NVQ
National Vocational Qualifications

Traditionally provided by individual employers to meet a specific need in their industry, these qualifications can also be acquired from government funded educational programs as well as private institutions for the over 16 year old.

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.

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.

Why Study For An NVQ?

• Having a National Vocational Qualification provides a documented evidence that you are capable of doing the task or scope of job it covers as well as that you also have a good grounding of the theoretical basis of that job. It is a UK-wide or nationally accepted qualification.

• Studying for a recognized national vocational qualification provides frame work on which career progression and salary increase negotiation can be based.

• It could also act as a stepping stone to progressing to managerial level (e.g taking care nvq 3) in a given occupation or into a higher educational pursuit. Some have progressed from taking the teaching nvq as teaching assistants and progressed through the ranks to the level of a Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

• Since anyone can qualify to take a nationally recognized vocational qualification, you don't have to have a GCSE or any qualification to take an NVQ.

Popular NVQ Courses

The most popular NVQs taking in the England and Wales include:

• Care NVQS
• Child Care
• Cleaning
• Construction
• Dental Nurse
• Electrical
• Hairdressing
• Management
• Plumbing
• Teaching

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.
  

Approved NVQ Providers

The Quality and Curriculum Authority established by the Education Act of 1997 oversees and regulate the quality and administration of the National Vocational Qualifications and other vocational qualifications. From Autumn 2011, this role will pass over to the DfE (Department for Education).

Bodies granted authority to conduct NVQ include:

• Council for Awards in Children 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.

Thinking of studying for a vocational qualification? Do you have the time, financial and emotional commitment it requires, then go for it. 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.

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