Bricklaying Qualification Routes – Options Explained

Bricklaying Qualification Information and Guidance

The construction industry relies heavily on skilled people and in this day and age, skilled people with recognised qualifications.

Able Skills is a leading, quality construction training provider and assessment centre and we are committed to playing an active part in training inexperienced people to enter the industry, build on their experience and become skilled workers.

At the same time, we are also approved to assist skilled but unqualified workers to achieve the industry recognised qualifications in the most appropriate form and time span.

Bricklaying is a very demanding trade to work within; you need to be physically fit and patient with the weather!  Bricklaying is more varied in it’s scope than people realise and a good ‘Brickie’ is frequently hard to come by.

New builds, extensions etc can’t move ahead without the skills of a Bricklayer who is also still there at the end to add the finishing touches for a fancy garden wall or barbecue for the summer.

At Able Skills we have the facilities and experienced Bricklaying staff on hand to ensure that whatever aspect of bricklaying you want to learn or need to be assessed on, you can be!

We can take you from a bricklaying novice to a confident and competent bricklayer if you are dedicated and can take the time to listen to instruction and learn from the experts. We can also help those that have been laying bricks for many years to get the qualification that until 2010, they never needed.

City & Guilds are the leading industry recognised awarding body for construction training qualifications and Construction Awards Alliance (CAA) are the awarding body behind construction NVQs and Able Skills are approved by both to help individuals get to where they need to be within the Bricklaying trade.

Any Bricklaying training you consider undertaking should be done at a C&G or CAA approved Centre so that you can be assured that the facilities are correct, the courses are designed to progress you towards working and achieving an NVQ and more importantly, the staff are qualified as Bricklayers and as Assessors.

•    Able Skills CAA centre number is 5759        
•    Able Skills C&G centre number is 723054

Please visit our course details page to see what route to a Bricklaying qualification is most appropriate to you

New Entrants

For New Entrants looking for a training qualification in Bricklaying, there are currently 2 options available at Able Skills:

Route 1

New Entrants– No Existing Bricklaying Qualifications – New for 2011

If you do not have any underpinning Bricklaying qualifications, we recommend the following:-

City & Guilds 6218: QCF Bricklaying Certificate (5 Weeks)

Unit 006 - Introducing levelling in construction
Unit 009 - Introducing brickwork skills
Unit 110 - Developing brickwork skills
Unit 111 - Developing quoin skills
Unit 116 - Developing blockwork skills
Unit 205 - Expanding brickwork skills

This Bricklaying course is suitable for people who are not at this moment working in the Bricklaying industry and who would like to obtain the required qualification to work towards becoming a professional Bricklayer.

To broaden your understanding of Bricklaying, you can add an additional 2 weeks to this to gain further understanding of the requirements of the Bricklaying industry and receive additional training to ensure you are fully equipped to work within the industry and gather evidence to work towards an NVQ at level 2.

Route 2

Construction Awards Alliance Level 2 Bricklaying Diploma (6 Weeks)

This CAA Diploma will require 6 weeks of practical Bricklaying training and assessment. Completion of this Diploma will be determined by all of the following:

•    Achievement of each Bricklaying unit by internal testing undertaken by your instructor. Each Bricklaying knowledge unit also has a mandatory series of questions and answers produced by CAA and managed by your instructor.

•    Synoptic practical Bricklaying assignment set by CAA and controlled by your instructor. Successful completion of the assignment will be needed before the Bricklaying qualification can be completed.

•    Online test covering the core Bricklaying units and the occupational units must be passed to achieve the Bricklaying qualification. The test will be an independent test of Bricklaying knowledge and understanding.

As you can see from the above, completion of this Bricklaying Diploma requires candidates to demonstrate knowledge and competence on both a practical and theory level and therefore to confirm this, candidates are required to record their understanding of the subject in detail.

This Bricklaying course will require you to undertake some research in order for you to record your understanding of bricklaying and related aspects but to help you with this we have put together a comprehensive Bricklaying manual which will cover all of the knowledge units required to fully achieve this Bricklaying award.

This manual, along with practical Bricklaying training, demonstrations, ongoing guidance and advice will all help when you undertake your Bricklaying unit tests, final practical assessment and On-Line exam.

The Units you must complete to achieve this Level 2 Diploma in Bricklaying are:

•    Know how to carry out safe working practices
•    Carry out safe working practices
•    Knowledge of information, quantities and communicating with others 
•    Information, quantities and communicating with others
•    Knowledge of building methods and construction technology 
•    Building methods and construction technology
•    Know how to interpret working drawings to set out masonry structures
•    Interpret working drawings to set out masonry structures
•    Knowledge of thin joint masonry and masonry cladding
•    Thin joint masonry and masonry cladding
•    Know how to build solid walling, isolated and attached piers
•    Build solid walling, isolated and attached piers
•    Know how to build cavity walling forming masonry structures
•    Build cavity walling forming masonry structures

Existing Bricklayers

If you are already a Bricklayer but do not hold any formal qualifications, there are two routes to achieving a Bricklaying NVQ at level 2, dependent upon time served:

Route 1

Existing Bricklayers – Less than 5 years experience

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

On Site Assessment (OSAT)

In order to qualify and register for this Bricklaying 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 Bricklaying

Able Skills can offer NVQ on site assessment to those of you who have underpinning Bricklaying qualifications or who have been working in the Bricklaying industry for less than 5 years.

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

The process will start with an interview between you and your Bricklaying 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 Bricklaying work which you have undertaken which an Assessor was unable to be present at.

Bricklaying Assessments will be at your work place whereby we will be observing you at work Bricklaying; 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 Bricklaying evidence will be discussed and any Bricklaying training requirements identified. In between visits, you will continue to generate further evidence.

The units required to achieve a level 2 Bricklaying NVQ (QUA 813) are:

QCF 01 - Conforming to general safety in the workplace
QCF 02 - Conforming to efficient working practices in the workplace
QCF 03 - Moving and handling resources in the workplace
QCF 40 - Erecting masonry structures in the workplace
QCF 41 - Setting out masonry structures in the workplace

Supported by ONE optional unit from:

QCF 42 - Erecting masonry cladding in the workplace
QCF 43 - Laying domestic drainage in the workplace
QCF 44 - Erecting thin joint masonry structures in the workplace
QCF 45 - Placing and finishing non specialist concrete in the workplace
QCF 46 - Plastering and rendering surfaces in the workplace
QCF 47 - Maintaining slate and tile roofing in the workplace
QCF 50 - Repairing and maintaining masonry structures in the workplace

There is no time scale on achieving a Bricklaying NVQ. If your line of work allows, NVQs can be achieved in a relatively short space of time however, if the work you are doing is restricted or repetitive, the NVQ process can take longer because the opportunity to meet all of the required Bricklaying NVQ units will not be available to you.

Route 2

Existing Bricklayers – More than 5 years experience

If you have spent more than 5 years Bricklaying but have never gained qualifications, we recommend the following:-

The Experienced Worker Practical Assessment: EWPA

This is a fast route open through the CAA-ConstructionSkills / City & Guilds awarding body. It is available for Bricklayers with a minimum of five years experience and who do not need any further Bricklaying training.

The process involves profiling and skill matching by an Able Skills Bricklaying Assessor, evidence gathering, a practical Bricklaying assessment and a Professional Discussion. Any of these processes can be done at weekends.

All the skills needed to pass the Bricklaying NVQ are included in one task, which is observed by our approved Bricklaying Assessor.

The 4 Steps of EWPA - Your fast track route to a Bricklaying NVQ

Step 1: Upon contacting Able Skills, we will arrange a profiling appointment for you and make recommendations of the kind of information and evidence you may wish to bring along to support your application as an experienced Bricklayer.

Step 2: At your profiling appointment (which will last for approximately 2 hours) our Bricklaying assessor will introduce you to the process and make an initial assessment to ensure you are suitable to qualify through this method.

They will look over any items of Bricklaying ‘evidence’ you may have with you, evidence you provide can be in a written form, such as witness statements from customers or supervisors worked with in the past, or it can take the form of photographs of your Bricklaying work, site plans, qualifications or proof of Bricklaying employment.

If there is insufficient evidence but it is clear that you are a competent Bricklayer, you will be advised of what additional evidence is required which you will have to bring back to the Centre to undertake a review.. You will also be required to sit a health & safety test for your CSCS card if you haven’t done so already.

Step 3: Once all of the required portfolio evidence is complete, you will undertake a practical assessment of your skills which will be observed by our Bricklaying assessor.

This will be followed by a recorded professional discussion to assess your knowledge of Bricklaying; we will aim to complete this process over a period of 2 days, weekends are available.

Step 4: If you are successful, you will receive your full, Experienced Worker CSCS card and your NVQ certificate. If you do not pass the Bricklaying assessment all is not lost: the work you have done can still count towards your Bricklaying qualification through OSAT.

Summary: Bricklaying Qualifications

So whether you are new to the Bricklaying industry, time served or somewhere in between, we feel confident that we have the right training or assessment option for you. Whichever category you fall into, Able Skills is confident that with the quality of Bricklaying training we provide and staff in place, we can get you to where you need to be.

New to the Plastering Industry

Route 1 - City & Guilds 6218: QCF Bricklaying Certificate (5 Weeks)

(Or maybe add another 2 weeks to start the NVQ process)

Route 2 - Construction Awards Alliance Level 2 Bricklaying Diploma (6 Weeks)

Time Served Bricklayers

Route 1 - On Site Assessment (OSAT)

Route 2 - The Experienced Worker Practical Assessment: EWPA

Bricklaying Image Gallery

Book the Above Course

We are sorry but this course is not available for online booking. To book this course, please call us on 01322 280202 or use the form below: