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Recognising employer & provider training

Employers have long recognised the value of high quality and well-focused training in improving the productivity of their organisation and the morale and loyalty of their staff. The VQ reforms are intended to make it much easier for employers to respond quickly to the rapid changes of the marketplace by developing training that gives their staff the skills they need in today's competitive world.

Sector Skills Councils are driving the development of VQs employers need through the process of creating and implementing Sector Skills Strategies.

The increased flexibility in the structure of qualifications possible in the Qualifications & Credit Framework (QCF) has already enabled employers and providers involved in the tests and trials to work in partnership with awarding organisations to develop innovative new VQs.

Equally important is the training recognition programme, which enables employers' and FE providers' own high quality training to be accredited as part of the national system.

To enable the VQ system to meet employers' and providers' needs better, between November 2007 and March 2008 the Qualifications & Curriculum Authority (QCA) piloted a variety of ways for employers and FE providers bespoke training to be accredited. Based on the results, the QCA is working with the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), the National Employer Service (NES) and a variety of other organisations to expand the programme. Employers are encouraged to participate in the programme.

The recognition of employer and provider training programme offers a choice of approaches designed to suit organisations of all types and sizes. The options include variations on two key ways for bespoke training to be accredited:

  • Employers and providers can be licensed as awarding organisations, able to award qualifications themselves. See McDonald's case study, Flybe case study, MoD case study and Network Rail case study.
  • Employers can work with other awarding organisations, either existing or newly licensed awarding organisations, to develop bespoke units or qualifications and have them accredited. Options include working with:
    • Existing awarding organisations to develop units or VQs for a specific employer or sector. See Skillsactive case study.
    • Trade associations, which can develop qualifications to suit their membership, which can include hundreds of SMEs. See PLASA case study and REC case study.
    • Other employers which have become awarding organisations - for example, suppliers and contractors working with large employers. See MoD case study.
    • Providers which have become awarding organisations, perhaps developing VQs for a particular sector. See City College Norwich case study.

View a short film showing organisations already involved in programme.

Approaches are being refined as this programme is being rolled out and we invite all interested employers, providers, awarding organisations, SSCs and other stakeholders to contact QCA by emailing recognition@qca.org.uk to discuss possibilities.

For further details about the programme, see QCA website.