Winter Service Operations (6159)

Last Updated: 12 Jun 2021
These qualifications assess your skills and ability in preparing and operating winter services vehicles and equipment. Successful candidates will be eligible to obtain a NEREO operative or supervisor's qualification registration card, endorsed with the appropriate category, valid for a five-year period.
This qualification has been developed for staff working for the Highways Agency, National Assembly for Wales and local authorities, who are responsible for the direct supervision and operating of winter service vehicles and snow blowers.
Available to deliver in the following:
  • England
  • Wales – please check QiW website for available funding
  • Scotland
  • Northern Ireland
  • 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?

You can demonstrate the specialist knowledge and skills you have developed such as:

  • health and safety relating to winter service operations
  • prepare and operate winter service vehicles and equipment
  • supervise and monitor front-line operations.

You will learn in the work environment.

Assessment is a mixture of practical assessments, multiple-choice questions and oral questioning.

What Careers Can This Lead To?
These qualifications are for winter service operators and supervisors.
What Is Involved With Delivering This Course?

To deliver these qualifications you will need suitably qualified staff to carry out training and assessment.

Centres will need to demonstrate that they have access to the equipment and facilities to offer these awards in order to enable learners to achieve industry standards.

Suitable facilities include:

  • winter service vehicle/equipment
  • de-icing materials
  • loader/hopper
  • snow plough
  • protective clothing
  • wash-off facilities.

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

Candidates need to be working in this area. After successful completion of any qualification, the learner would then need to register with NEREO.

No Level

There are a variety of levels and pathways available for this qualification depending on your knowledge and level of experience.

There are seven pathways available:
•  Winter Service Operations: Vehicles and Snowploughs (6159-30)
•  Winter Service Operations: Highways Agency equipment (6159-31)
•  Winter Service Operations: Non-Highways Agency/National Assembly for Wales equipment (6159-32)
•  Winter Service Operations: Snow blowers (6159-33)
•  Winter Service Operations: National Assembly for Wales dedicated winter service equipment (6159-34)
•  Winter Service Supervision and Monitoring (6159-35)
•  Winter Service Operations: Off Highway Equipment (6159-36).

These comprise mandatory units as follows:

Operator Units - Highways
•  611 Prepare and operate winter service vehicles and equipment up to 3500kg including agricultural tractors
•  612 Prepare and operate winter service vehicles and equipment from 3500kg to 7500kg medium LGV
•  613 Prepare and operate winter service vehicles and equipment over 7500kg large LGV
•  614 Prepare and operate Highways Agency equipment (Foden 4000 series) NO LONGER AVAILABLE)
•  615 Prepare and operate Highways Agency dedicated winter service vehicles
•  622 Prepare and operate winter service vehicles and equipment up to 3,500kg to include agricultural tractors (Off Highway)
•  623 Prepare and operate winter service vehicles and equipment from 3,500kg to 7,500kg: Medium LGV (Off Highway)
•  624 Prepare and operate winter service vehicles and equipment over 7,500kg: Large LGV (Off Highway)
•  640 Prepare and operate National Assembly for Wales dedicated winter service vehicles
•  650 Operate Highways Agency/National Assembly for Wales dedicated Rolba 400 or 1000 series snow blower
•  660 Operate dedicated snow blower
•  670 Operate demountable snow blower.

Safety Units

•  610 Winter Service Operations Health and Safety (Off Highway)
•  680 Winter Service Operations Health and Safety
•  690 Winter Service Operations Health and Safety - Vehicles and Snowploughs.

Supervisors

•  621 Winter Supervision and Monitoring.

Endorsement-equipment indicators for units 011, 012 and 013 only

•  111 Spreader fixed
•  212 Spreader towed
•  313 Plough angle blade/Vee blade.

For more information, download the qualification handbook from the centre documents section.

What Careers Can This Lead To?
These qualifications are for winter service operators and supervisors.
Winter Service Operations Vehicles and Snow Ploughs (2016/17) (6159-30)
Last Registration Date: 31 Dec 2025

Winter Service Operations Vehicles and Snow Ploughs (2016/17)

  • Accreditation No: Data unavailable This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
  • Type: VRQ This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
  • Credits: Data unavailable Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
  • Guided Learning Hours: Data unavailable This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
  • Total Qualification Time: Data unavailable The total time for the qualification
  • Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
  • Last Certification: 31/12/2028 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
  • Qualification fees in the UK: TBC, please speak to your Account Manager for further information 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.
Winter Service Operations Highway Agencies Equipment (2016/17) (6159-31)
Last Registration Date: 31 Dec 2025

Winter Service Operations Highway Agencies Equipment (2016/17)

  • Accreditation No: Data unavailable This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
  • Type: VRQ This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
  • Credits: Data unavailable Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
  • Guided Learning Hours: Data unavailable This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
  • Total Qualification Time: Data unavailable The total time for the qualification
  • Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
  • Last Certification: 31/12/2028 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
  • Qualification fees in the UK: TBC, please speak to your Account Manager for further information 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.
Winter Service Operations Non-Highways Agency/National Assembly for Wales Equipment (2016/17) (6159-32)
Last Registration Date: 31 Dec 2025

Winter Service Operations Non-Highways Agency/National Assembly for Wales Equipment (2016/17)

  • Accreditation No: Data unavailable This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
  • Type: VRQ This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
  • Credits: Data unavailable Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
  • Guided Learning Hours: Data unavailable This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
  • Total Qualification Time: Data unavailable The total time for the qualification
  • Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
  • Last Certification: 31/12/2028 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
  • Qualification fees in the UK: TBC, please speak to your Account Manager for further information 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.
Winter Service Operations Snow Blowers (2016/17) (6159-33)
Last Registration Date: 31 Dec 2025

Winter Service Operations Snow Blowers (2016/17)

  • Accreditation No: Data unavailable This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
  • Type: VRQ This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
  • Credits: Data unavailable Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
  • Guided Learning Hours: Data unavailable This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
  • Total Qualification Time: Data unavailable The total time for the qualification
  • Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
  • Last Certification: 31/12/2028 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
  • Qualification fees in the UK: TBC, please speak to your Account Manager for further information 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.
Winter Service Supervision and Monitoring (2016) (6159-35)
Last Registration Date: 31 Dec 2025

Winter Service Supervision and Monitoring (2016/17)

  • Accreditation No: Data unavailable This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
  • Type: VRQ This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
  • Credits: Data unavailable Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
  • Guided Learning Hours: Data unavailable This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
  • Total Qualification Time: Data unavailable The total time for the qualification
  • Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
  • Last Certification: 31/12/2028 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
  • Qualification fees in the UK: TBC, please speak to your Account Manager for further information 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.

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. 

Additional documents

Assessment materials

Centre documents

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