Work Based Assessments for Carpentry NVQ Level 2

If you are working as a Carpenter and have done so for less than 5 years, are you now in a position where you would like to achieve an NVQ at level 2? We can arrange work based assessments to confirm your carpentry competence and claim your NVQ which will generate the right CSCS card for you.

As an NVQ approved assessment centre, Able Skills can offer NVQ on site assessment (OSAT) to those of you who have underpinning qualifications or who have been working within the Carpentry industry for less than 5 years and who have reached a level of competence which falls in line with NVQ Occupational Standards.

OSAT: NVQ Route - On Site Assessment for Carpenters with less than 5 years experience

If you have underpinning qualifications or have spent less than 5 years undertaking carpentry work, we recommend the following:-

We have our own Assessors and Internal Verifiers, all of whom are City & Guilds and Construction Skills approved. As long as you are working within the Carpentry Industry, we can come and assess you on site.

In order to qualify and register for this carpentry NVQ, the following criteria must be met:

• You must work within a 60 mile radius of Dartford Postcode: DA1
• You will need to be employed in a role that is related to carpentry

These qualifications (NVQs) focus on practical skills and knowledge. Developed and approved by people who work in the industry, they are a great way to get into construction or to boost your career by developing new skills and knowledge through the assessment of work based competence.

Carpentry NVQ Assessment process

The process will start with an interview between you and your assessor whereby an action plan and timetable will be drawn up.

You will be required to gather and record evidence as indicated on your assessment plan and you would benefit from a work based recorder (Supervisor or foreman); this will help to confirm work which you have undertaken which an Assessor was unable to be present at.

Assessments will be at your work place whereby we will be observing you at work undertaking carpentry work; we will examine and discuss any evidence you have provided. An assessor will sign off completed units, where sufficient quality and quantity has been provided, any shortfalls of evidence will be discussed and any training requirements identified. In between visits, you will continue to generate further evidence.

The units required to achieve aQUA900 L2 NVQ Diploma in Wood Occupations (Construction) - Site Carpentryare:

• QCF 641:Conforming to General Health, Safety and Welfare in the Workplace
• QCF 642:Conforming to Productive Working Practices in the Workplace
• QCF 643:Moving, Handling and Storing Resources in the Workplace

Supported by THREE optional units from:

• QCF 09Av2:Installing First Fixing Components in the Workplace
• QCF10 Av2:Installing Second Fixing Components in the Workplace
• QCF 11v2:Erecting Structural Carcassing Components in the Workplace
• QCF 12v2:Maintaining Non-structural Carpentry Work in the Workplace
• QCF 628:Setting Up and Using Transportable Cutting and Shaping Machines in the Workplace

From registration, you will have 3 years allocated time in which to achieve the Carpentry NVQ. NVQs can be achieved in a relatively short space of time however, if the Carpentry work you are doing is restricted or repetitive, the NVQ process can take longer because the opportunity to meet all of the required NVQ units will not be available to you.

Once you have achieved NVQ level 2 via this route, you may wish to consider being assessed on-site to achieve level 3 at a later date.

OSAT for Employers

OSAT is a method of delivering NVQs for experienced workers within the Construction Industry which meets the needs of both the industry and individuals.

Programmes are designed to assess individuals in their normal working environment as the focus is on what individuals do in their normal working environment so therefore the benefit to Companies are:

• There is no downtime because Carpentry Assessments are carried out on site
• More qualified and competent employees generate a higher quality product
• Employees complete work faster and waste less time correcting mistakes
• Creates greater awareness of health and safety issues which means there are fewer accidents

The benefits to individuals are:

• Helps workers achieve vital skills so they achieve CSCS cards quickly and easily
• Takes account of existing skills so workers only train towards the things they don't know how to do
• Achieves Carpentry qualifications to show to potential customers

OSAT and CSCS

An increasing number of companies, contractors and clients are looking for operatives and employees to prove their competence via the CSCS card and working towards or achieving the Carpentry NVQ will allocate the following:

Red Card - EXPERIENCED WORKER - Registration will take place at profiling stage and as long as you sit/have sat a Construction Skills health and safety test, this card will be generated. The card is issued on a temporary basis, while the NVQ is being achieved. The card is valid for one year and is non-renewable. An Experienced Worker Card cannot be replaced by a Construction Site Operative or a Basic Skills Green Card.

Blue Card - SKILLED WORKER - You will qualify for a blue skilled card once you have successfully completed the EWPA process and achieved the NVQ level 2

All applicants must pass the Construction Skills health and safety test.

All of our courses take place at our dedicated training centre in Dartford, Kent. The centre is easily accessible by road, being just 10 minutes from junction 1a on the M25. We are only a short walk from Dartford train station which is served by frequent trains taking 35 minutes from central London. For anyone travelling from further away, we have our own accommodation available at only £25 per night.

We are open 7 days a week (08.30 16.30) for visitors so if you would like to find out more about this course or about Able Skills, please feel free to pop in, no appointment necessary.

The cost to achieve NVQ level 2 via this OSAT route is £1500.00 based on 2 work related assessments - prices include vat.