About NOS

About National Occupational Standards (NOS)

ConstructionSkills is responsible for the development of national occupational standards for the construction industry.
National Occupational Standards (NOS) define the competences which apply to job roles or occupations in the form of statements of performance, knowledge and the evidence required to confirm competence.
They can be used to:
  • Describe good practice in particular areas of work
  • Set out a statement of competence which bring together the skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to do the work
  • Provide managers with a tool for a wide variety of workforce management and quality control
  • Offer a framework for training and development
  • Form the basis of National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs), Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) and other vocationally related qualifications.

Have your say

We are looking to consult and listen to employers and stakeholders about changes to current industry practice to ensure that National Occupational Standards (NOS) and existing qualification structures meet the industries needs. To participate, current practitioners should be experienced in the field being covered and be able to provide the level of detail required to ensure that the Standards (NOS) reflects current industry practice.

Representation from training providers and industry bodies are invited to attend as your continued support is valued and essential.

You can have your say in a number of ways.

By attending a National Working Group meeting in London
By attending a local Practitioner Group meeting
Or go to our website here

To encourage local employer involvement in revisions to the National Occupational Standards, CITB-Constructionskills NI will be facilitating a NOS practitioner group meeting on the 13 October 2011 to review the following occupations, it is anticipated that the meeting will last a full day using breakout group discussions for each occupation.

Construction Operations
  • Laying Kerbs and Channels
  • Structural Concreting
  • General Construction
  • Modular Paving
  • Drainage
  • Excavation and Reinstatement
  • General Building Operations

Road Building
  • Bituminous Paving – machine
  • Concrete Paving – machine
  • Slurry/Micro Surfacing – machine
  • Slurry/Micro Surfacing – manual
  • Surface Dressing – machine
  • High Friction Surfacing – machine
  • High Friction Surfacing – manual
  • Planing – machine
  • Road Recycling – machine
  • Soil Stabilisation – machine
  • Surface Retexturing – machine
  • Pavement Marking – machine
  • Pavement Marking – manual
  • Pavement Marking – road studs

Highways Maintenance and Repair
  • Modular Pavement
  • Drainage
  • Excavation
  • Flexible Pavement
  • Shallow Drainage
  • Concrete Operations
  • Vehicle Fencing
  • Natural Stone Surfacing
  • Laying Kerbs and Channels
  • Incident Support

Decorative Finishing and Industrial Painting Occupations
  • Painter
  • Industrial Painter

Trowel Occupations
              • Bricklaying



A NI Practitioner Group Meeting was held to review Insulation and Building Treatments

A National Occupational Standards (NOS) Practitioner Group meeting on Insulation and Building Treatments was held in Northern Ireland at CITB-ConstructionSkills NI premises recently, the NOS covered Loft Insulation, Cavity Wall Insulation, Draught Proofing, Damp Proofing, Wood Preserving, External Wall Insulation and Wall Tie Replacement.

This meeting provided the opportunity for local employers and stakeholders to have a say in and ensure the proposed technical content of the National Occupational Standards (NOS) was appropriate. The meeting was chaired by George Swann from ConstructionSkills GB with Cathy Heathwood from CCEA (The NI Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessments) in attendance.


NOS Meeting
Pictured in attendance at the Northern Ireland National Occupational Standards (NOS) Practitioner Group meeting on Insulation and Building Treatments, are:
Back row from L-R:
George Swann ConstructionSkills, Paul Wallace NI Energy Action, Ivor Skelton CITB-ConstructionSkills NI, Alan Foye NI Energy Agency.
Front row L-R:
Andrew Rennie Springvale EPS, Cathy Heathwood CCEA and Marion McCloskey Homeseal NI.