Bricklaying NVQ

13th June 2020 By Graham Binns

Three NVQ’s achieved today!

We had three NVQ’s achieved today at YTA!

Two successful NVQ practical assessments in site carpentry NVQ level 2 and one in trowel occupations NVQ level 2 (bricklaying).

To gain the NVQ level 2 in just one day is only available to an experienced tradesperson with a minimum of 5 years experience through an assessment process called EWPA (Experienced Worker Practical Assessment). On the day of the EWPA you will be required to complete a practical assessment with your own tools within an allocated time to the awarding body specification (NOCN Cskills – Construction Skills). You will also be assessed through witness testimonies, professional discussion and direct questioning in order to cover all of the assessment criteria in the NVQ level 2.

Once you hold the NVQ level 2 along with your health and safety CSCS card test you can gain your blue skilled worker ‘skilled worker’ CSCS card. Once you have the NVQ level 2 your CSCS card will be upgraded to a blue card (skilled worker) and this means you can now work on any site completing your trade. We offer the following NVQ’s, Tiling NVQ Level 2, Plastering NVQ Level 2, Bricklaying NVQ Level 2, Carpentry & Joinery NVQ Level 2.

Site Carpentry 1 day NVQ level 2 EWPA at YTA

Bricklaying 1 day NVQ level 2 EWPA at YTA

How the process works…

1) You contact us and enquire about EWPA for your trade. We will explain the process and ask you how many years experience you have in your trade area. You must have a minimum of 5 years experience and have experience & knowledge in all the NVQ units (as above) needed to gain the NVQ.

2) We will pass your details on to our NVQ assessor who will give you a call and complete what we call a ‘skills scan’. This is a chat amongst the two of you where he will want to know what type of work or projects you have been completing and for how long, he will want to know if you have experience and knowledge of the above NVQ units. He will explain that to achieve the NVQ you need to achieve all NVQ parts.

The NVQ parts…

NVQ Part 1) Witness testimonies. These are pre-printed in the NVQ EWPA pack and are sent out to you 2 weeks before your assessment date at our NVQ Centre in Bradford. You must get them signed by a trade related co-worker who has seen you complete this work in the last 3 years.

NVQ Part 2) Practical assessment. This is where you come to YTA and complete a practical assessment pre-set by the CITB – Now NOCN Cskills. The drawing plan with all specifications and measurements is sent out to you 2 weeks before this practical assessment. You must complete the assessment to spec and within the allocated time. You must bring you own tools for the assessment. Awaiting for you will be the materials to complete the task.

NVQ Part 3) Professional discussion. This is also completed at YTA on the same day as your practical assessment. The best way to describe this is like a structured discussion around the NVQ units. It is not a questions and answers session but more of a talking through jobs or projects you have completed and the assessor may ask you to elaborate on certain parts so you are effectively talking your way through the NVQ units as talking evidence. Thus turning your experience into the NVQ.

NVQ Part 4) Direct Questioning. Some assessment criteria within the nvq will ask you to ‘state’ or ‘describe’. These will be covered during the professional discussion or by direct questioning. The assessment criteria can be found on the specific trade NVQ pages listed above.

Time to book it and get on with it…

If you are happy to proceed and you feel confident and our NVQ assessor also feels confident in your ability and experience to achieve the NVQ we can go ahead with booking the NVQ. We require a deposit of £450. We then send you the documentation as detailed above and we will set your NVQ assessment date.

When you arrive for the NVQ assessment you will bring with you your signed witness testimonies and your tools. This is when you will pay the remaining balance of £450. You will then be inducted into the NVQ. During this day you will complete the practical assessment and professional discussion. Total price £900.

At the end of the day you will be told by the assessor if you have achieved or not achieved. If you have achieved you will be sent your certificate within 14 days (sometimes can be 7 days). You can now apply for your blue skilled worker CSCS card and get on site!

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like more information.

If you are out of work because you can’t get on site, we aim to complete this assessment within 2 weeks from your initial contact. You could be back on site earning a wage ASAP!

YTA is the UK’s premier training centre for construction training and assessment backed up by outstanding independent customer reviews on www.reveiws.co.uk (5 out of 5!)

YTA reviews can be found at www.reviews.co.uk

If you would like some more information or would like to discuss any of our training courses available at YTA then please contact the team on 01274682199 or you can visit the training centre with no appointment necessary Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5pm.

YTA Training And Assessment Ltd

Unit 12a Factory Street, Dudley Hill, Bradford

West Yorkshire, BD4 9NW

Tel: 01274682199

18th December 2019 By Liz Spider

What does our EWPA route to a bricklaying NVQ involve?

Seasoned practitioners of a particular trade – such as carpenters, plasterers or tilers – who nonetheless lack such qualifications as an NVQ Level 2 are often understandably unenthusiastic about the idea of embarking on a course that would simply teach them skills they already possess.

Thankfully, there is an alternative route for those in such a situation – the Experienced Worker Practical Assessment (EWPA), as we are happy to be able to offer at our Cskills-approved NVQ centre in Yorkshire here at YTA.

It isn’t just the aforementioned trades that are catered for by the EWPA route, however, as bricklayers with at least five years’ experience also have an opportunity to obtain a Diploma in Bricklaying on the same basis, courtesy of our bricklaying NVQ Level 2 courses.

You’ll need just one or two days to seriously upgrade your qualifications

Spending a mere one or two days at our training centre, all that you have to do to obtain this invaluable bricklaying qualification via the EWPA route is use the skills you have acquired over the years to complete a task that will then be assessed.

The NVQ assessor will evaluate your skills using a combination of professional discussion, witness statements and the practical assessment.

The witness testimonies, for instance, will be pre-printed in the NVQ pack and sent to you a few weeks prior to your assessment date at our NVQ centre; you’ll simply need to have them signed by a trade-related co-worker who has seen you complete this work in the last three years.

You will receive the drawing plan for the practical assessment in advance, too, with the assessment task needing to be completed at YTA, both to spec and within the allocated time.

On the same day as the practical assessment, meanwhile, will be the professional discussion, which will entail you talking through jobs or projects you have completed, with the assessor possibly asking you to elaborate on certain areas. This will help to ensure you provide enough information as talking evidence to maximise your chances of securing the Level 2 NVQ.

It’s worth noting that direct questioning will also be included in the assessment process, involving you being asked to ‘state’ or ‘describe’.

Make us your go-to centre for bricklaying NVQ Level 2 courses

With the particular bricklaying qualification that you can obtain via the EWPA route at YTA – the Cskills Awards Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Trowel Occupations (Construction) QUA813 – being the one you’ll need to gain the blue skilled worker CSCS card as a bricklayer on site, your day or two at our training centre could prove extremely well-used time for your career.

Call 01274 682199 today to enquire about place availability with our team, and to make that crucial step to booking so that you can soon be back on site, earning a wage and in the process, taking your life as a professional bricklayer to the next level.

23rd October 2019 By Liz Spider

Are you an experienced bricklayer looking to obtain a Level 2 NVQ diploma?

As renowned as we are here at YTA for the extensive selection of bricklaying courses that we offer to those of varying levels of knowhow in this trade, some of those who contact us already have considerable experience as bricklayers. They may therefore not feel the need to undertake an in-depth course covering aspects of this work in which they are already highly adept.

Such individuals may, however, still which to obtain the NVQ Level 2 diploma that would enable them to advance their careers – not least because having this qualification would allow them to obtain the blue skilled worker CSCS card that is necessary if they are to work as a bricklayer on site.

It is for such bricklayers that we offer the Experienced Worker Practical Assessment (EWPA) route to obtaining the Cskills Awards Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Trowel Occupations (Construction) QUA813 Bricklaying. This is a true fast-track assessment route, only requiring you to spend one day or – at most – two days at our West Yorkshire assessment centre.

What’s involved in this popular assessment route?

This Level 2 NVQ Level 2 EWPA route is designed for those with at least five years’ experience in their trade. It is based on an assessment of the skills that you have obtained over the years, as evaluated through professional discussion, witness statements and practical assessment.

There are five mandatory units that make up the bricklaying NVQ Level 2; these cover the elements of conforming to general workplace safety, conforming to efficient work practices, moving and handling resources, erecting masonry structures and setting out masonry structures.

Alongside these compulsory units, however, it is also necessary for those undertaking this route to pass one of a number of available optional units. These relate to such aspects of the profession as the erection of thin joint masonry structures in the workplace, the maintenance of slate and tile roofing in the workplace, the production of internal solid plastering finishes in the workplace, and many more.

Don’t wait any longer to take the next big step in your career

If you are confident that you possess the necessary experience and knowledge in the aforementioned units to pass the course, why not get in touch with the YTA team today?

When you do, we’ll be able to discuss the process with you and arrange for our NVQ bricklaying assessor to call you and complete a ‘skills scan’. Then, we’ll hopefully both be sure enough that it is worth your time, effort and investment to book a place on the formal EWPA route.

We undertake these assessments every week, including on weekends, so it shouldn’t be difficult for us to book a date that makes sense for you.

To learn more about this EWPA assessment route or any of our other bricklaying courses, simply call the YTA team now, on 01274 682199. We’ll help you to make the next big advance in your career as a bricklayer!

28th August 2019 By Liz Spider

Obtain your bricklaying Level 2 NVQ diploma in just one day via the EWPA route

Have you already spent five years or more as a bricklayer, but would like to upgrade your qualifications? If so, our bricklaying NVQ Level 2 courses here at YTA may be of great interest to you – or to be more specific, the Experienced Worker Practical Assessment (EWPA) option that enables you to acquire a diploma in your trade through practical assessment.

What do we mean by “practical assessment”? Well, the process is all about having your existing skills evaluated through professional discussion, witness statements and, of course, having your capabilities practically assessed by an NVQ assessor.

If you are judged to be of the right standard, you will then be sent your certificate, which you will be able to use to apply for the blue skilled worker CSCS card enabling you to get on-site as a bricklayer.

What units will you need to complete as part of this course?

There are five mandatory units that constitute the bricklaying NVQ Level 2 course, covering such subjects as conforming to general workplace safety, conforming to efficient work practices, moving and handling resources, erecting masonry structures, and setting out masonry structures.

You will also, however, be expected to complete an additional optional unit, of which there is a wide range to choose from. The unit that you select here may relate to erecting masonry cladding, placing and finishing non-specialist concrete, installing drainage or any of the variety of other specialities in bricklaying.

A thorough assessment process to ensure your suitability

There are various elements of the process of obtaining this diploma, including witness testimonies, practical assessment, professional discussion and direct questioning. It’s all designed to ascertain whether you possess sufficient ability and experience to place you alongside anyone else undertaking and passing bricklaying NVQ Level 2 courses.

If, at the end of your day with us at our NVQ assessment centre, you are judged to have achieved the certificate, well done! Remember that it could be less than two weeks between you making your first contact with us and your assessment being completed, so you could be back on site, earning a wage with your blue card, sooner than you think.

Call the YTA team, then, on 01274 682199, to learn more about place availability and to make your booking for an EWPA on a day of the week to suit you – as well as, of course, to ask any questions that you may have about this course route before committing.

19th July 2018 By Graham Binns

New 5 Star Review of YTA Training and Assessment – Cskills Level 2 NVQ in Site Carpentry EWPA

A superb recent 5 star review from Micheal Manning who has recently completed his NVQ level 2 in Site Carpentry. Micheal is an experienced carpenter and joiner that needed to gain the NVQ level 2 in Carpentry so he could gain the blue ‘skilled worker’ CSCS card. The EWPA (Experienced Worker Practical Assessment) is the quickest route to gaining the NVQ if you have over 5 years experience as a carpenter & joiner. The EWPA route for the NVQ level 2 takes just one full day at our centre and we run the assessments predominantly at weekends.

The assessment went well, the trainers and the assessors were great, they make you feel at ease and can not do enough for you, the centre itself is fully kitted out and very professional, I would recommend this company to anyone, 10 out of 10.

Fantastic review Michael, 10 out of 10. Thank you from the YTA Team.

The EWPA is a NVQ assessment route enabling an experienced worker to achieve their NVQ level 2 in their relevant trade through a practical assessment. By using your skills acquired over the years to complete a task in our NVQ Centre (usually 1 day) which is then assessed. This qualification is the one required to attain the blue skilled worker CSCS card and gain construction site work.

We offer the EWPA route for the below trades:

NVQ Level 2 Certificate in Wall and Floor Tiling
NVQ Level 2 Diploma in Bricklaying
NVQ Level 2 Diploma in Site Carpentry
NVQ Level 2 Diploma in Plastering

We also offer NVQ level 2 assessments for more trades through the OSAT (On Site Assessment & Training) and you must have a minimum of 3 years experience for this route of assessment.

6th July 2018 By Graham Binns

Selection Of Photos Taken In May Around The Training Centre

A small selection of photographs taken at various dates this last month in the training centre. Various courses shown in action from plumbing, tiling, bricklaying, plastering, carpentry, joinery and kitchen fitting courses. Also a very busy month helping experienced workers gain their NVQ level 2 qualifications in tiling, plastering, site carpentry and bricklaying through both the EWPA and OSAT NVQ routes.

If you are thinking of completing a trade course or NVQ level 2 at YTA and would like to look around first then please feel free to come visit the training centre and a member of the YTA team will gladly make you a brew and show you around anytime Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5pm. Alternatively please call the office on 01274682199 to book a course or to enquire about availability.