NRSWA stands for the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991, the UK legislation governing how work is carried out on public highways and streets. It covers everything from planning and notice requirements for opening up a road, to the quality standards for reinstating the surface once work is complete.

Several awarding organisations provide NRSWA training and certification, including City & Guilds, CABWI (the awarding body for the water and utility industries), the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), and Lantra.

Within NRSWA, there's a clear distinction between operatives and supervisors. Operatives carry out the physical excavation and reinstatement work on site, while supervisors are responsible for planning, monitoring and supervising that work. A qualified operative must always be on site during street works, though a supervisor can oversee multiple sites without needing to remain on any one of them.

An NRSWA qualification is valid for five years, with candidates registered on the Street Works Qualifications Register (SWQR) and issued an ID card, which must be renewed through a reassessment before it expires.

And if that card has already expired, renewal is still possible in most cases. Candidates can complete the reassessment as long as it's within five years of the card's expiry date, though if the card has expired, that reassessment is required to renew it.