Road/Street Works Operative

Regulators
  • Street Works Qualification Register
Nations
United Kingdom
Sectors
  • Transport

Regulatory or professional bodies

Primary regulator

Address

58 Robertson Street
Glasgow
G2 8DQ

Email address
swqr@sqa.org.uk
Phone number
+44 (0)345 270 2720

Regulation

Regulation summary

The legislation covering Street Works is dependent upon where you work in the United Kingdom (UK).

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1991/22/contents (NRSWA) England, Wales & Northern Ireland
https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/the-road-works-qualifications-of-operatives-and-supervisors-scotland-regulations-2017 (Scotland)

The role of the Operative covers a wide range of activities and the qualifications you require will be determined by the type of work you will undertake.
As an Operative, your duties can include building and maintaining roads, carrying out improvements like road widening, and repairing potholes and cracks in road surfaces. Clearing areas of road to be surfaced using a range of equipment, such as diggers and hand tools like picks, rakes, spades, and shovels. Mixing surfacing materials such as concrete or tarmac and spread it in layers. When the layers have been set, you will flatten the new surface using mechanical or hand rollers.
The work can also involve repairing roadside fences and barriers and central reservations. You may also put-up road signs, plant and maintain hedges and grass, mark roads using paint-distributing machines and spread grit or sand on icy roads in winter. Operatives may also lay kerbstones and paving slabs. Training is mainly on the job and may cover basic skills in bricklaying, street masonry, and plant maintenance.

Once certificated and having met SWQR requirements, you can apply for an ID Card for Units and qualifications related to carrying out works on the roads and highways.

Regulation type

Licence

Reserved activities

N/A


Qualifications and experience

New professionals

Routes to qualification

If you have never held a Street Works Card before, you need to:
Contact an Awarding Organisation (AO) to find out which Training Providers (Centres) are nearest to you, these are listed below.
City & Guilds
1 Giltspur Street
London
EC1A 9DD
Tel: +44 (0) 84 4543 0033
Email: enquiries@cityandguildsgroup.com
www.cityandguilds.com

CABWI Awarding Body
6 Bevis Marks
London,
EC3A 7BA
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7469 2641
Email: enquiries@cabwi.co.uk
www.cabwi.co.uk

Highfield Qualifications
First Point
Balby Carr Bank
Doncaster
South Yorkshire
DN4 5JQ, UK
Tel: 01302 363277
Email: info@highfield.co.uk
www.highfieldqualifications.com

Scottish Qualifications Authority
The Optima Building
58 Robertson Street
Glasgow, G2 8DQ
Tel: +44 (0) 345 279 1000
Email: customer@sqa.org.uk
www.sqa.org.uk

LANTRA
Lantra House
Stoneleigh Park
Coventry
CV8 2LG
Tel: +44 (0) 24 7509 1999
Email: awards@lantra.co.uk
www.lantra.co.uk

NOCN
Acero Building
1 Concourse Way
Sheffield,
S1 2BJ
Tel: +44 (0) 300 999 1177
Email: nocn@nocn.org.uk
www.nocn.org.uk

Smart Awards
Beechwood House,
Tanners Lane
Berkswell, Coventry
CV7 7DA
Tel: +44 (0) 2476 421125
Email: info@smartawards.co.uk
www.smartawards.co.uk

Professionals from outside the UK

Recognition for professionals outside the UK
All - there are routes to recognition for professionals from all countries
Summary of routes

If you have never held a Street Works Card before, you need to start by doing the following:

Contact an Awarding Organisation (AO) to find out which Training Providers (Centres) are nearest to your location, these are listed below.
City & Guilds
1 Giltspur Street
London
EC1A 9DD
Tel: +44 (0) 84 4543 0033
Email: enquiries@cityandguildsgroup.com
www.cityandguilds.com

CABWI Awarding Body
6 Bevis Marks
London,
EC3A 7BA
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7469 2641
Email: enquiries@cabwi.co.uk
www.cabwi.co.uk

Scottish Qualifications Authority
The Optima Building
58 Robertson Street
Glasgow, G2 8DQ
Tel: +44 (0) 345 279 1000
Email: customer@sqa.org.uk
www.sqa.org.uk

LANTRA
Lantra House
Stoneleigh Park
Coventry
CV8 2LG
Tel: +44 (0) 24 7509 1999
Email: awards@lantra.co.uk
www.lantra.co.uk

NOCN
Acero Building
1 Concourse Way
Sheffield,
S1 2BJ
Tel: +44 (0) 300 999 1177
Email: nocn@nocn.org.uk
www.nocn.org.uk

Smart Awards
Beechwood House,
Tanners Lane
Berkswell, Coventry
CV7 7DA
Tel: +44 (0) 2476 421125
Email: info@smartawards.co.uk
www.smartawards.co.uk

Once you have contacted the AO and selected a Training Provider you can register with the Training Provider for Assessment or training and assessment for the units or qualifications you require.
When you have completed your assessment (s) your Training Provider will notify the AO who will issue certificates for the Units or qualifications you have completed.
Once the certificates are issued, the Training Provider will apply on your behalf to the Street Works Qualifications Register (SWQR) for your ID Card. This will require a recent passport photograph of you to be included with your application.


Registration

Registration requirements

Initially, you (the candidate) must be certificated by an approved Awarding Organisation, details can be found on the website www.swqr.org.uk.

More about registration
https://www.swqr.org.uk/SWQR/Home

Legislation

Title of relevant act or charter

New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 (England, Wales & Northern Ireland)

Title of relevant act or charter

The-road-works-qualifications-of-operatives-and-supervisors-Scotland-regulations-2017 (Scotland)
https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/the-road-works-qualifications-of-operatives-and-supervisors-scotland-regulations-2017

The relevant legislation can be found on the website.

Website link to legislation
https://www.swqr.org.uk/SWQR/Home

Licence Finder

You may need licences and permits to carry out certain activities in the UK. These are called authorisations. Use the licence finder to find what you need.