More NVQs and TLA's from Education.

I though the last blog was getting a bit long so I move the broader (non-ITQ) stuff over here.

A couple of points of clarification, a TLA is a three letter acronym (HaHa). And I use the term English because the English education system is different to that in Scotland and Northern Ireland and is likely to diverge from the Welsh system as more power is devolved.

It's difficult to find a good explanation of NVQs. I find the the QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Agency) http://www.qca.org.uk/qca_6640.aspx not very helpful (like listening to a politician on the Today Programme)

Alan Chapman's site, though a bit dated, gives a better impression of what it all means http://www.businessballs.com/nvqs_national_vocational_qualifications.htm#correlations%20between%20qualifications

At one end NVQ's provide the operational and technical certification needed in skills based industries, engineering, construction, catering etc. Originally the awarding body and certificate reference were synonymous with the qualification so bricklayers had a City and Guilds 6217 and an office administrator had RSA II. Typically these would have studied at school or college and through evening classes and day release from work. That system started to fall apart in the late 70s and by the late 80s we realised our workforce didn't seem to getting the training it needed.

We have gradually put a qualifications back but not with the comprehensive training that used to go with it. If you have ever tried to get a decent joiner or an administrator who can type (rather than one with keyboard skills) you'll realise we still have some way to go.

Alongside this unified craft skill qualification it seemed like a good idea to try and up-skill the rest of the 'poorly skilled' workforce*. So the NVQ was extended to every type of occupation, this was more than justified as many of the new roles in care, administration, IT and so were so new that formal qualifications and skills training never been developed.

The criteria are set by an awarding body (exam board) in the case of my ITQ OCR but the body setting The standard are the SCC (Sector Skills Council) these are umbrella organisations representing the training needs of large and often disparate sectors.
Asset Skills
Automotive Skills
Cogent
Construction Skills
Creative & Cultural Skills
E-Skills UK
EU Skills
Financial Services
GoSkills
Government Skills
Improve Ltd.
Lantra
Lifelong Learning UK
People 1st
Proskills
Semta
Skillfast
Skills Active Skills for Care and Development


*England has always had a thing about its poorly educated workforce since it lost its lead in industrialisation at the end of the 19th century. One reason for the lack of qualifications was the difficulty obtaining them, a university degree or a craft apprenticeship took, on average, 5 years to obtain from age 16 and both were only open to small minority.