NVQ: The National Vocational Qualifications

NVQs are work related competence – based qualifications and are specific for each job type. These qualifications are gained by demonstrating that you have acquired the necessary skills, knowledge and understanding required to do a particular job.

NVQs are not obtained by writing professional exams per se. The assessments are done on the spot at your work place. The exams standards are set by the employer. It may include a written and oral component, as well as practical demonstration of particular sets of skills.

The beauty of this type of qualification is that you do not have any limitation placed on you based on age, how long you trained or where you obtained your training, provided it is in the same industry. You can elect to do your exams whenever you feel ready and able to do it.

NVQ stands for National Vocational Qualifications. Vocational qualifications are popular in England and Scotland. The Scottish version is called SVQ. It was first introduced in England in 1986 to combat a widening skill gap in the society.

The Quality and Curriculum Authority established by the Education Act of 1997 currently oversees and regulate the quality and administration of the National Vocational Qualifications and other vocational qualifications.

Bodies granted authority to conduct NVQ include: Council for Awards in Children’s Care and Education (CACHE), City & Guilds, Edexcel, OCR, and London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCIEB).

These bodies liaises with work place for the conduct of these professional exams, and are able to maintain quality by sending in External National Vocational Qualification Assessors who randomly pick candidates and re-assess their work as judged by the internal assessor.

There are over 500 different jobs and career types you could obtain an National Vocational Qualification in.

In fact, close to 90% of all types of professions in the UK have vocational qualification entry points.

National vocational qualifications can be obtain at levels 1 to 5.

Level 1 deals with basic introduction skills to the particular industry. Your current level of knowledge is assessed and you are given simple routine predictable task to perform.
Level 2 assesses your skill, knowledge and understanding of a more varied non-routine task, where you are expected to demonstrate some level of individual autonomy and responsibility.
Level 3 is a middle level qualification that shows you have demonstrated knowledge and skills in handling complex job situations as well as been able to show some control over others. It is equivalent to having an A level qualification.
Level 4 involves the application of skills in a broad range of complex technical and professional context with a remarkable degree of personal autonomy and responsibility, as well as taking substantial responsibility for the activities of others working with you. It demonstrates that you can function at a junior managerial role.
Level 5 demonstrates that you have the ability to carry out varied and complex task working from first principle, been able to direct and monitor others activity, and coordinate the conception, design and execution of tasks , taking total personal responsibility.

You will be amazed by how quickly you could complete your NVQS and rise to high level in your job. You can get the necessary NVQS books today and start studying for your vocational exam.

Commonly sort after NVQS include: