You Are Here: Carpentry Courses > Experienced Worker Practical Assessment (EWPA)
Carpentry EWPA Qualification Route from Able Skills
If you have been working within the carpentry industry for a considerable amount of time but have never achieved any Carpentry qualifications, Able Skills can help you to put this right.
Time served and experienced Carpenters now have the opportunity to obtain NVQ Level 2 qualifications in Carpentry in a relatively short space of time and with little or no disruption to ongoing commitments. There is no requirement for site visits; everything can be done at Able Skills Construction Training Centre as we have the facilities and staff in place to fast track you through the NVQ process.
If you feel the need to be formally assessed in order to gain your Carpentry NVQ and an Experienced Worker CSCS card then this fast route to NVQ is ideal.
EWPA – (Experienced Worker Practical Assessment) is a fast track qualification option and with the right evidence in place, can be achieved in as little as 2 days, usually at weekends.
We have all of the required assessment procedures in place, the staff, the facilities and the support and guidance to help you obtain A Carpentry NVQ, a requirement for any construction site worker for 2010.
Candidate Criteria
The criteria for all EWPA candidates include:
- Being site experienced in all the stated skills of the Carpentry NVQ
- Having sufficient experience of the skills of the NVQ, so that planning your working day, problem solving and decision making and working to deadlines (with regard to Carpentry) are a usual day-to-day activity
- An ability to cope with the demands of an intensive practical assessment process
- An ability to work safely at all times
- An ability to discuss your work activities with others
The following mandatory units make up this level 2 NVQ:
VR01: Conform to general workplace safety
VR02: Conform to efficient work practices
VR03: Move and handle resources
Supported by THREE optional units from:
VR09: Install first fixing components
VR10: Install second fixing components
VR11: Erect structural carcassing components
VR12: Maintain non-structural carpentry work
VR13: Set up and use circular saws
This is a fast route open through the CAA-ConstructionSkills / City & Guilds awarding body. It is available for workers with a minimum of five years experience and who don’t need any further Carpentry training.
The whole process can be completed quite quickly if all evidence is in place and to start, you will undertake a profiling session with our carpentry assessor who will skill match you to identify your suitability for this NVQ fast track route.
If you are successful at the profiling stage, we will then arrange for you to come back to Able Skills Construction Training Centre whereby you will undertake a practical task as set by Construction Awards Alliance and a recorded Professional Discussion; this can be arranged for weekends if you are unavailable through the week.
You may also be required to obtain additional evidence: Witness testimonies, work records or photographic evidence etc to support the fact that you are an experienced Carpenter.
All the skills and evidence needed to pass the Carpentry NVQ are included in the one practical task, this is observed by our approved Carpentry assessor and photographic evidence is built for lasting evidence of the entire procedure.
The 4 Steps of EWPA
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 Carpenter.
Step 2: At your profiling appointment our Carpentry 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 ‘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 work, site plans, qualifications or proof of 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. 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 Carpentry assessor. This will be followed by a recorded professional discussion to assess your knowledge of Carpentry; we will aim to complete this process over a period of 2 days which can be weekends.
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 assessment all is not lost: the work you have done can still count towards your qualification through OSAT.
Whether you are looking to gain an NVQ for the purposes of obtaining an Experienced Worker CSCS card or if you are considering emigrating and taking your Carpentry skills to another country, this experienced worker fast track option is a fantastic route to gaining that all important qualification. This is an opportunity for you to have the paperwork that is sometimes an official requirement to prove that you are an experienced and skilled Carpenter.
Funding for Carpentry NVQs
There is funding available for anyone looking to undertake their first full level 2 qualification; this is subject to certain criteria being met.
Staff at Able Skills will be happy to establish your eligibility or you can visit: http://www.traintogain.gov.uk/Helping_Your_Business/eligible/ for full details on how train to gain may help you gain the qualification you are lacking.
For more information, help and advice, please phone us on 0808 100 3245
Or for more information please Email us.
For people travelling longer distances Able Skills Ltd can provide their own reasonably priced accommodation on request or at the time of booking.
