What is an NVQ?

NVQs are one of the best-known vocational qualifications. NVQ stands for National Vocational Qualification. NVQs are work-based qualifications, which means that instead of attending a college the course is carried out and assessed in the workplace.

NVQ qualifications are available in a huge range of subjects, relevant to virtually every business sector and industry, and can be studied at a range of levels, from introductory right through to advanced degree and postgraduate level courses. These vocational courses are very flexible, offering a huge range of different topics and subject areas which employers can choose from to ensure that the training given is as relevant as possible to their business and to their staff’s specific job roles.

NVQs can help open up your talent pool, removing key barriers that often stop candidates who are less academic from completing qualifications and entering certain industries. By providing an opportunity to gain qualifications through practical examination instead of written, NVQs are accessible forms of training.

Training your employees with NVQs is a great way to improve your business performance and help your staff achieve nationally-recognised qualifications at the same time.

How NVQ Training Works:

NVQ qualifications are different to academic qualifications like GCSEs, A Levels and Degrees. Instead of focusing on academic attainment, they develop the skills and knowledge that enable students to perform well in their job roles.

For each NVQ, students are measured against a number of ‘outcomes’ – each outcome is a task that students must prove they can complete in order to gain the qualification. Instead of testing these outcomes via essays or exams, NVQ assessors collect ‘evidence’ showing that the student meets the requirements of each outcome in their day-to-day work. This could be through observing them at work, by looking at projects or reports they have completed at work, or through written statements submitted by the student. Once the evidence has been collected to prove that the student has met all of the necessary outcomes, the entire portfolio is assessed and the NVQ is awarded.

Assessment is very flexible, so NVQ assessor visits and training time can be tailored to cause minimal disruption to the day-to-day running of the business. Since the course is assessed based on the student’s performance in the workplace, the course is constantly related back to the student’s own job role, meaning that students need less time away from their work to complete the course than they would when studying an equivalent academic course.

The Business Benefits of Vocational Training:

Training your staff with NVQs is a great way to improve the performance of your business. By helping your employees to develop skills relevant to their job, you can increase productivity and efficiency as well as reduce accidents and improve working practices. Improved efficiency can help to reduce costs and wastage, improve your profit margins and help your business to become more competitive.

Many businesses also find that by investing in staff training, they see an improvement in workplace morale and staff motivation, leading to improved staff retention, easier recruitment and better communication within the workplace. Being seen to take developing and training your workforce seriously can also improve your company’s reputation, marking your business out as being committed to excellence in your industry or sector.