YTA Training

Carpentry

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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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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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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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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. 

 

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