nrswa made simple an easy way to navigate the scheme

If you are new to NRSWA and are looking to complete one of the streetworks courses you may need a bit of help deciding which to sit or which combination you need. You may also need to decide whether to sit Operative or Supervisor courses.

Choosing a Course Level

If you are going to be completing tasks such as backfilling, excavations or reinstatement then you will be classed as an operative and will need one of the operatives’ streetworks courses.

If you will be managing others doing these tasks then you will be a supervisor and so will need one of the supervisors’ streetworks courses. It is important that you choose the correct course for the role that you will be doing, in order to be properly trained.

If you need to be able to do both roles, remember that you will have to do two separate training courses as you cannot train to be a supervisor and an operative on the same course. 

Turning Units into Qualifications 

Streetworks courses are split into units and qualifications. Different mixes of units result in the one of the six qualifications available for supervisors or operatives. It is essential that you complete the correct group of units for the qualifications that you will need as a street worker. 

• There are six qualifications available for supervisors and six for operatives. 
• To gain any qualification, delegates must complete the relevant set of units.

Both the operatives’ and supervisors’ units share the same themes, with a different emphasis. The Operative units are focused on how to complete these tasks, while the Supervisor units are geared towards overseeing them. While both supervisors and operatives share the 001 unit (Location and Avoidance of Underground Apparatus), the rest are numbered differently to make it clearer. Operative units are number from 001-009 and supervisors’ units 001, 010 -016 (with a 1 instead of a 0 in the middle, with the exception of 002 which both levels share).

The key benefit of this unit structure is that individuals or companies can pick and choose the specific parts which they need. This is often guided by the need to gain NRSWA qualifications. 

Operative Units & Qualification Combinations

There are nine NRSWA operative units of competence with the New Roads and Street Works Act for Operatives to study:

• 001 - Location and avoidance of underground apparatus.
• 002 - Signing, lighting and guarding.
• 003 - Excavation in the highway.
• 004 - Reinstatement and compaction of backfill materials.
• 005 - Reinstatement of sub-base and road base in non-bituminous materials.
• 006 - Reinstatement in cold-lay bituminous materials.
• 007 - Reinstatement in hot-lay bituminous materials.
• 008 - Reinstatement of concrete slabs.
• 009 - Reinstatement of modular surfaces and concrete footways.

The resulting 6 qualification combinations are:

• Units 001, 002 and 003 can be combined to gain the 01 Excavation in The Road/Highway Qualification.
• Units 001, 002, 003, 004, 005 and 006 combine as qualification 02 Excavation, Backfilling and Reinstatement – Cold Lay.
• Units 001, 002, 006 and 007 combine to make qualification 03 - Reinstatement – Hot and Cold Lay Bituminous Materials.
• Successful completion of units 001, 002 and 008 combine to make qualification 04 - Reinstatement of Concrete Slabs.
• Units 001, 002 and 009 combine to make qualification 05 - Reinstatement of Modular Surfaces and Concrete Footways
• Completing 002 unit on its own entitles the delegate to hold the 06 Signing, Lighting and Guarding qualification. 

Supervisor Units & Qualification Combinations

• 001 - Location and avoidance of underground apparatus.
• 010 - Monitoring signing, lighting and guarding.
• 011 - Monitoring excavation in the highway.
• 012 - Monitoring reinstatement and compaction of backfill materials.
• 013 - Monitoring reinstatement of sub-base and road base in non-bituminous materials.
• 014 - Monitoring reinstatement in bituminous materials.
• 015 - Monitoring reinstatement of concrete slabs.
• 016 - Monitoring reinstatement of modular surfaces and concrete footways.

The resulting 6 qualification combinations are:

• Units 001, 010 and 011 combine to make the S1 Monitor Excavation in The Road/Highway qualification.
• 001, 010, 011,012,013 and 014 combine to gain S2 Monitor Excavation, Backfilling and Reinstatement - Construction Layers qualification.
• Units 001, 010 and 014 combine to create the S4 qualification - Monitor Reinstatement – Hot and Cold Lay Bituminous Materials
• 001, 010 and 015 combine for the S4 qualification - Monitor Reinstatement of Concrete Slabs
• Units 001, 010 and 016 combine into the S5 qualification - Monitor Reinstatement of Modular Surfaces and Concrete Footways
• Completing 010 will result in qualification S6 - Monitor Signing, Lighting and Guarding.