NRSWA course is perfect for your workforce

There are many different skills that you can add to your CV, all of which will make you stand out compared to other potential candidates when a job comes up. One popular group of training courses leading to City and Guilds qualifications for street works are the New Roads and Street Works Act (NRSWA) courses and there are many to choose from. Regardless of your area of work, there will be a course that is suited to your drive and ambition to better yourself.

There is a legal duty for supervisors and operatives to perform their duties to standards prescribed by City & Guilds and in compliance with the New Roads and Street Works (NRSW) Act and associated Approved Codes of Practice (ACOP’s).

Every NRSWA course is aimed at ensuring the safety of those working on the highway as well as the general public, who may be vulnerable to acts of omissions of those working on the highway. Even if you are carrying out an additional qualification yourself without the support of an employer, an NRSWA course may be appropriate for you to help you gain a qualification that will allow you to work on the highways.

A candidate who successfully completes an NRSWA course will receive the relevant City & Guilds certification.

NRSWA courses include both a theory element and a practical element. Courses are either carried out as public courses or can sometimes be carried out at as dedicated courses on a remote site provided that the site meets defined minimum standards.

The main NRSWA course options are:

Signing, Lighting and Guarding (Unit 2) – An operative unit relating to setting out of signs, traffic lights, cones and barriers.

Signing, Lighting and Guarding (Unit 10) - A supervisor’s unit, which qualifies supervisors to monitor others involved in road works on the highway.

Operative Units (Units 1 to 6, 7, 8 and 9) – These are operative units for those who are involved in excavation and reinstatement on the public highway. The number and combination of units taken will vary dependent on specific candidate requirements.

Supervisor Units 1 and 10 to 16 - These units are for supervisors are involved in supervising excavation and reinstatement works on the public highway, and the number and combination of units taken will vary dependent on specific candidate requirements.

The way the courses are organised helps a business as well. If a company decides to send its employees on an NRSWA course, they do not want to lose staff for a long period of time or all at once. Having a number of employees needing trained up could cause difficulties in getting them up to speed at the same time. A business would be unwilling to lose all of their staff at the same time and here open course options are probably the best option.

Some companies are interested in running an NRSWA course in-house to ensure all of their employees have passed the test. This is great for the company as they will know that all of their staff up to speed and the companies who provide the training are happy to provide this sort of course package, provided that the site facilities meet minimum requirements. When both parties can benefit, it makes perfect business sense to conclude an agreement.

No matter the skill of the employee or what rank they have, there are NRSWA course options to suit them. Whether it is to improve the overall skill level of the company or to ensure that the company is compliant with the latest regulations, a training solution will be easy to find. It has never been more important to have a fully trained and confident workforce.