Tiling courses, NVQs and CSCS cards

Short tiling courses

Private training centres and some colleges run short tiling courses for people tiling their own homes and for career changers. They teach setting out, cutting, fixing and grouting on practice bays. A good one says plainly whether it leads to a recognised qualification or ends with a certificate of attendance; for work on construction sites, it is the NVQ that counts. Ask how much of the time is spent tiling rather than watching, how big the group is, and whether the course includes NVQ assessment or only prepares you for it.

NVQ Level 2 and Level 3 in Wall and Floor Tiling

The NVQ is a competence qualification, assessed on real work through evidence from jobs and an assessor's observation. Level 2 covers the core trade: preparing backgrounds, setting out, fixing wall and floor tiles, and grouting. Level 3 adds more complex work and suits tilers moving into supervising. Tilers already in the trade can gain the NVQ through on-site assessment, building evidence from their own jobs without a classroom course. Colleges also run classroom diplomas in wall and floor tiling, which teach the skills but are not the NVQ.

Apprenticeship: wall and floor tiler, ST0368

The wall and floor tiler apprenticeship standard, reference ST0368, is a Level 2 apprenticeship in England. It combines paid work for a tiling employer with off-the-job training and ends with an end-point assessment. Vacancies are listed on the government's Find an apprenticeship service, and the employer can be anyone from a sole trader to a large contractor. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own apprenticeship programmes.

CSCS cards

Most large construction sites ask for a CSCS card. The blue Skilled Worker card is for tilers who hold a Level 2 NVQ or have finished an apprenticeship, and who have passed the CITB Health, Safety and Environment test. The gold Advanced Craft card follows a Level 3 NVQ. Homeowners rarely ask to see one; it matters for commercial and new-build work.

The Tile Association and CITB

The Tile Association is the UK trade body for tiling. It publishes technical guidance, has membership for contractors and individual tilers, and keeps a public directory of members. Membership is not a qualification, but it shows a firm has signed up to the association's standards. CITB offers training grants to employers registered with it, which can help with the cost of an apprentice or an NVQ.

Tiling jobs

Tiling work comes in two shapes: employed or subcontracted work for contractors and housebuilders, where an NVQ and a CSCS card are often asked for, and self-employed domestic work, where customers judge you on photographs, reviews and how clearly you quote. Many tilers do both. If you work for yourself, a listing on this site is free; see how to get listed. We do not run, sell or recommend any course.

Common questions