"Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything"
George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950
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Why are qualifications so important? |
For businesses – of any size – one in six will admit their workforce does not have the right skills needed for the future of their business. And yet we’re all `natural’ learners; we just need the right opportunity, at the right time and in the right place. Our world is changing and we simply cannot afford to just stand still.
Our future economic success…
Our future workforce…
Our future businesses…
Even in these tough economic times, if your people don't have the right skills for the future, then neither does your business. Recent Government reports have warned that businesses need to improve the skills of their workforce if we're to remain competitive
as a nation. |
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The solution to this problem is in our hands and we need to act now. Whatever the size of the business you work in - from the smallest start-up to a multinational plc - there is plenty of help available to make sure your business is ready to prosper in the future. [Source: http://inourhands.lsc.gov.uk/] |
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TWA would like the opportunity to work with you to identify the needs of your business and to equip your workforce with skills that ensure your future success. We can do this by helping members of your workforce to fulfil their potential through achieving nationally recognised qualifications. In return employers will see:
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Improved staff performance and motivation |
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Improvements in the quality of service to customers |
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An opportunity to improve customer retention levels |
Come and talk to us, to discover how you, too can benefit from nationally recognised qualifications in your business. |
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What are Vocational Qualifications?
The central feature of all vocational qualifications is “the National Occupational Standards (NOS) on which they are based. NOS are statements of performance standards which describe what competent people in a particular occupation are expected to be able to do. They cover all the main aspects of an occupation, including current best practice, the ability to adapt to future requirements and the knowledge and understanding which underpins competent performance." (Source: www.dius.gov.uk/)
City and Guilds, the UK’s leading awarding body, says “Vocational qualifications are ideal for you if you need to improve your knowledge or skills in a particular area. They make a good starting point for beginners and are also a good way of moving up a level.
Vocational qualifications are usually taken in a college or with a training provider but are still totally different to traditional qualifications. There will be a much greater focus on learning practical skills. Assessment can take many forms including online multiple choice tests, assignments or written exams”. |
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What are NVQs?
“NVQs are our most popular awards. Learners like them because they can do them without having to give up work. Employers like them because they demonstrate an individual’s true skill. NVQs work by testing your abilities in the workplace and to complete one, you need to prove that you can do certain work-related tasks. NVQs are assessed in a combination of ways: By portfolio – you build up evidence of what you’ve done at work; and by observation – an assessor watches you work and checks that you can do the tasks.”
[City and Guilds is the UK’s leading vocational awarding body, with 500 qualifications, in over 28 industries, providing over 50% of all NVQs, and with over 1.8 million learners every year.
Find our more at: http://www.cityandguilds.org.uk/cps/rde/xchg/SID-AD3CC2DE-3D43AA8D/cgonline/hs.xsl/SmallMediumBusinesses.html
“NVQ are designed to recognise a candidate's competence in the workplace. They provide a statement to employers of skill, competence and knowledge in a particular sector. NVQs are assessed in the workplace through observation of performance, evaluation of evidence and questioning. They are offered at Level 1 to Level 5 of the National Qualifications Framework in a wide variety of occupational sectors. These qualifications are targeted at anybody who is currently working and wants recognition of their performance in the workplace. NVQs are developed by industry for industry - they evolve to meet the needs of the modern business world.”
Find out more at: http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/index.html |
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How do NVQs work in practice?
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The candidate is inducted by the NVQ Assessment Centre or their Assessor. |
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The Assessor and the candidate work together to identify sources of evidence that meet the NOS performance standards for the NVQ being undertaken. |
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The assessor may provide coaching and mentoring where skill gaps are identified. |
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The candidate gathers the evidence of competence and organises it into a logical sequence referenced to the standards set. |
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The assessor checks the evidence and questions the candidate to confirm that all specifications of the standards have been met. |
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The assessment process is verified by an Internal Verifier and also by an appointed External Verifier who countersigns the claim for certification. |
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Qualifications we deliver include... |
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Business Skills Award, Certificate and Diploma, Levels 2 and 3 |
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Customer Service NVQ Levels 2 and 3 |
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Business Administration NVQ Levels 2 & 3 |
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ITQ NVQ Level 2 (up to August 2010) |
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ITQ Award, Certificate and Diploma at Levels 1, 2 and 3 |
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A1 Award |
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Team Leading Level 2 |
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ILM endorsed programmes |
Please contact us for further details and prices. |
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So, what are the direct benefits to you as a business? |
An investment in NVQs will quickly bring rewards, adding value to your business in every aspect of
its operations.
NVQs will deliver benefits to your business through:
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Reduction in staff wastage, lower staff turnover and recruitment costs |
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Focusing on specific gaps in knowledge and skills in line with National Occupational Standards |
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Evaluation of skills in your workplace environment |
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Greater flexibility in training delivery |
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A more efficient and productive work culture |
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Higher standards of quality |
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Improved staff morale through achievement of nationally recognised qualifications |
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NVQs encourage the candidate’s line manager to show a closer interest in the work of their team members with learning objectives clearly outlined within a national framework. In turn, team members are more inclined to be loyal if they feel supported in their ongoing development and the management team takes an interest in their work. |
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What about qualifications in management?
In addition to NVQs, for example, Team leading (at level 2), or Management (at levels 3, 4), the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) offers a Level 3
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Award in First Line Management |
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Certificate in First Line Management, and |
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Diploma in First Line Management |
At this level the qualification has been specially designed to give practising or aspiring first line managers a solid foundation in their formal development as a manager.
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Click here to download an introduction to these qualifications (PDF), and an overview of units The ILM is the UK's largest awarding body for leadership and management qualifications.
[Find out more at: http://www.i-l-m.com] |
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What is the QCF? |
The QCF (Qualifications & Credit Framework) is a new framework for recognising and accrediting qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The framework is at the heart of a major reform of the vocational qualifications system, designed to make the whole system simpler to understand and use and more inclusive. The intention is to make both the system and the qualifications offered far more relevant to the needs of employers and more flexible and accessible for learners.
The QCF gives people access to credit-based units of training which can be studied at a pace that suits individual learners and the credits awarded accumulated to build a recognised qualification – no learning is ever lost.
To learn more about the new QCF follow this link: http://www.qca.org.uk/resources/qcf_interactive/index.htm |
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For more information on these qualifications, or talk about
qualifications in your business, please call us
on 0845 883 7768 |
