Review - Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research

choice of approaches designed to suit organisations of all types and sizes. The
options include variations on two key ways for tailored training to be accredited:
• Employers and providers can be licensed as awarding organisations, able to
award qualifications themselves.
• Employers can work with other awarding organisations, either existing or
newly licensed awarding organisations, to develop tailored units or
qualifications and have them accredited. Options include working with:
o existing awarding organisations to develop units or vocational
qualifications for a specific employer or sector
o trade associations, which can develop qualifications to suit their
membership, which can include hundreds of small and medium size
enterprises
o other employers which have become awarding organisations—for
example, suppliers and contractors working with large employers
o providers (such as colleges) which have become awarding
organisations, perhaps developing vocational qualifications for a
particular sector.
Training organisations operate within a set of work and training based requirements.
The learning and development standards, produced and maintained by the standard
setting body ENTO, contain the assessor and verifier standards that training
organisations are expected to obtain and adhere to. Training organisations also have
to work within the NVQ code of practice 99 and any awarding organisation
requirements with regard to centre approval and quality assurance training offered
by the awarding organisations.
For training organisations, quality assurance is built around processes that aim to
reduce sources of error in assessment. The ENTO framework of standards and single
unit qualifications help introduce reliability and consistency to the internal
assessment processes prevalent in vocational qualifications delivered by training
providers and in the work place. These units form the basis of assessment credentials
for those delivering vocational qualifications and training.
Unit Title
A1 Assess candidates using a range of methods
A2 Assess candidates' performance through observation
V1 Conduct internal quality assurance of the assessment process
V2 Conduct external quality assurance of the assessment process
These standards have been developed by ENTO in partnership with other key
stakeholders. Typically, trainers would have A1 and A2. Staff with internal quality
assurance responsibilities (overseeing the assessment of others in the delivery
centre), would have the V1 unit, and awarding organisation staff visiting the centre
(typically, twice a year) would be expected to have the A2 unit.
There is a range of source material, A and V specifications and guidance at
www.ento.co.uk/standards/index.php
99 Revised 2006, www.ofqual.gov.uk/files/qca-06-2888_nvq_code_of_practice_r06.pdf. The code is essentially
for awarding organisations bodies but centres need to be aware of their roles and obligations. The code expands
on The statutory regulation of external qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (2004).
Comparisons of international quality assurance systems in vocational education and training Page 106 of 115