The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) is Scotland’s national awarding and accreditation body, and one of the organisations awarding street works qualifications under the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991. Where you see an SQA street works qualification, SQA sets and awards it while an approved centre delivers the training and assessment.
The SQA courses listed on this page are all street works qualifications — for operatives, for supervisors, and the reassessment that keeps an existing registration current. For the subject in full, including the unit structure and the alternative awarding routes, see our NRSWA street works training hub.
Which SQA course do I need? Operatives if you carry out street works on the ground. Supervisors if you are responsible for the works and the people doing them. Reassessment if you already hold street works units and your registration is approaching its five-year expiry.
Does the awarding body matter? Usually not. Street works qualifications are also awarded by CABWI and City & Guilds, and the units are the same regardless of who awards them. What matters to a client is that you hold the right units and are registered, not whose name is on the certificate. Book on availability and location unless a specification names one.
Check which register applies. England and Wales operate the Street Works Qualifications Register; Scotland has its own Scottish Road Works Register. If you work across the border, confirm which your client requires before booking — ask us if you are not sure.
SQA street works courses
Three routes, aligned to your role on site and to where you are in the five-year cycle.
Operative
Those carrying out the works
★ Most requested
The operative units for anyone excavating, reinstating or signing and guarding works in the highway. Which units you need depends on the work you actually do, so check the specification before booking rather than assuming a full set.
Supervisor
Those responsible for the works
✓ Supervisor level
The supervisor units, covering the same subject areas from the perspective of managing the works rather than performing them. A site normally needs a qualified supervisor as well as qualified operatives, not one or the other.
Renewal
Existing registration holders
◆ Five-year cycle
Street works registrations run for five years and are then renewed by reassessment rather than by retaking the original course. Reassessment is shorter, but it assumes you already hold the units — book it before the registration lapses.
Book reassessment early. Street works registration runs on a five-year cycle, and an expired card can stop you working in the highway from the day it lapses. Reassessment dates fill up, so the practical advice is to book three to six months out rather than in the final weeks.
Check which units are actually on your card before booking. People frequently reassess a full set when they only ever use two or three, and occasionally the reverse — turning up to reassess units they never held.
About SQA as an awarding body
SQA is Scotland’s national body for developing, accrediting and awarding qualifications, and it operates on both sides of that fence — awarding its own qualifications and, through SQA Accreditation, regulating those offered by other awarding bodies in Scotland. Its qualifications are recognised by employers throughout the UK.
For street works, SQA is one of several routes to the same registration. That matters less than people expect: the units are common across awarding bodies, and a client checking your registration is looking at the units you hold rather than the badge on the certificate.
Street works awarding routes compared
Three awarding bodies, the same underlying qualification structure.
SQA — this page
Scotland’s national awarding body, offering operative, supervisor and reassessment routes. Recognised across the UK.
The water industry awarding body, offering the same operative, supervisor and reassessment street works routes.
The longest-established of the three in general vocational terms, with the same street works operative, supervisor and reassessment options.
Every street works route in one place, with the unit structure set out in full and dates from all three awarding bodies.
Training a gang? Street works units are almost always bought for whole teams, and the five-year cycle is far easier to manage when everyone certifies together. Delivery at your own depot removes the travel and puts the whole crew on the same renewal date. See on-site training for groups or call 0808 1966 830.
SQA course questions
What is SQA?
The Scottish Qualifications Authority, Scotland’s national body for developing, accrediting and awarding qualifications. It awards its own qualifications and, through SQA Accreditation, regulates qualifications offered by other awarding bodies in Scotland. SQA qualifications are recognised by employers throughout the UK.
Does it matter which awarding body my street works qualification comes from?
In most cases no. The unit structure is common across SQA, CABWI and City & Guilds, and what a client checks is the units you hold and your registration, not the awarding body. Book on date and location unless a specification names one explicitly.
Do I need operative or supervisor units?
It follows your role. Operative units are for those carrying out the works; supervisor units are for those responsible for them. A site typically needs both — qualified operatives on the ground and a qualified supervisor accountable for the works. Some people hold both sets, which is worth considering if you move between roles.
How often do street works qualifications need renewing?
Registration runs on a five-year cycle, renewed by reassessment rather than by retaking the original course. Book before the expiry date — an out-of-date registration can stop you working in the highway, and reassessment dates are in demand. Note the expiry when the card is issued rather than relying on remembering.
Which register applies to me?
England and Wales operate the Street Works Qualifications Register; Scotland has the Scottish Road Works Register. If your work stays in one nation this is straightforward, but contractors working across the border should confirm what their client requires before booking. Ask us if you are not certain — it is easier to check than to unpick afterwards.
Which units do I actually need?
It depends on the work you do — signing and guarding, excavation, reinstatement of different surface types, and so on. Taking a full set when your role only requires two or three wastes time and money; holding too few stops you working. Our NRSWA hub sets out the unit structure in full.
Are SQA qualifications recognised outside Scotland?
Yes. SQA is a national awarding body whose qualifications are recognised by employers across the UK. For street works specifically, the units are common across awarding bodies, so an SQA route is accepted on the same basis as the alternatives.
How much do SQA street works courses cost?
It varies by provider, by how many units you take and by whether you are certifying for the first time or reassessing. Reassessment costs less than the original route. For gangs, on-site delivery is usually cheaper per head. Current prices for every date are on the course search.