this crucial assessment – and get back on site 

The big attraction of the EWPA route for experienced workers – defined for these purposes as those who have at least five years’ experience in the relevant trade – is the chance it gives them to quickly earn an NVQ Level 2 qualification. That qualification, in turn, will allow them to attain the blue skilled worker CSCS card that is necessary if they are to gain access to site work. 

And the initial process is a straightforward one – you will just need to get in touch with YTA, and we can arrange for the conversation with our NVQ carpentry assessor, so that a ‘skills scan’ can be carried out on you. This process is designed to ascertain whether it would be worth your while to proceed to the one-day EWPA stage at our assessment centre. 

If it is indeed decided that you have a strong chance of achieving the NVQ Level 2 qualification through the EWPA, you will be able to go ahead and book your place. 

There are four key ‘parts’ of the subsequent EWPA process. You will need, for example, to get pre-printed witness testimonies signed by a trade-related co-worker who has seen you complete the given work within the past three years. These will be sent to you in the carpentry NVQ pack that is sent out to you two weeks prior to your assessment date at YTA. 

Then, on the assessment date itself, you can expect to be asked to complete a practical assessment; again, the drawing plan with the relevant specifications and measurements will be sent out to you two weeks before you are set to have the assessment with us. 

Other important parts of the EWPA process will include a professional discussion and direct questioning – again, to take place on the day of the assessment itself. This will, in effect, be akin to a structured discussion surrounding the carpentry NVQ units, which cover such vital topics as general workplace safety, efficient work practices, and the movement and handling of resources. 

And that will be it – at the end of the day, the assessor will tell you whether you have achieved the NVQ. And if you have achieved the qualification, you will be able to rapidly get back on site with a temporary card to begin with, followed by the blue skilled worker CSCS card. 

Contact the YTA team today to learn more – and to book 

Does the carpentry EWPA sound like the step that you require if you are to advance your career? Or perhaps our intensive carpentry courses would be a better match to your present level of knowhow and experience? Regardless, we can advise and guide you here at YTA, to answer your questions and help ensure you take the right steps from here for your circumstances and needs. 

Simply give us a call right now, on 01274 682199, to find out more about the carpentry EWPA, to book your place, or to ask about any of our other highly rated training opportunities in construction.