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The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) has today announced the second wave of employers to achieve awarding body status and that more than 30 employers have now taken advantage of new opportunities to have their training accredited nationally.

At the same time, the QCA is announcing a reduction in red tape to encourage more employers to become awarding bodies.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD), The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), The Professional Lighting and Sound Association (PLASA) and City College Norwich (CCN) are the latest organisations to achieve the high standard needed for them to award nationally accredited qualifications to their employees and members.

The recognition of these organisations as awarding bodies is part of the current reform of the vocational qualifications system, which includes QCA’s development of a new Qualification and Credit Framework (QCF). The QCF creates a more flexible system that enables learners to build qualifications up from units allowing them to control their own pace of learning by gaining qualifications over time. The framework is currently being trialled in many different businesses and sectors.

The MoD is the first public sector organisation to be recognised as an awarding body. This recognition will give the MoD the ability to facilitate accreditation for its vital language training which is currently not formally recognised outside of the serving forces.

The trade associations, REC and PLASA, represent hundreds of small and medium sized businesses. By becoming awarding bodies their members will now have access to a range of recognised accredited qualifications across the recruitment and entertainment industries.

City College Norwich is the first further education provider to become an awarding body. It is working with the National Skills Academy for the financial services and major insurance companies such as Marsh and Norwich Union to accredit bespoke financial sector courses, showing an exciting new approach to partnership working between employers and providers.

Recognition of these four organisations as awarding bodies demonstrates the variety of options now available for employers to provide nationally recognised training for their staff. Employers may choose to become awarding bodies in their own right, as the MoD and, previously, McDonald’s, Flybe and Network Rail have done. Employers may also work with further education providers or representative organisations such as PLASA and REC.

More than 30 other employers have also already had their training nationally accredited by working in partnership with existing awarding bodies. These employers include Fitness First and Transport for London. This wide range of new opportunities for employers to have bespoke training accredited greatly expands the ways in which skills gaps can be addressed and learners can gain credit and recognition for their hard work and achievements.

The process for gaining recognition as an awarding body has remained unchanged since its introduction in 2000 and takes, on average, 10 months to complete. As a part of its work with employers and providers, the QCA has sought ways to reduce bureaucracy and make the process simpler and easier for employers and all organisations seeking to become awarding bodies. The reformed process, taking only two to three months, is set out in a QCA’s report published today: Report on Recognising Organisations as Awarding Bodies: The Recognition Process. QCA has ensured that processes have been streamlined while maintaining the high standards required to become an awarding body.

Backed by £1 million of funding from the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, QCA is working with the CBI and the National Employer Service to invite more employers to become involved in an expanded accreditation programme.

Ken Boston, QCA's Chief Executive said:

"Today we're announcing the second group of employers to be given official awarding body status, the MoD, PLASA, REC and City College Norwich.

“Employers, whether in the private or public sectors, are demanding a more flexible and focused system of qualifications. By becoming awarding bodies themselves, these employers are in a position to offer their staff high quality training that is specifically work-based, but provides the long-needed recognition of employee learning that can be valued throughout their working lives.

“We invite all employers and providers interested in participating in this programme to contact us."

John Denham, Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, said:

“To drive up the nation's skills, this Government is determined to recognise and promote excellence in training, wherever it is delivered.

“The reductions in bureaucracy we’ve announced will allow even more companies to achieve awarding body status, will enable more employees to improve their life chances and will promote innovation whilst maintaining high standards.

“Not only will employers and learners benefit from the new and flexible qualifications system but increasing the skills base the country will benefit us on the bigger stage. That’s why I am pleased to announce an additional £1 million to support employers who want to become part of the Qualifications and Credit Framework."

Under-Secretary of State for Defence, Derek Twigg said

"I am delighted that Defence is leading the way for the rest of the public sector in this initiative. The Armed Forces are an organisation firmly committed to lifelong personalised learning. As a major employer we are one of the largest single providers of training in the UK – from basic educational skills through to NVQs, Apprenticeships and Higher Education. Gaining Awarding Body Status is a huge step forward in recognising the scale and high quality of MOD training."

Susan Anderson, CBI Director of Human Resources Policy, said:

“It is very welcome to see momentum being maintained on this important initiative. Companies spend over £33bn a year on training their staff – ensuring it’s possible and straightforward for firms to award their own national qualifications will better recognise their significant investment in a skilled and productive workforce.”

For more information on the QCF, details on taking part in the trials and the QCF consultation, visit: www.qca.org.uk/qcf.

Notes to editors

1. As a result of the pilot, QCA has revised its procedures for recognising an awarding body, and has been working closely with companies, building on their existing corporate systems, rather than expecting all organisations to conform to a standard system. As a result, the recognition process timeline will be cut from anything from six months to three years at present to just two to three months in future.

2. The QCF will be implemented across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, subject to confirmation by ministers in the three countries, from August 2008.

3. The Ministry of defence (MoD)

The initial course to be trialled is ‘Survival French’. The MoD’s internal training department, the Director General Training and Education (DGTE), will be ensuring the rigorous standards of the Qualifications & Curriculum Authority (QCA) are implemented whilst making certain that the training programmes are of a high quality and fulfil the MoD’s needs.

The programme will cover French Survival 01/08, among other languages targeted for inclusion in the programme from the autumn onwards. At the end of the course, learners will have gained a Level 1 qualification, equivalent to a foundation GCSE.

Commander Andy Cropley (Commanding Officer of the Defence School of Languages) says of the initiative:

“The linguistic skills attained by soldiers, sailors and air men and women through immense effort on intensive language courses over many months merits national recognition. The specific languages and contexts for which we train have hitherto made this very difficult to achieve but now we have the ability to ensure that military language skills, at whatever level, are understood by those outside the Services. I am delighted that DSL has been given the opportunity to be the pioneer for the Defence Awarding Body and look forward immensely to seeing our first students receive their nationally recognised awards.”

4. The Professional Lighting and Sound Association (PLASA)

Development of a Level 1 Trainee Rigger programme for ‘new entrants’ into the industry will start in May 2008 and will cover the core skills required for rigging in any sector and provide a pathway for someone trying to reach the Level 2 certificate. This will involve training and on the job work experience before assessment at Level 2.

PLASA will be working with employers in the Live Event sector and the QCA to develop the units that make up the qualification, ensuring that it is ‘fit for purpose’ and delivering candidates who have the skills needed to succeed in the industry.

Nicky Greet, Professional Development Manager at PLASA comments:

“The real benefit of us becoming an awarding body is that we can offer industry led qualifications that have been developed for people who work in a specific sector by the employers of that sector. This level of input into the qualification and the fact that it sits in the QCF will guarantee that those workers who achieve their assessment will attain a credible qualification that demonstrates what they actually do, whilst also ensuring that it is delivered in such a way to fit in with the flexible nature of work in the industry sectors PLASA represents.”

5. The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC)

Working together, the QCA and the REC have been evolving the systems and procedures the REC already had in place in order to conform to the rigorous standards set to become a QCA accredited awarding body.

Through this process, the REC will be able to offer its members, distance learning programmes (with support workshops) as well as training courses, nationally accredited qualifications developed by the industry for the industry, that can also be adapted as industry demands change.

The result will drive up training standards across the sector and help employers improve staff moral and retention whilst offering learners flexible and nationally accredited business-led qualifications.

Judith Armatage FREC, Director of Professional Development at REC, comments:

“The REC is pleased to support this project. It is a huge step forward in demand-led qualifications that meet the needs of business and will ensure that individuals and UK plc is equipped to meet the challenges both of today and tomorrow.”

6. City College Norwich (CCN)
One of the pilot qualifications being explored by CCN is the development of an induction programme for new recruits to the financial services sector in Norwich. Marsh, Norwich Union and Swiss Re are among the organisations contributing to the programme’s development and it is hoped that other organisations, particularly small businesses, will get involved.

The course is expected to take place over a number of days at the City College Norwich’s National Skills Academy (NSA) and will include a range of units relevant to the participating organisations including an introduction to financial services, business communications, team building and managing development – all key issues affecting the financial services companies locally.

It is proposed that the course is accredited within the new Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF), with the possibility of the programme being counted towards a full qualification in the long term.

Dick Palmer, Principal at City College Norwich, said:

“The granting of Awarding Body Status to City College Norwich is a critical further step in the College’s work aimed at developing an employer led curriculum. By working with employers in the accreditation of their own in-house training provision we not only help their employees get the qualifications they deserve for undertaking that training but also we, the College, gain an invaluable insight into the sorts of needs employers have of their workforce. That, in turn, allows my college to better prepare my students for the real world of work and gives employers better future employees. A real virtuous circle.”

7. The Department for Innovation Universities and Skills (DIUS) has given the QCA £1 million to work with the CBI and the National Employer Service to attract more employers for the next year of the employer recognition programme. The funding includes the provision of intensive support for organisations seeking to become awarding organisations.

8. Report on recognising organisations as awarding bodies: The recognition process can be downloaded at www.qca.org.uk/recognition

9. For further information please contact Jon Waldren, QCA Press Office on 020 7509 6789 or out of hours 07798 924 552