Training Courses in Birmingham

Birmingham has one of the widest ranges of classroom training of any city we list. Open courses run here most weeks across the CITB Site Safety Plus range, workplace first aid, IPAF powered access and PASMA towers, IOSH and NEBOSH, alongside street works and utilities tickets, confined spaces, safety passports and SIA security licence training. This page lists the scheduled courses in Birmingham from approved training providers, so you can compare dates, venues and prices in one place and book the one that suits.

See all course dates in Birmingham

WhereBirmingham, West MidlandsVenues in and around the city centre and further out across the city

FormatClassroom, open coursesBook one place or several; on-site delivery available for groups

Main schemesCITB, first aid, IPAF, PASMAPlus IOSH, NEBOSH, NRSWA street works, CCNSG and confined spaces

NearbySolihull and Sutton ColdfieldMore dates within a short drive if Birmingham is full

SMSTS and CITB First aid IPAF and PASMA IOSH and NEBOSH Street works and confined spaces Passports and workplace safety Venues

SMSTS, SSSTS and CITB courses in Birmingham

The CITB Site Safety Plus range runs in Birmingham throughout the year. The five-day SMSTS is for site managers and is offered both as a single block week and as day release, which suits managers who cannot leave a live site for a full week. The two-day SSSTS is for first-line supervisors, gangers and foremen.

Both certificates last five years and must be renewed before they expire: the SMSTS Refresher takes two days and the SSSTS Refresher one. If the certificate lapses, CITB requires the full course again. The one-day Health and Safety Awareness course is the usual route towards the CSCS Labourer card, alongside the CITB health, safety and environment test.

Birmingham is also a strong centre for temporary works training. The two-day Temporary Works Coordinator course, the one-day Temporary Works Supervisor course and the one-day Coordinator Refresher all run in the city.

Also running in Birmingham: SEATS site environmental awareness and the Directors Role for Health and Safety course. For the national picture see SMSTS courses, SSSTS courses and all CITB courses.

First aid courses in Birmingham

Birmingham has first aid dates from several providers, so dates are frequent and there is a real choice of venue. The one-day Emergency First Aid at Work course suits lower-risk workplaces such as offices and shops. The three-day First Aid at Work course is for higher-risk settings and larger sites, including construction, manufacturing and warehousing.

Both certificates last three years. First Aid at Work holders renew with the two-day Re-qualification course; Emergency First Aid at Work holders simply repeat the one-day course. Nurseries, childminders and schools need Paediatric First Aid, the two-day course that meets the Early Years Foundation Stage requirement, which also runs in the city.

Not sure which course or how many first aiders you need? Use our free first aid needs calculator, or browse all first aid training.

IPAF and PASMA training in Birmingham

Powered access is the busiest course group in Birmingham, with IPAF operator dates most weeks and some weekend courses. You can book a single category: 3a for scissor lifts, 3b for self-propelled booms or 1b for static booms such as van and trailer mounts. Most delegates take the combined 3a and 3b course, and the 1b, 3a and 3b version covers all three. IPAF harness awareness, user and inspection courses run alongside.

PASMA Towers for Users is the one-day course for anyone who assembles, moves or dismantles mobile aluminium towers. The Combined Low-Level Access and Towers for Users course adds podiums and folding towers in the same day. PASMA cards and IPAF PAL cards both last five years.

Also running in Birmingham: ladder and stepladder user and inspection courses, general work at height training and scaffold awareness and inspection. See all IPAF courses and PASMA courses nationally.

IOSH and NEBOSH courses in Birmingham

IOSH Managing Safely runs in Birmingham from more than one provider, usually over three days. It is aimed at managers and supervisors in any sector who are responsible for other people's safety, and is assessed by a short test and a workplace risk assessment project. The one-day Managing Safely Refresher keeps the certificate current, and the one-day IOSH Working Safely course is the entry-level option for staff at any level.

The NEBOSH General Certificate is the step up for anyone moving into a health and safety role. Classroom tuition in Birmingham is taught in blocks, leading to the NG1 open-book examination and the NG2 workplace risk assessment.

Compare every format, including live online and e-learning, under IOSH courses and NEBOSH courses.

Street works, utilities and confined space courses in Birmingham

Birmingham is one of the few cities we list with a full programme of NRSWA street works training. Operative and supervisor courses, the signing, lighting and guarding unit and the reassessment for card renewal all run here. Street works cards last five years and the reassessment has to be completed before the card expires.

For anyone breaking ground, EUSR utility avoidance training runs in the city: Category 1 covers locating buried services in line with HSG47, Category 2 covers safe excavation, and the two are also offered as a combined course. Shorter CAT and Genny cable avoidance courses are available too.

Confined spaces training is well covered, from an introductory awareness course through confined space entry to the two-day City & Guilds medium-risk entrant and entry controller qualification used by water, utilities and civils contractors.

Safety passports, asbestos and workplace safety courses in Birmingham

The two-day CCNSG Safety Passport is the site entry requirement for contractors on engineering construction, power and process sites. It lasts three years and is renewed with the one-day CCNSG renewal course or, for experienced holders, the test-only renewal. The SPA Petrol Retail passport and its renewal also run in Birmingham for forecourt contractors.

Half-day UKATA Asbestos Awareness runs regularly for trades working in buildings from before 2000, and professional BOHS asbestos surveying qualifications are listed for the area; see asbestos courses for the full range. Short workplace courses include manual handling, abrasive wheels, fire warden and fire marshal, vehicle banksman and traffic marshal, PAT testing and risk assessment and method statements.

Also running in Birmingham: RTITB fork lift truck courses for novice, experienced and refresher operators, and SIA licence-linked security training including Door Supervisor, the Door Supervisor Refresher and CCTV operator courses, some of them at weekends.

Where the courses run in Birmingham

Training venues are spread across the city and are not all in the centre. Some are in or close to the city centre and suit delegates arriving by train; others are at dedicated training centres further out, where parking is usually easier and practical courses such as IPAF, PASMA, fork lift and confined spaces have the space and equipment they need. Birmingham sits at the junction of the M6, M5 and M42, so most venues are practical for delegates driving in from the Black Country, Solihull, Coventry and the wider West Midlands. The exact venue and postcode are shown on every course listing, with a map, so check it before you book.

Can't find a date in Birmingham?

Widen the search to all West Midlands courses
Try Solihull, Sutton Coldfield or West Bromwich
Further out, see Wolverhampton, Walsall, Dudley and Coventry
SMSTS also runs as a live online instructor-led course you can join from home

Booking for a team

Open courses take single places or several, booked online
With enough delegates, on-site training at your own premises in Birmingham often costs less per head
Our free group travel cost calculator compares venues for a team spread across the region
Browse every county and town on the locations A–Z

Renewing a ticket? Check the date first

SMSTS, SSSTS, IPAF, PASMA and street works cards all run on five-year cycles, and first aid and CCNSG on three. CITB refreshers and street works reassessments can only be taken while the original is still in date. Birmingham refresher courses fill quickest in the weeks before popular expiry dates, so check your expiry date and book a month or two ahead.

Common questions about training in Birmingham

Should I book SMSTS or SSSTS?

It depends on your role, not your trade. SMSTS is for people who manage a site: planning, organising and controlling the work, including site managers, contracts managers and agents. SSSTS is for those who supervise a gang or a section of the work day to day. Most principal contractors ask for SMSTS from anyone running a site and SSSTS from every supervisor. Compare SMSTS and SSSTS dates in the West Midlands.

My SMSTS or SSSTS is about to expire. Can I still take the refresher?

Yes, provided you complete the refresher before the expiry date on your certificate. CITB does not allow a grace period: once the certificate has lapsed you need to retake the full five-day SMSTS or two-day SSSTS. If Birmingham refresher dates are too late, check the rest of the West Midlands before the date passes.

Which IPAF category do I need?

It follows the machine, not the job title. 3a covers mobile vertical platforms, which in practice means scissor lifts. 3b covers mobile booms: self-propelled cherry pickers and articulated or telescopic boom lifts. 1b covers static booms, including van, truck and trailer mounted platforms. If you hire in whatever is available on the day, the combined 3a and 3b course is the usual choice.

Do I need one-day or three-day first aid?

That comes from your first aid needs assessment. Low-risk workplaces with small numbers usually need Emergency First Aid at Work, the one-day course. Higher-risk work, larger headcounts, shift patterns and remote sites point towards the three-day First Aid at Work course. Our first aid needs calculator gives a starting answer in a couple of minutes.

Are the courses in Birmingham city centre, and what about the Clean Air Zone?

Some venues are central, but many are at training centres further out. Birmingham's Clean Air Zone covers the area inside the A4540 Middleway ring road, and a daily charge applies to vehicles that do not meet its emissions standards. If you are driving, check the venue postcode on the course listing against the zone before you travel, or choose a venue outside it. The postcode and a map are on each listing, and they differ from course to course even within the same scheme.

Can you run a course at our premises in Birmingham?

Yes. Most of the courses on this page can be delivered on site for a group, on dates you choose. It usually becomes cheaper than open-course places at around six to eight delegates, and the trainer can refer to your own site, plant and procedures. Send the details through the on-site training page for a quote.

Compare course dates and prices in Birmingham below

Envico is an independent booking service. We list scheduled courses in Birmingham from approved training providers so you can compare dates, venues and prices side by side, then book online. New courses and dates are added as providers release them. Training a team from across the region? Our free group travel cost calculator works out which venue is cheapest for everyone to reach.