What are NVQs/SVQs?

National Occupational Standards (NOS) can be used as the basis for both traditional and vocational qualifications.

Because NOS are used to define the knowledge and understanding required of a role or task, they also identify the knowledge that needs to be delivered through a qualification.

In vocational qualifications such as National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) and Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) the Standards are grouped together to provide a meaningful qualification that reflect an individuals role. Upon achievement this means that the candidate can claim not only to have achieved the knowledge and understanding required but also to have demonstrated workplace competence.

Benchmarks of good practice

National Occupational Standards, together with their associated qualifications, National Vocational Qualifications and Scottish Vocational Qualifications, are recognised as benchmarks of good practice in all types of work in the UK. More than 2,500,000 people now have an NVQ/SVQ to prove their ability to work to nationally agreed standards in their profession. Many employers are now looking for this kind of evidence when recruiting new staff, or seeking to fill a post through internal promotion.

Methods of assessing competency

NVQs/SVQs are neither training courses nor examinations. They are methods of assessing the competency of and giving recognition to people who have been trained up to the National Occupational Standards for their job.

By grouping together units of NOS, the full range of knowledge, skills and performance needed for a particular job can be specified. Often that group of NOS units can be used to achieve an NVQ/SVQ. Someone taking the NVQ/SVQ has to show to an assessor that they can carry out all the activities covered by the units to the standard described.

What levels are they available at?

NVQs/SVQs are available at five levels, ranging from Level 1 for those carrying out simple, routine activities, to Level 5 for those with substantial professional or managerial responsibility. Skills for Justice has already developed a number of NVQs and SVQs at Levels2, 3, 4 and 5 which are awarded by bodies such as City & Guilds, Edexcel, Open University, SQA and OCR. The awarding bodies also offer NVQs/SVQs developed by other sectors at various levels for a wide range of managerial, administrative and specialist staff.

What are Apprenticeships?

Apprenticeships provide 16-24 year olds with a mixture of on and off-the-job training while they are being paid. As employees, apprentices work alongside experienced staff to gain job-specific skills. Off-the-job usually on a day release basis, apprentices receive training with a local training provider such as a college to acquire the knowledge to underpin their practical skills.

Apprenticeships are designed by employers and can be tailored to meet employers' needs. Apprenticeships can improve an organisation's productivity and profitability, and are an effective means of filling skills gaps in current and future workforces. They are available for both new and existing employees.

There are two levels of Apprenticeships:

· Apprenticeships - equivalent to GCSE level, incorporate a National Vocational Qualification to Level 2; key skills and in some cases a technical certificate

· Advanced Apprenticeships - equivalent to A-levels, incorporate a National Vocational Qualification to Level 3, key skills and a technical certificate

Apprenticeships typically take between one and four years to complete, depending on the type of Apprenticeship.

What are Foundation Degrees?

Foundation Degrees are a new type of qualification. They combine technical skills, workplace skills, academic knowledge, generic skills and employability skills. The defining characteristics of a Foundation Degree are employer involvement from design through to evaluation, accessibility, articulation and progression, flexibility and partnership. Foundation Degrees offer employers a cost effective way of training new or existing staff in the skills needed for their organisation.

Foundation Degrees were introduced in 2001 and are now studied by thousands of people on hundreds of different courses. Foundation Degrees are designed by employers working closely with universities and higher education colleges. Sector Skills Councils and other professional bodies are also actively involved in their design and implementation.

What are the benefits to employers?

Foundation Degrees are designed to help employers tackle skills shortages and help improve the skills of the workforce. They are an extremely flexible way of studying and allow employees to continue working while they learn. Flexible study methods make them suitable to both employers and individuals. They are deemed a natural progression route for people with work experience or vocational qualifications including Apprenticeships and NVQs/SVQs. They are suitable for anyone with the ability to work at a higher level and ideal for people already in work who want to upgrade their skills.

Skills for Justice Foundation Degree Framework

Skills for Justice have published a Foundation Degree Framework (FDF) for the Justice Sector. The Foundation Degree Framework provides guidance on the overall structure for the design, delivery and wider progression routes into and out of foundation degrees for the justice sector. It is a strategic document that gives employers and providers an indication of what is required of a Foundation Degree in the Justice Sector, including the use of National Occupational Standards.

Continuing Development Awards

What are Continuing Development Awards (CDAs)?

CDAs are small awards built from a selection of NVQ units and National Occupational Standards. Each consists of around 4 units selected from the main NVQ qualifications and provides an opportunity for individuals to achieve recognition for skills and experience related to specific roles.

The CDAs have been specially designed to enable workers to gain accreditation and recognition for increasing their range of skills. They are also valuable to workers who have existing professional qualifications to build on existing skills and achieve recognition for their specialist competencies in a new work setting.

CDA Guide
Skills for Justice has also developed a guide to the CDA for Drugs Workers. This guide has been developed for drugs workers working with young people who misuse substances, it is also relevant to drugs workers who work with adult users. To view the guide, click here

Diploma in Probation Studies

Skills for Justice awards the Diploma in Probation Studies, the mandatory qualification for probation officers working in England and Wales. The Community Justice National Training Organisation (CJNTO), now part of Skills for Justice, developed the programme in association with the Home Office

The Diploma combines the level 4 Community Justice national vocational qualification (NVQ) with a degree in probation studies. The nine regional Probation Training and Assessment Consortia manage the programmes, working with contracted universities. Only those appointed as trainee probation officers by one of the probation services in England and Wales are eligible to undertake the Diploma. Recruitment onto the programme is co-ordinated by the regional consortia.

To support this, a new streamlined system for requesting diplomas has been sent to all Consortium Directors and NVQ Managers.

14-19 Specialised Diplomas: Society, Health and Development

First Release of Principal Learning Outcomes: June 30th 2006

Skills for Justice has been working with Skills for Health, Skills for Care and Development and the Children's Workforce Network to develop learning outcomes for one of the lines of learning for the 14-19 Specialised Diplomas.

The sector partners have been working closely with employers, providers and other key stakeholders to develop these innovative applied qualifications for young people in England.

The original working title was ''Health and Social Care Diplomas''. However, after consultation, the Diploma Development Partnership has recommended that the Diplomas be renamed ''Society, Health and Development Diplomas'' in order to reflect more accurately the breadth of coverage.

During the first phase of development, the sector partners have been working with employers to develop the principal learning outcomes for the Diplomas at three levels. When working towards the Diplomas, young people will also be required to develop functional skills (maths, English, ICT) and personal/employability skills.

Next steps

During the period from July to October 2006, the sector partners will continue to work together to further develop the content of the Diplomas.

Employers will be invited to comment upon the first release of the learning outcomes and to develop indicative applied learning examples. In addition, the sector partners will continue to work with Awarding Bodies and QCA, as well as providers, to develop the content of the Diplomas.

The first teaching of the Society, Health and Development Diplomas will commence in September 2008.