coteca.co.uk > Blog > Bricklaying NVQ Requirements for Skilled Construction Workers
If you already lay bricks for a living but have nothing on paper to prove it, a bricklaying NVQ is how you turn that experience into a recognised qualification. It is also what most main contractors expect to see before they let a bricklayer on site with a skilled worker card.
This guide explains the bricklaying NVQ requirements in plain terms: who can enrol, what you need to show your assessor, and where the qualification can take you.
An NVQ is not a classroom course. It is assessed on the work you already do, so the requirements are mostly about your job rather than your exam results.
Your job
You need to be doing bricklaying work on a real site, either employed or self-employed. Your assessor has to see you lay bricks and blocks, so labouring alongside a bricklayer is not enough on its own.
Your evidence
Expect to gather photos, job sheets, drawings you worked from and short witness statements from a supervisor or client. Your assessor will also visit, or watch you by video, at least once.
Site access
Most sites want some form of CSCS card while you train. If you have the experience but no qualification, the Red Experienced Worker card covers you while your NVQ is in progress.
The test
You will need a pass in the CITB Operatives test, taken within the last two years, before you can apply for your skilled worker card at the end.
Most bricklayers start with the NVQ Level 2 in Trowel Occupations (Bricklaying). It covers setting out, building cavity walls, laying to line and level, and working safely with mortar and materials. Passing it lets you apply for the CSCS Blue Skilled Worker card, valid for five years.
If you already run complex work such as arches, curved walls or decorative brickwork, the Level 3 brickwork NVQ is the next step. It leads to the Gold Advanced Craft card and is useful if you want to supervise a gang later on.
There is no fixed course length. It depends on how quickly you can show the full range of work. As a rough guide:
If you are new to the trade and have never laid bricks on site, a fast-track bricklaying course or college training comes first. The NVQ is for people who can already do the job.
Tell us about the bricklaying work you do and we will check which level suits you, register you with an assessor and help you plan your evidence. When you finish, we can sort your CITB test booking and your blue card application too. See all our NVQ courses or call us on 0208 099 4324.
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