Tiling Qualification Routes

The construction industry relies heavily on skilled people and Able Skills is a leading, quality training provider within this industry. We are committed to playing an active part in training inexperienced people to enter the industry, build on their experience and become skilled workers.

Tiling is a very popular trade to work within. It is very varied in it’s scope and a good Tiler will have the skills to cover every Tiling requirement from planning to preparation to finish, from small bathrooms to industrial sized floor areas and to be able to tile the most awkward of areas and with the most difficult to cut tiles.

At Able Skills we have the facilities and experienced Tiling staff on hand to ensure that all of these aspects of tiling can be covered in the various training programmes which we provide.

We can take you from a tiling novice to a confident and competent tiler if you are dedicated and can take the time to listen to instruction and learn from the experts.

If you are new to the Tiling industry and want to learn to tile in order to move on to employment or self employment as a Tiler, Able Skills is possibly the only private training facility in the UK able to provide a tiling training service which will provide you with a start to finish service.

This can include detailed and progressive training, assessment procedures, portfolio completion, NVQ registration and NVQ assessment.

Other than the Tiling Diploma, there is nothing in the way of a Tiling qualification delivered by City & Guilds so training providers are in the position of having to develop their own set of courses to meet the needs of the customer.

Some training centres will offer 2 to 3 weeks of training with a promise of an NVQ outcome, others will claim their own certification as being Nationally recognised and others, like Able Skills, will take the time to research the industry and the NVQ requirements and devise a series of training packages to reflect reality and genuinely enable novices to become professional and eventually, qualified Tilers. 

Be aware of the training centres throughout the UK who mislead individuals about the correct procedure and timings of gaining an NVQ. Promises of NVQs within a fortnight are readily available on the internet but be aware, this is not possible.

NVQs confirm competency within a working environment and are only available to competent tillers who are out in the industry, working and earning a wage as a Tiler.

NVQs cannot be achieved at any training centre because it is a simulated environment and doesn’t come equipped with all of the hazards and disruptions of normal working life.

Construction Awards Alliance (CAA)

CAA are the awarding body behind the NVQ in Tiling and therefore any training you consider undertaking should be done at a CAA approved Centre so that you can be assured that the facilities are correct, the courses designed to progress you towards working and achieving an NVQ and more importantly, the staff are qualified as Tilers and as Assessors.

Able Skills CAA centre number is 5759.

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

Route 1

New Entrants– No Existing Tiling Qualifications

Able Skills 6 Week Tiling Training

These 6 weeks of professional Tiling training will provide you with the skills and the confidence to take on Tiling work either on an employed or self employed basis.

The course will teach you tiling from scratch, moving you onwards through an advanced course, a City & Guilds unit accreditation, Natural Stone, Tanking and floor screeding and finishes with a final assessment to determine just how good you are.

The knowledge and skills gained can act as underpinning knowledge and can be used to guide you on through the NVQ process once you are working within the industry.

Route 2    

New Entrants– No Existing Tiling Qualifications

Able Skills 8 Week NVQ Tiling Training

These 8 weeks of Tiling training cover the same course content as the 6 week Tiling course but the additional 2 weeks cover NVQ training including portfolio building, Plastering and Geometric Tiling as these are specific units of the NVQ or EWPA.

This training option will incorporate NVQ registration and you will also receive a candidate work evidence pack which will guide you through the entire NVQ process.

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

Route 3

Construction Awards Alliance Level 2 Tiling Diploma (6 Weeks)

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

•    Achievement of each Tiling unit by internal testing undertaken by your instructor. Each Tiling knowledge unit also has a mandatory series of questions and answers produced by CAA and managed by your instructor.
•    Synoptic practical Tiling assignment set by CAA and controlled by your instructor. Successful completion of the assignment will be needed before the Tiling qualification can be completed.
•    Online test covering the core Tiling units and the occupational units must be passed to achieve the Tiling qualification. The test will be an independent test of Tiling knowledge and understanding.

As you can see from the above, completion of this Tiling 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 Tiling course will require you to undertake some research in order for you to record your understanding of tiling and related aspects but to help you with this we have put together a comprehensive Tiling manual which will cover all of the knowledge units required to fully achieve this Tiling award.

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

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

•    Know how to carry out safe working practices in construction
•    Carry out safe working practices in construction
•    Knowledge of information, quantities and communicating with others 2
•    Information, quantities and communicating with others 2
•    Knowledge of building methods and construction technology 2
•    Building methods and construction technology 2
•    Know how to form sand and cement screeds
•    Form sand and cement screeds
•    Know how to prepare backgrounds for tiling
•    Prepare backgrounds for tiling
•    Know how to tile floor surfaces
•    Tile floor surfaces
•    Know how to tile wall surfaces
•    Tile wall surfaces

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

Route 4

Existing Tilers – Less than 5 years experience

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

On Site Assessment (OSAT)

In order to qualify and register for this Tiling 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 Tiling

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

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

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

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

The units required to achieve a Level 2 NVQ Certificate in Wall & Floor Tiling (QUA850) 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 141 - Preparing Backgrounds to Receive Wall and/or Floor Tiling in the Workplace
QCF 142 - Tiling Wall and Floor Surfaces in the Workplace

Optional units – Not Required

QCF 149 - Laying Under Tile Electrical Heating Systems and Tiling Surfaces in the Workplace
QCF 402 - Slinging Signalling the Movement of Loads (Secondary Role) in the Workplace

There is no time scale on achieving a Tiling 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 Tiling NVQ units will not be available to you.

Route 5

Existing Tilers – More than 5 years experience

If you have spent more than 5 years Tiling 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 Tilers with a minimum of five years experience and who do not need any further Tiling training.

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

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

The 4 Steps of EWPA - Your fast track route to a Tiling 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 Tiler.

Step 2: At your profiling appointment (which will last for approximately 2 hours) our Tiling 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 Tiling ‘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 Tiling work, site plans, qualifications or proof of Tiling employment.

If there is insufficient evidence but it is clear that you are a competent Tiler, 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 Tiling assessor.

This will be followed by a recorded professional discussion to assess your knowledge of Tiling; 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 Tiling assessment all is not lost: the work you have done can still count towards your Tiling qualification through OSAT.

Summary: Tiling Qualifications

So whether you are new to the Tiling 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 Tiling training we provide and staff in place, we can get you to where you need to be.

Route 1 - City & Guilds Tiling (6 Weeks)

Route 2 - City & Guilds Tiling (8 Weeks)

Route 3 - Construction Awards Alliance Level 2 Tiling Diploma (6 Weeks)

Route 4 - On Site Assessment (OSAT)

Route 5 - The Experienced Worker Practical Assessment: EWPA
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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: