Hi all, I've been tiling for a while now with most of it being self tought. I am very interested in gaining further knowledge and am hoping you guys and girls could suggest any good books NVQ Level or not that I could learn from.

Please take a look at my albums for the level or quality of tiling. TilersForums.co.uk | Tile Forums | Tiling Forum - Hawkofeagles's Albums

Everything in the pictures Including the installation of Shower cubicles, Baths, toilets and basins were all installed by me as I'm a dab hand at plumbing as well.

But seriously I feel there is alot more I could learn and hope someone can help.

Thanks for you time..

P.S. Forgot to mention that I'm only interested in doing domestic tiling.

The best tiling books are the British Standards books. I don't think you'd find actual NVQ Tiling Books as such.

You wont learn anymore from having a nvq :Pete

if you look on Daves posts, by his signature there's a link to tiling books

Thanks Doug, Spotted that after I posted the thread.

much does it cost to do your nvq

Costing me nothing , don't know why was told it would'nt

Originally Posted by whitebeam

Costing me nothing

How is that possible Whitebeam?? any chance you could let on ....

Train to gain cost me nowt they should of paid me:Pete

Hi Pete, is train to gain a part time or full time course as I do work fulltime in another trade and want to get NVQ'ed in tiling?

mine is also through train to gain I have had one site visit from the assessor who wanted to watch me prepare the floor, set it out and also lay some tiles whilst he took photos and asked questions. one more assessment on walls and that should be it done. but he did say that the train to gain scheme is no longer available for free but he let me off because i was registered before the cut off date!

Train to Gain - Train to Gain

mine is not a full time course, it is osat(on site assessment and training) you need to be an experienced worker (i dont know how long exactly that is) and the assessor will arrange site visits and watch you in certain situations to show you are competent then once he signs you off you can apply for your cscs card as a wall and floor tiler.

Originally Posted by pjc

You wont learn anymore from having a nvq :Pete

What do you mean exactly? are you saying that an nvq is a waste of time?

Can be

Im not sure about the normal nvq courses but the osat nvq is not designed to teach you anything it is just a way to get experienced workers who can do the job the recognised qualifications in order to get cscs cards etc for site work.

why should we have to have it

its not compulsary but more and more companies are going down that route and are only employing sub contractors that have the relevant documentation to prove their competency and also to show that they understand health and safety. thats not to say they are any better or worse at doing the job it just seems that thats the way the industry is heading.

i alreay have a cscs card but couldent get one as a tiler because of a pice of paper had the skill but no nvq mad

Originally Posted by pjc

why should we have to have it

I suppose the obvious answer would be to create a level of workmanship that can be tested prior to handing out cscs cards to anyone that applied.
You can take the health and safety test to get a card but you will get the lowest level card I am sure. Taking the nvq route allows the assesor to see an individuals aptitude, it also allows for a dialogue to open up between assesor and pupil so that experience, know how and general performance can be monitored and assesed, all the practical work is recorded and so also is the question session at the end. I could think of a dozen tilers that are extremely good fixers but when it comes to health and safety they would not have a clue, the exam and H&S test are there to weed these guys out and so create a better working environment. After working on site for years this is a godsend and long overdue to minimize accidents and raise standards.

Originally Posted by pjc

i alreay have a cscs card but couldent get one as a tiler because of a pice of paper had the skill but no nvq mad

That sort of answer is the same thing I hear all the time, cscs has been running for a long time, I hear that statement all the time, here is an example; A commercial contract at a school during the summer break, I get the job and immediately let 2 tilers that I have worked with for years know that I want them on the job and to make sure they have their cscs cards etc etc, one has but the other will not take any tests because he has been tiling for 25 years and "no pen pusher is going to tell me how to do my job", fair enough, he is dropped and I move on to the guy that has taken the relevant tests. This is not rocket science, nor is it a stealth tax to get more money out of hard working tradesmen, it is a way of improving working conditions for all on site, it eliminates to a degree the eejits and chances, my advice to you pjc is to take the test, you will pass and then you will get a gold card for site work.

It has nothing to do with pen pushers but people that you haven't the skill until you have the paper work its peeps living we are talking about and we have to be accesed by peeps with not a clue

I really dont follow your wording very well, slang/text talk is alien to me, as a trusted advisor your answers should be guiding the people asking for help, your own personal feelings regarding the right or wrong of a system that is in place wont change anything, that is another thread that could be debated on, these requirements of tradespeople are going to get a lot more stringent and that will be a good thing, the genuine hardworking person has nothing to fear, nothing at all, anyone reading this thread that wants to know how to take the nvq route can find out the information on this site, I have a contact for an asessor that I will pass on via pm if you wish. Wringing your hands and thinking that its an unfair system will get you no-where.

apparently I can't get mine on train to gain 'cos I've got A levels and a HNC, so will have to pay for mine