Qualification Advisor

NVQs
NVQs stand for National Vocational Qualifications. They are revised every three years by professionals and specialists in their fields. NVQs are available in many occupations not just care e.g. administration to embalming, gardening to motor vehicle.

What can I do after the award?
You may not wish to do anything! You will have proven your skills and knowledge built up in many cases over years in the caring profession, but now you have a certificate to prove you have reached a nationally recognised standard. All NVQs have units that are transferable across to different awards. If you access the NVQ charts you can see where certain unit titles appear to make comparisons. The individual NVQ pages will advise you which are the most appropriate awards to progress to.
Education and learning has changed a great deal over the years. Training can be accessed at any stage and you are no longer confined to the 'school - college - university' route. The government are working toward a 'life-long learning' pattern for people in order to provide further opportunities for self improvement, changing jobs and career opportunities.

Why should I do an NVQ?
As you may have heard, the Training Organisation for Personal Social Services (TOPSS) have been tasked with ensuring at least 50% of the social care workforce have achieved or are working towards a Level 2 NVQ in Care. This is a result of research that reported 80% of people working in care were unqualified. Care has for many years been a profession where you have not needed to have an entry qualification to access a job. You can work in establishments straight from school or enter later on to fit around child care requirements or part-time to help financially at home. Compared with other industries this is rare. Usually you need to attend college, university, undertake part-time study to gain an entry qualification to your chosen professional. This is why the government are keen to target care in order to bring it in line with other professions especially as the care industry relies on looking after often vulnerable people.

For many people, they do not want to gain a qualification. They have worked in care for many years and have not needed to. They may have had a bad learning experience from school where the thought of doing an award has put them off. Some people may have learning needs around writing and communication and feel that they would not be able to do an award. There are many different ways learners can be supported with these things. The problem is that the Government's agenda surrounding qualifications in care is not going to change. Soon you will not be able to work in care without holding a qualification.

The Care Training Consortium are able to help with all of the concerns mentioned and offer advice and guidance to assist you with training and career options.


Do I need to start with a Level 2 NVQ?
No. NVQs are work-based qualifications and as such are based on the job you are doing right now. For instance if you are a care assistant then the appropriate NVQ would be at Level 2, if you wanted to complete a Level 3 you would not be able to produce the evidence needed as you are not doing that level job. If you are a care officer, then the level would be 3 as it suits your work role. It is not necessary to work through the different levels. It would only be appropriate if you undertook NVQs suited to your job role and progressed in seniority. Please refer to the individual NVQ pages that state which job roles are best suited to each level.

How do NVQs compare with Academic Awards?
The chart below shows how vocational qualifications i.e. NVQs can be compared against academic awards normally associated with schools, colleges and universities.