Vocational Qualifications

Through the Lifelong Learning programme everybody in Britain is being encouraged to learn throughout their lives. Learning is as much to do with personal satisfaction and developing interests and hobbies as with improving job prospects.

Two types of qualification build up a personal development record: academic and vocational. Vocational skills are learned and proved in the workplace. They consist of a series of modules that show competence in a particular area, and are usually assessed ‘on the job’ by a supervisor or visiting expert.

Most qualifications include both academic and vocational elements, but they tend to be classified by whether the majority of the work to get them is done in one form or the other.

Vocational qualifications are based on National Occupational Standards (NOS) developed by employers and Sector Skills Councils. Awarding bodies develop vocational qualifications and the units that make them up. They also approve assessment centres, and may have lists of recognised training providers.

Vocational qualifications in the Services

The vast majority of military training is a mix of task-orientated training and personal development. In most cases this training now also provides nationally recognised qualifications so that individual achievements in uniform can be understood by a future civilian employer.

From ensuring that everybody achieves the Key Skills to providing academic and vocational qualifications for those that need them for their employment, all Service people are educated during their initial training period. Personal development is encouraged through the introduction of the Personal Development Record and funding such as the Standard and Enhanced Learning Credit.

Assessors and verifiers

Assessors are in direct contact with candidates. They must be qualified themselves and will also need an ENTO (an independent standard-setting body formed from the old Employment National Training Organisation) Unit qualification – A1 (assess candidates using a range of methods) and/or A2 (assess candidates’ performance through observation). Verifiers may be internal, V1 (conduct internal quality assurance of the assessment), appointed by the approved centre to check that assessments are consistent, honest and fair, or external, V2 (conduct external quality assurance of the assessment), appointed by awarding bodies to check the work of approved centres.

The old D units are still valid but are no longer awarded, and holders should consider requalifying.

Key skills

These are the basic elements of knowledge that everyone needs to get on in the world. They are available from Levels 1 to 4 in:

• communication
• application of number
• information technology.

Wider Key Skills are also available from Levels 1 to 4 in:

• working with others
• improving own learning and performance
• problem solving.

National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) and Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs)

Both are work-based qualifications that describe what competent people in a particular job are expected to be able to do. They include all the main aspects of an occupation and are classified according to the competence levels required. They involve applying knowledge to:

• Level 1 – varied but routine and predictable tasks
• Level 2 – varied tasks, often in a team, some of which may be non-routine and complex
• Level 3 – range of non-routine and complex tasks, with responsibility and control of others
• Level 4 – broad range of complex work activities, involving resource management
• Level 5 – wide variety of contexts with responsibility and allocation of resources.

They are made up of units based on the NOS, and are achieved through assessment. Assessors establish what the candidate can do already, agree on the standard and level to be reached, analyse what needs to be learnt and agree activities that will meet these needs. Readers should understand that the National Qualifications Framework (described elsewhere in this magazine) has nine levels, only some of which relate to vocational qualifications.

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships are available at Apprentice (one-year) and at Advanced (two-year) levels. They are again work-based and both are programmes that include the Key Skills, a technical certificate (usually) and an NVQ/SVQ at Level 3 (Advanced Apprentice) and at Level 2 (Apprentice). They are for people aged between 16 and 25, with the upper age extended in the rail industry, and are available in over 80 different industrial and commercial sectors. Increasing numbers of military courses are awarding these qualifications, sometimes after a period in a unit where the skills can be practised.

Vocational A-levels and GNVQs

Vocational A-levels – also called Advanced Vocational Certificates of Education (AVCEs) – and General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQs) consist of a mixture of academic and vocational elements, studied at a college, with candidates accumulating units of knowledge, skills and understanding as with an NVQ while assessment is through coursework and exams. They exist at three standards, equating to NVQ/SVQ Levels 1 to 3, and are generally one-third vocational to two-thirds academic.

National Certificates (NCs) and National Diplomas (NDs)

These qualifications consist of a series of units that are usually taken by people through college courses lasting about two years, and which can be full- or part-time. They equate roughly to A-level, but cover a wider range of knowledge and include more practical work.

Higher National Certificates (HNCs) and Higher National Diplomas (HNDs)

HNCs and HNDs are taken in a similar way to NCs and NDs, and the difference between them is that the award of an HND requires more units to be passed than for an HNC. They equate to approximately halfway between A-levels and a degree, although they are, again, more practically based than the latter.

Foundation Degrees

Foundation Degrees address the skills deficit at higher technician/associate professional level, combining learning and job experience for people who want to ‘earn and learn.’ Students gain 240 ‘points’ towards a full degree course and full account will be taken of prior learning and experience. Recent developments, including syllabus, university partnerships and funding, make these increasingly available to people in the Services.

Other courses

This article focuses on career-enhancing courses, but there is a vast range of vocational training also available in areas that may be of general interest, or contribute to an individual’s hobby or sport. Becoming a football referee or a cricket umpire, learning a musical instrument, creative writing or car maintenance are just a very few examples of the selection on offer in colleges and schools throughout the country.

How to get vocational qualifications

As part of everyday work

Vocational qualifications are work-based, so the ideal place to learn and practise them is at work, and most assessment is in the workplace. Therefore many people can only gain units that are appropriate to their job. However, providing suitably qualified assessors are present, there is no reason why people cannot continue to build up a vocational portfolio as they carry out their normal work activities. For example, some military skills, like instruction and supervision, fit very well into a portfolio, and vocational qualifications at a higher level than those obtained through military courses can be awarded to the enthusiast who wants to work for them.

On courses

It is also possible to gain vocational qualifications on courses, but this may have to be during leave or time off because the practical element in them often means they take place in working hours, and people with a job can find it hard to get enough time off to complete the workplace assessment. Course details can usually be found through education staff, a local library or a learndirect centre.

Where to learn

With many qualifications being earned through students completing a number of modules, the distinction between higher education (generally academic) and further education (often vocational) can be unclear. Credits from a selection of courses can often be added together to gain degrees and other HE qualifications, and it is not always necessary to have a first degree to gain a masters, and certainly not necessary for many professional qualifications.

As well as learning establishments, many commercial organisations, often operating in highly specialised areas, provide training to paying clients. Much is of excellent quality and targeted carefully at the needs of civilian employers.

Qualifications can be earned through full-time courses, part-time courses, day release, night school, distance learning and open learning. There will usually be more times when students get together for joint study periods in open learning, with distance learning generally catering for students who are so far away that they study almost entirely by themselves.

Sources of help

Line managers should be the first point of contact. Each unit has an education specialist, and each Service also has a network of educational and learning centres where advice can be found and ideas explored.