NRSWA Training Courses and Street Works Qualifications
NRSWA training is the qualification for street works in the public highway, such as utility excavations and reinstatements. The law requires street works to be supervised by someone holding the supervisor units, with at least one qualified operative on site at all times while the works are in progress. Qualifications are recorded on a Street Works Qualifications Register (SWQR) card, and many employers expect everyone on a street works gang to hold the units for the tasks they carry out.
The scheme sits under the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991. In England, the Street Works (Qualifications of Operatives and Supervisors) (England) Regulations 2016 introduced the current unit references from 6 April 2017; Scotland has equivalent Road Works regulations from 2017, and Wales and Northern Ireland have their own arrangements. Envico is an independent training intermediary: we list NRSWA courses from accredited providers across the UK so you can compare dates, locations and unit combinations in one place.
The short version
Operatives take the O-series units. Supervisors take the S-series units. Everyone takes LA. Each unit on your SWQR card is registered for five years. In England and Scotland you can reassess while your units are valid or up to five years after they expire; leave it longer and you retake the initial assessments.
Operative or supervisor: which NRSWA course do you need?
The two routes are separate qualifications with separate cards, and one does not cover the other.
- Operatives carry out the work itself: locating apparatus, excavating, reinstating, and setting out signing, lighting and guarding. Operatives take the O-series units.
- Supervisors monitor that work and are responsible for compliance on site. Supervisors take the S-series units.
If you do both jobs, you need both sets of units. A supervisor card does not supersede an operative card, and holding S-series units alone does not permit you to carry out street works yourself.
NRSWA units explained
There are 16 units in total. One unit, LA, is common to both routes. Rows marked ◆ are key certificates: operatives need LA and O1, and supervisors need LA and S1, before any other unit can be added to the card.
Common unit
| Unit | Title |
|---|---|
| ◆ LA | Location and avoidance of underground apparatus (key certificate for both routes) |
Operative units (O-series)
| Unit | Title |
|---|---|
| ◆ O1 | Signing, lighting and guarding (key certificate) |
| O2 | Excavation in the highway |
| O3 | Reinstatement and compaction of backfill materials |
| O4 | Reinstatement of sub-base and base in non-bituminous materials |
| O5 | Reinstatement in cold-lay bituminous materials |
| O6 | Reinstatement in hot-lay bituminous materials |
| O7 | Reinstatement of concrete slabs |
| O8 | Reinstatement of modular surfaces and concrete footways |
Supervisor units (S-series)
| Unit | Title |
|---|---|
| ◆ S1 | Monitoring signing, lighting and guarding (key certificate) |
| S2 | Monitoring excavation in the highway |
| S3 | Monitoring reinstatement and compaction of backfill materials |
| S4 | Monitoring reinstatement of sub-base and base in non-bituminous materials |
| S5 | Monitoring reinstatement in bituminous materials (cold-lay and hot-lay) |
| S6 | Monitoring reinstatement of concrete slabs |
| S7 | Monitoring reinstatement of modular surfaces and concrete footways |
You may still see the older numeric references in use. Unit 001 is LA, units 002 to 009 are O1 to O8, and units 010 to 016 are S1 to S7.
Which units do you actually need?
You only need the units that match the work you do. Booking every unit is expensive and rarely necessary. The combinations below are the ones most commonly requested.
I only set out signs, cones and barriers
You need LA and O1. Signing, lighting and guarding is the most common standalone requirement, and both are key certificates you must hold before adding anything else.
I excavate but do not reinstate
You need LA, O1 and O2. This covers locating apparatus, protecting the site, and excavating in the highway.
I excavate, backfill and reinstate with cold-lay materials
You need LA and O1 to O5. This is the standard full operative combination for utility and cold-lay reinstatement work.
I lay hot-lay bituminous materials
Add O6 to your existing units. Hot-lay is assessed separately from cold-lay and is often taken as an add-on rather than part of an initial course.
I work on footways, block paving or concrete
Modular surfaces and concrete footways are O8. Concrete slabs are O7. Both are commonly added to a core operative qualification rather than taken alone.
I supervise a street works site
You need LA and S1 as a minimum, plus the S-series units matching the operations you are monitoring. Supervising excavation, for example, requires LA, S1 and S2.
The SWQR card and how long it lasts
Passing your assessments does not by itself put you on the register. Your training centre notifies the awarding body, which issues your certificates of competence. The centre then applies to the Street Works Qualifications Register, which issues the photo ID card listing every unit you hold and its expiry date.
Each unit is registered for five years from the date the awarding body certificates you, and each shows its own expiry date on the card. Three points catch people out.
◆ Reassess in time.
In England and Scotland, reassessment is available while your units are valid and for up to five years after they expire. After that you must sit the initial assessments again, and you cannot work on units that have expired.
◆ Key certificates hold up the rest.
If a key certificate (LA, O1 or S1) expires, the other units that depend on it stop being valid too, even if their own dates have not passed.
◆ Re-registration alone is not enough in England and Scotland.
You cannot renew by contacting the register directly; a reassessment certificate from an awarding body is required. In Wales and Northern Ireland, renewal is by application and fee without reassessment.
NRSWA reassessment
Reassessment is a knowledge test covering the units you already hold, delivered at an approved assessment centre. It is shorter and cheaper than an initial course, and on passing you receive fresh certificates, a new SWQR card, and a further five years.
If you have worked on the highway only occasionally during your five-year cycle, some candidates choose to sit the full assessment instead. That is a judgement call about how current your practical knowledge is, and it costs more.
Book reassessment before your units expire. Certificates and cards take time to process, expired units cannot be used on site, and if you leave it more than five years past expiry you start again from the initial course.
Awarding bodies and where your certificate comes from
The SWQR is the register, not the awarding body. Your certificates are issued by one of the recognised awarding organisations, which currently include CABWI, City & Guilds, Energy & Environment Awards, Highfield, LANTRA, NOCN, Smart Awards and Qualifications Scotland, which replaced SQA in December 2025.
All of them lead to the same SWQR card and the same legal standing. Employers occasionally specify a particular awarding body, so check before booking if you are training to meet a client requirement. Otherwise the practical differences are course availability, location and price rather than the value of the qualification.
England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
The scheme runs UK-wide but is structured differently across the devolved nations. In England and Scotland, units are held as stand-alone qualifications, each with defined key certificates. In Wales and Northern Ireland, units are combined into group awards, and every unit within a group award must be completed to achieve it.
If you register in England or Scotland, you can work in all four nations. If you register in Wales or Northern Ireland, you can work across the UK for your first five years, but after renewing there you are limited to Wales and Northern Ireland unless you reassess. Check the structure that applies to your main country of work before booking.
Book an NRSWA course
We list courses from the three awarding bodies below. All lead to the same SWQR card and the same legal standing. Choose on course availability, location and date unless your employer or client has specified a particular awarding body.
| Awarding body | Operatives | Supervisors | Reassessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| City & Guilds | Operative course | Supervisor course | Reassessment |
| CABWI | Operative course | Supervisor course | Reassessment |
| Qualifications Scotland (formerly SQA) | Operative course | Supervisor course | Reassessment |
Not sure which to book? Take the operative course if you carry out street works, the supervisor course if you monitor them, and reassessment if you already hold an SWQR card with units approaching their five-year expiry.
Need traffic management for a job rather than training your own team? Our sister site, Raybee, helps you find traffic management companies covering your area.
Related training
- Location and Avoidance of Underground Apparatus: the LA unit taken as a standalone course
- CAT and Genny Training: practical cable avoidance skills that support the LA unit
NRSWA training questions
Is NRSWA a legal requirement?
Yes, for street works. Under section 67 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991, the undertaker must make sure street works are supervised by a qualified supervisor and that at least one qualified operative is on site at all times while the works are in progress. Failing to do so is an offence. The requirement does not apply to works for road purposes carried out by highway authorities, although many authorities and contractors still ask for the qualification.
How long does an NRSWA course take?
It depends entirely on how many units you take. A single unit can be assessed in a day, while a full operative qualification covering LA and O1 to O5 typically runs across several days. Reassessment is usually shorter than an initial course.
Can I do NRSWA training online?
No. NRSWA units include practical assessment, so training and assessment take place at an approved centre. Some related subjects such as cable avoidance awareness are available online, but they do not substitute for NRSWA units on an SWQR card.
What is the difference between an NRSWA card and a Street Works card?
They are the same thing. The card is properly called an SWQR card, but it is widely referred to as an NRSWA card, a Street Works card or a streetworks ticket.
Do I need a CSCS card as well?
They cover different things. An SWQR card evidences street works competence on the highway. A CSCS card evidences general construction site competence. Many employers require both, depending on where the work takes place.
I have lost my SWQR card. What now?
Replacement cards are issued by the Street Works Qualifications Register rather than by a training provider, and only units that are still valid are printed on the replacement. You will need your card number or the details of the centre and awarding body that certificated you, which is why it is worth photographing both sides of your card when it arrives.
Unit requirements and card conditions are set by the Street Works Qualifications Register and the awarding bodies, and this page is general guidance rather than a substitute for checking your own scheme requirements.