NVQ - National Vocational Qualifications
NVQs are qualifications designed to meet the standards set by industry in a particular occupational area. The management qualifications are organised into logical units which combine to cover a number of key functions including managing activities, people, resources and information. There are also additional specialised units to enable the programme to be tailored to your needs. The units can be completed one at a time enabling the qualification to be achieved as conveniently as possible.
These qualifications are designed to cover various aspects of a job or area of work, assessing the skills actually used in the workplace, and clearly describe what is expected of people working in the management field. As NVQs are work orientated qualifications, it would be difficult for anyone who does not have access to a considerable amount of work experience to gather appropriate and sufficient evidence of their competence in a management role.
What is an NVQ?
National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) are qualifications designed to recognise an individual's ability to perform a particular role. Where an academic qualification is based mainly on the knowledge and understanding of theory, an NVQ is based upon the performance of an individual in the workplace.
At the heart of NVQs are a set of standards covering various professions which have been set by employers from industry. The standards identify what someone should be able to do to perform their job. They encompass current best practice, the ability to adapt, and the knowledge and understanding which demonstrates your ability in the workplace.
The management standards cover the key functions of managing activities, people, resources, information, energy and quality. They define the characteristics of an effective manager.
What will an NVQ do for me?
NVQs can help you prepare for work or help your career develop. NVQs are awarded through being able to demonstrate you can do a job competently. Something which is invaluable to current and future employers.
Who are the qualifications aimed at?
These NVQs are aimed at supervisors, first line, middle and senior managers, and cater for the generalist manager as well as those specialising in the areas of Energy and Quality Management. Because the role of a manager in a small organisation is likely to be broader than that in a large one, NVQs are deliberately flexible in their structure. A range of alternative options can be found, within most of the awards which enable organisations and individuals to match closely their work-related training and development needs to these qualifications.
Is an NVQ in Management suitable for me?
NVQs are open to candidates of any age, of either gender, and there are no entry barriers on the grounds of race, creed or previous academic attainment.
Those not employed are, equally, in no way restricted from attempting the qualifications. However, as these are work orientated qualifications, it will be difficult for anyone who does not have access to a considerable amount of work experience, gained either in an employed or voluntary capacity, to gather appropriate and sufficient evidence of competence.
The NVQ in Management is for you if you are a practicing manager with responsibility for:
- Allocating work to others
- Achieving specific results by using resources effectively
- Carrying out policy in your defined area of authority
- Controlling financial budgets, and resources
- Responsible for contributing to broader activities, such as change programmes and recruitment
How do NVQs benefit employers?
As the standards used within NVQs are developed by employers then it is easy to understand that NVQs meet employers' needs too. Management NVQs make sure managers have the right skills and knowledge to do their job properly. Managers are a key asset to any business both for now and for the future. Many companies have experienced improved productivity and competitiveness when they have used NVQs to develop their management teams. NVQs allow businesses to benchmark their activities against best practice and to target training to address any development needs that are identified.
Who provides NVQs?
At the very top of the NVQs hierarchy is the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA). Their role is to determine the standards and in turn they approve individual Awarding Bodies (AB's), such as the Chartered Management Institute, who are responsible for awarding NVQs for a specific sector. The Awarding Bodies do not assess candidates specifically but they approve assessment centres to do so. There are several awarding bodies for Management NVQs - but all them are approved by the QCA and are governed by the NVQ code of practice (www.qca.org.uk). Click on these links to view the Course Providers or the Courses themselves.
How are NVQs taught?
NVQs are awarded based upon demonstration of your ability as a manager and so most of it will be done while you are "on-the-job". You will build a portfolio of 'evidence' which meets the evidence criteria of the management standards. This evidence will take the form of documents such as meeting minutes, project plans, proposal documents, etc, all of which demonstrate your ability to perform an aspect of management. Many providers combine workshops and 1:1 consultations to help guide you through the process of building your portfolio before it is ready for assessment.
How long does an NVQ take to complete?
There is no time limit to complete an NVQ qualification, however, all evidence needs to be 'current' and so this should be considered if you expect to take longer than 12 months to complete your NVQ.
How much does an NVQ cost?
Different training providers offer vastly different charges depending on the kind of programme and level of support included in the programme. The www.lifetimetraining.com database identifies the various programmes and their costs.
What can I do after my NVQ is complete?
Dependant upon which level NVQ you achieve your NVQ is an excellent starting point for MSc, MBAs in Management or Continuous Professional/Personal Development.
I want further information or I want to apply for an NVQ - where do I go?
We have collated full details of the various management NVQs for you to review or for more help you can contact us the Lifetime Training team for more information.
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