Communications Cabling and Networks qualifications and training courses

Last Updated: 30 Nov 2023

The Award in Communication Cabling helps develop the knowledge and skills required to become effective in the installation of communication cables and connecting to relevant systems. For those who wish to progress further, the Certificate in Designing and Planning Communications Networks builds on the competence of installation and develops knowledge for those who wish to design communication networks.

These qualifications include working with fibre optic or copper cabling for interior and exterior scenarios, as well as the planning of overhead communications network.

The Level 2 Awards in Communications Cabling are suitable for those interested in becoming communication cabling installers or those currently doing the job and seeking certification. For those wishing to progress their careers and are looking to gain the ability to design communication networks, the Level 3 Design Communication Networks is ideal.

These products can also form a foundation to progress to Level 2 and Level 3 ICT Professional ICT Systems & Principles qualifications or the Intermediate or Advanced Apprenticeships for IT, Software, Web and Telecoms Professionals.

Available to deliver in the following:

England
Wales – please check QiW website for available funding
Scotland
Northern Ireland

Interested in delivering this qualification?

Find out more about how to become an approved City & Guilds centre or fill out our online customer application form.

General Information

What Is Involved In Studying This Course?

For the Award in Communications Cabling you can cover things like:

How communications networks work
Installing fibre optic cabling
Installing copper cabling.

For the more advanced Certificate in Designing and Planning Communications Networks, you might cover:

Designing and planning communication networks
How to plan internal communication networks
How to plan underground communication networks.

To get a Vocationally Related Qualification (VRQ) you learn with your training provider - maybe through practical sessions, group discussions or assignments.

VRQs are usually assessed by your training provider using assignments, practical task, exams or online tests.

For the Award in Communication Cabling you are assessed with an online multiple choice test. You also complete some assignments to show your practical skills and knowledge.

For the Certificate in Designing and Planning Communications Networks you do a written exam and some practical assignments.

Which level is right for me?

Level 2
You're new to communication cabling - perhaps a school leaver or someone looking for a career change - or have some basic experience. You want to gain the knowledge to succeed in a job or move on to further study. You might also be preparing for a Level 2 NVQ in Communication Technologies.

Level 3
You've worked with communication networks before, and have some experience. Your work might involve supervising others or managing resources. You want to develop your knowledge of network design so you can progress into a role as an IT solutions developer.

What Careers Can This Lead To?

Completing the Award in Communication Cabling gives you a good grounding for a job that involves installing and maintaining communication networks, such as:

Building services engineer
Building technician
Highways maintenance / Road worker
Telecommunications technician
Underground engineer.

This Award could give you some of the knowledge you need to complete a Level 2 NVQ in Communication Technologies (3661).

The Certificate in Designing and Planning Communications Networks could also help prepare you for more senior roles where you're responsible for designing networks yourself. These might include:

Network manager
Telecommunications technician
Town planner.

This qualification could give you some of the knowledge you need to complete a Level 3 Certificate or Diploma in ICT Systems and Principles or Level 3 Diploma in ICT Professional Competence.

What Is Involved With Delivering This Course?

To deliver these qualifications you will need to provide a suitable learning environment with qualified trainers and assessors, as well as the relevant resources to enable learners to complete both the practical and theoretical aspects required.

To find all the resource requirements for assessment and delivery, download the qualification handbook from the centre documents section.

Anyone can take this qualification, but you must make sure all your learners can access the resources they need to complete it. For the Level 3 qualification, learners will usually have some previous experience or have taken the Level 2.

Level 2

The Level 2 Award in Communications Cabling will suit you if you're new to communication cabling, or have some basic experience. You want to gain the knowledge to succeed in a job or move on to further study.

You complete one core unit at this level:

Basic principles of communications systems.

You then choose one optional unit from:

Fibre optic cabling in an internal environment
Fibre optic cabling in an external environment
Copper cabling in an internal environment.

What Careers Can This Lead To?

Completing the Award in Communication Cabling gives you a good grounding for a job that involves installing and maintaining communication networks, such as:

Building services engineer
Building technician
Highways maintenance / Road worker
Telecommunications technician
Underground engineer.

This Award could give you some of the knowledge you need to complete a Level 2 NVQ in Communication Technologies (3661).

The Certificate in Designing and Planning Communications Networks could also help prepare you for more senior roles where you're responsible for designing networks yourself. These might include:

Network manager
Telecommunications technician
Town planner.

This Award could give you some of the knowledge you need to complete a Level 3 NVQ for IT Professionals.

Level 2 Award in Communications Cabling (3667-02)

Last Registration Date: 31 Jul 2022 Supportive services: SmartScreen

Level 2 Award in Communications Cabling - Copper Cabling in an Internal Environment

Accreditation No: 500/8616/9 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
Credits: 9 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
Guided Learning Hours: 65 - 65 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
Total Qualification Time: 90 The total time for the qualification
Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
Last Certification: 31/07/2024 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
Qualification fees in the UK: £116.50 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Level 2 Award in Communications Cabling - Fibre Optic Cabling in an External Environment

Accreditation No: 500/8616/9 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
Credits: 9 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
Guided Learning Hours: 65 - 65 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
Total Qualification Time: 90 The total time for the qualification
Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
Last Certification: 31/12/2024 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
Qualification fees in the UK: £116.50 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Level 2 Award in Communications Cabling - Fibre Optic Cabling in an Internal Environment

Accreditation No: 500/8616/9 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
Credits: 9 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
Guided Learning Hours: 65 - 65 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
Total Qualification Time: 90 The total time for the qualification
Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
Last Certification: 31/07/2024 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
Qualification fees in the UK: £116.50 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Level 3

The Level 3 Certificate in Designing and Planning Communications Networks is ideal if you've experience working with communication networks. Your work might involve supervising others or managing resources. You want to develop your knowledge of network design so that you can progress into a role as an IT solutions developer.

You complete one core unit at this level:

Concepts of designing and planning a network cabling infrastructure.

You then choose one optional unit from:

Design and plan for an internal network cabling infrastructure (NCI)
Design and plan for an external overhead network cabling infrastructure
Design and plan for an external underground network cabling infrastructure.

What Careers Can This Lead To?

Completing the Award in Communication Cabling gives you a good grounding for a job that involves installing and maintaining communication networks, such as:

Building services engineer
Building technician
Highways maintenance / Road worker
Telecommunications technician
Underground engineer.

This Award could give you some of the knowledge you need to complete a Level 2 NVQ in Communication Technologies (3661).

The Certificate in Designing and Planning Communications Networks could also help prepare you for more senior roles where you're responsible for designing networks yourself. These might include:

Network manager
Telecommunications technician
Town planner.

This Award could give you some of the knowledge you need to complete a Level 3 NVQ for IT Professionals.

Level 3 Certificate in Designing and Planning Communications Networks (3667-03)

Last Registration Date: 31 Mar 2024

Level 3 Certificate in Designing and Planning an External Overhead Communications Network

Accreditation No: 500/9795/7 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
Credits: 20 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
Guided Learning Hours: 155 - 155 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
Total Qualification Time: 200 The total time for the qualification
Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
Last Certification: 31/03/2027 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
Qualification fees in the UK: £222.30 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Level 3 Certificate in Designing and Planning an External Underground Communications Network

Accreditation No: 500/9795/7 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
Credits: 20 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
Guided Learning Hours: 155 - 155 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
Total Qualification Time: 200 The total time for the qualification
Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
Last Certification: 31/03/2027 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
Qualification fees in the UK: £222.30 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Level 3 Certificate in Designing and Planning an Internal Communications Network

Accreditation No: 500/9795/7 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
Credits: 20 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
Guided Learning Hours: 155 - 155 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
Total Qualification Time: 200 The total time for the qualification
Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
Last Certification: 31/03/2027 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
Qualification fees in the UK: £222.30 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Additional information for centres

SMARTSCREEN IS AVAILABLE FOR THIS QUALIFICATION

SmartScreen is our online portal for tutor, assessors and learners that provides unit-specific support materials and tutor forums to complement the delivery and learning experience

Visit Smartscreen.co.uk >

Here you can find all documents related to this suite of qualifications.

By clicking on the section headings below, you can access a variety of documents such as the qualification handbooks and assessment materials, Statements of Purpose, and recognition letters from industry and employers.

Some documents may be password protected. Passwords can be retrieved by logging in to Walled Garden and visiting the Administration section of the relevant qualification catalogue page.

Interested in delivering this qualification?

Find out more about how to become an approved City & Guilds centre or fill out our online customer application form.

3667 Level 2

Assessment materials

Centre documents

3667 Level 3

Assessment materials

Centre documents

Purpose and Recognition

19 Plus

Purpose

50097957 L3 Certificate Designing and Planning Communications Networks Adult Purpose pdf 153 KB 24 Jul 2018

Communications Cabling and Networks (3667)