Floorlayer Apprenticeship

A Floorlayer is a trained craftsperson who will be involved with the installation of either carpets, vinyl, linoleum and rubber flooring and will work for large and small employers in all types of buildings within a diverse range of commercial and domestic environments. Buildings may be existing or new and part of a construction site, such as housing estates, schools, shops, hospitals, airports or more iconic buildings such as the Shard or the Olympic Stadium in London.

A Floorlayer works in an efficient and safe manner, and ensure high levels of customer care, particularly within the domestic environment; working alone or within a team. The type of floorcovering will vary from basic to designer installations, thus working with a diverse range of materials and designs, and being one of the finishing trades, will significantly contribute to the ‘look and feel’ of a building and can provide great personal satisfaction.

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The main duties and tasks include preparing the work area and sub-floor to a suitable standard to enable the following installation of floorcoverings to the clients specification.

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Floorlayers need to be good at communicating, able to interact effectively with colleagues, clients and associated trades e.g. plumbers, electricians, painters. They must also be able to interpret drawings and extract relevant information to complete the installation of the flooring, but be flexible, in adapting their approach and techniques when faced with unexpected site conditions.

Apprentices will spend 18 to 30* months on programme working towards the apprenticeship standard, with a minimum of 20% off-the-job training. Once all their training is complete, they will move on to completing their End Point Assessment (EPA).

At Floortrain, off-the-job training involves monthly visits to one of our regional centres and combines theory and practical training. These sessions are delivered in state-of-the-art training facilities, whilst using a broad innovative range of e-learning solutions within the programme such as the Floortrain training app. Off-the-job training does not necessarily require you to be away from the workplace, as long as you are not carrying out your usual day-to-day tasks.

*Duration of programme subject to prior experience and course intensity

Who are they for?

Apprenticeships are open to all individuals above 16 years of age. Whether you are just leaving school, have been working for years or are seeking to start a new career, you can enrol on to our Apprenticeship as long as you are living in England, not taking part in full-time education and are employed within the flooring industry.

You will need to show that you are committed, able to use your own initiative and be aware of your responsibilities to both yourself and your employer and be happy to work as both part of a team and individually.

Training

Our Level 2 Floorlayer Apprenticeship programme is tailored to suit all individual learners and employer. If learners need just a couple of days training a month, that’s what they’ll get. If a learner needs 20 days training a month, that’s what they’ll get. It’s all about the needs of the individual and not a “college style” one size fits all model.

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Both of our training centres offer learners’ a “drop in” facility that allows them to practice and develop fitting techniques with one to one expert tuition and supervision including the use of free materials and tools provided by our sponsor manufacturers who have and continue to be incredibly generous in their support of our work.

The Apprenticeship programme consists of:​

Core Knowledge – Floorlayers need to understand:
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Current legislation and the principles of health, safety, welfare and environmentally responsible work practices and how they must be applied in relation to their work, self and to others

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Employment rights and responsibilities, keeping floorlaying skills and knowledge up to date, career progression, industry card registration

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Organisational policies, procedures and documentation and their relevance and importance for installing floorcovering

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When, why and what personal protective equipment should be used and how to use it correctly whilst floorlaying

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Principles of construction, utility supplies, and their impact on installing floorcovering

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How and when flooring installations need to be adapted to accommodate the needs of disabled people or people with learning disabilities

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How flooring installations may be affected in older (pre-1919) buildings, but particularly in listed buildings of any age

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How floorlaying materials and techniques may differ in different industry sectors eg residential, commercial, refurbishment, new build

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Interpreting different types of information, including Building Information Modelling (BIM), drawings (digital and hard copy), method statements, risk assessments, manufacturers’ information, work schedules, specifications and relevant standards and their relevance in ensuring appropriate, safe and quality flooring installations

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Safe handling and moving of waste materials, flooring installation materials and equipment, manually and with mechanical aids or lifting equipment

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Why and how resources should be stored in a safe and secure manner e.g. different materials, tools and equipment

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Assessing and testing existing floor surface conditions and evaluating results to ensure a successful installation eg: temperature (including presence of underfloor heating), moisture, level, surface and sub-floor condition

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Planning methods appropriate for flooring installation including phasing work and acclimatisation of materials before laying; taking into account the type of contract and other works being undertaken

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Methods to estimate floorlaying materials and resources required based on the type of contract, manufacturers information and site conditions

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The characteristics and correct uses of preparation methods for different sub-floor surfaces, ready for the installation of floorcoverings including; the mixing and application of repair and smoothing compounds, mixing and application of damp proof membranes, the installation of plywood underlays and sheet membranes

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Methods and techniques used in measuring, marking and setting out for installing floorcoverings to horizontal, inclined, stepped and shaped/coved surfaces; patterned and non-patterned materials

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How testing and preparation of sub-floor tools and equipment should be safely used and maintained

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How to finish the laid floorcovering, including thresholds, skirtings, coverstrips, stair nosings, trims and temporary protection of installed flooring

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How to work efficiently and minimise problems during flooring installation

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How to dispose of or recycle floorlaying waste materials appropriately

Core Skills – Floorlayers will be able to:
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Work safely and securely in compliance with given information, organisational policies and procedures, and current health, safety, environmental and welfare legislation

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Select and use appropriate personal protective equipment for the floorlaying task

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Plan the work to be carried out in accordance with the job specification, including; assessing the sub floor and work area, measuring, producing scale drawings, setting out, calculating material quantities and determining the resources needed (including the tools and equipment)

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Work efficiently and complete the floorlaying work in accordance with the agreed specification and timescales

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Prepare the work area including securing the site, the removal and appropriate disposal of existing floorcovering

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Assess and evaluate physical and environmental conditions to ensure successful installation eg temperature, humidity, condition of the site

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Prepare the sub floor for the floorcovering, including; removal of contaminants by manual, mechanical and chemical means, disposal of waste materials, mixing and application of repair and smoothing compounds, mixing and application of damp proof membranes, the installation of plywood, underlays and sheet membranes

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Carry out remedial works in line with the specification

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Dispose of and recycle waste materials appropriately

Textile and Resilient Floorlayers need to understand:
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The different types of carpet floorcovering, including: woven, non-woven; felt, foam and rubber backed; sheet and tile forms

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When to use underlay and or interlay, their types and their characteristics

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The importance of installing the correct textile pile direction and matching patterns

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Techniques and methods for installing underlay, interlay and different types of carpet (cutting, joining, stretching and securing) to a range of straightforward and complex areas e.g. upstands, straight and winding staircase; to solid, timber-based and suspended sub-floors

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The different materials used for resilient floorcovering, including: vinyl, linoleum, rubber; sheet and tile forms

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differences between domestic and contract resilient and textile installations, including the differences in information provided and client expectations

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The importance of batch numbers, shuffling and tessellation and their effects on colour variation

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Techniques and methods for installing resilient floorcovering (fitting, cutting, joining, rolling, taping, welding and seaming joints; installing pre-cut motifs and inlays) to straightforward and complex areas e.g. falls and gradients to drains and gulleys in wet areas, upstands, tanking, straight and winding staircases, alongside and up to different types of floorings; to solid and timber-based sub-floors

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Appropriate finishing ancilliaries and how to install

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How to safely use and maintain textile and resilient floorlaying tools and equipment