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Non-Structural Concreting NVQ Level 2
Non-Structural Concreting NVQ Level 2
Paths, bases, blinding, surrounds — the everyday concrete that still has to be placed and finished right. Prove your competence with a work-based NVQ assessed on your pours, on the typical route to the Blue Skilled Worker CSCS card. It costs £750 fixed with no VAT, typically takes 4–8 weeks with assessment carried out remotely or on site from your normal work — no exams, no classroom, and leads to the Blue Skilled Worker card.
Qualification Overview
Not every pour is a structural one, but every pour shows. Footpaths that drain, plant bases that sit level, kerb haunching that holds, surrounds and blinding placed clean — non-structural concreting is the bread-and-butter skill of groundworks gangs, and clients still expect it qualified. This NVQ documents that competence from your normal work.
A CTG assessor visits your jobs, watches you place and finish non-specialist concrete, and gathers photos, witness statements and professional discussion. No exams, no classroom — assessor visits are included as standard.
You achieve the GQA Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Construction Operations and Civil Engineering (qualification code 600/6515/1) through the Non-Structural Concreting pathway — the typical qualification route to the Blue Skilled Worker CSCS card.
Qualification Structure
Key information
| Full title | GQA Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Construction Operations and Civil Engineering |
| Qualification code | 600/6515/1 |
| Pathway | Non-Structural Concreting |
| Level | 2 |
| Awarding body | GQA |
| Price | £750 — fixed, no VAT |
| Typical completion | 4–8 weeks |
| Assessment | On-site evidence — no exams, no classroom |
| Typical CSCS route | Blue Skilled Worker |
What the Non-Structural Concreting pathway covers
The pathway covers placing and finishing non-specialist concrete in the workplace, plus the qualification’s mandatory units. Reinforced structural pours are the Structural Concreting NVQ pathway; power-floated industrial floors sit with the Concrete Finisher NVQ qualification. One call registers the route that matches your actual pours.
Working on highways? Same trade, second route
Non-structural concreting also exists as a Highways Maintenance pathway (601/8294/5) for operatives on highway repair and street works pours — same price, same card outcome. Tell us where you work and we’ll register the right one. See the Highways Maintenance NVQ.
Who this NVQ is for
Experienced concreting operatives on groundworks and civils gangs whose pours are mainly paths, bases, surrounds, haunching and blinding. You should be working with minimal supervision. Typical evidence: preparing formwork and sub-bases, receiving and placing concrete, tamping and floating to falls, edging and jointing paths, protecting and curing, and clean reinstatement around the work.
Entry requirements
No formal entry qualifications. You must be placing concrete at work now, on jobs a CTG assessor can attend. New starters should build experience first — the NVQ assesses existing competence.
CSCS card route
This Level 2 NVQ is the typical qualification for the Blue Skilled Worker CSCS card, together with the relevant CITB Health, Safety & Environment test. CSCS issues the card, not CTG. See our CSCS cards guide.
Units — mandatory and optional
You achieve the GQA Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Construction Operations and Civil Engineering — Construction Operations, qualification code 600/6515/1. The unit structure below comes from the official GQA specification — your assessor maps your day-to-day work to these units at enrolment.
Mandatory units
- Conforming to General Health, Safety and Welfare in the Workplace
- Conforming to Productive Working Practices in the Workplace
Site safety units (10 credits required)
- Establishing Work Area Protection and Safety in the Workplace
- Segregating the Area for Highways Works in the Workplace
Non-Structural Concreting pathway units
- Placing and Finishing Non-specialist Concrete in the Workplace
- Moving, Handling and Storing Resources in the Workplace
Frequently asked questions
How long does the Non-Structural Concreting NVQ take?
Typically 4–8 weeks — most groundworks gangs pour weekly or better.
My pours are a mix of structural and non-structural — which pathway?
Whichever genuinely dominates your work. Describe a typical month and we’ll register the honest fit — see the Structural Concreting NVQ.
Does hand-finishing count, or do I need machines?
Hand placing and finishing is exactly what the pathway assesses. Power-floating regularly points to the Concrete Finisher qualification instead.
Can the gang enrol together?
Yes — concreting, drainage and kerbing operatives each on the right pathway in one visit plan.
Rated by the people we qualify
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Entry requirements
You are already doing the work day to day, as an employee or self-employed. There are no entry qualifications and no exams — you are assessed on the job you already do.
To start Level 2 qualification you need:
- A relevant job to be assessed in. This is a competence qualification, so you must have access to real work of the right type while you are registered. No workplace, no evidence.
- Proof of identity — a passport, driving licence or similar, as the awarding body requires.
- A National Insurance number, so we can obtain your Unique Learner Number.
- Enough English to explain your work to your assessor and to talk through your evidence.
- A device with a camera — a phone is fine. Evidence is photos and short videos of your own work, uploaded to your e-portfolio.
You do not need: any prior qualification, any classroom attendance, or to sit an exam. Assessment is entirely in your workplace via a remote e-portfolio, nationwide.
Tell us about any support need, disability or learning difficulty when you enrol and we will arrange reasonable adjustments — it does not affect whether you can take the qualification.
The awarding body sets the final entry criteria for each qualification. If you are not sure whether your current role gives you the right evidence, ask us before you book — we would rather tell you honestly than register you for something you cannot complete.
What card does this NVQ lead to?
Leads to the Blue CSCS Skilled Worker card
On completion you can apply for the Blue CSCS Skilled Worker card, proving competence in your trade.
Your NVQ pathway
- Level 2 Skilled
- Level 3 Advanced
- Level 4 Supervisor
- Level 5 Senior Supervisor
- Level 6 Manager
Your current qualification is highlighted. Progress up the pathway as your career develops.
How the e-portfolio assessment works
- Enrol and be assigned a dedicated occupational assessor.
- Gather workplace evidence — photos, videos, witness statements — via our online portal.
- Complete a professional discussion and observations against the 600/6515/1 standards.
- Certification, then apply to CSCS for your card.