Employers

National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) reflect the skills and knowledge needed to do a job effectively, enabling your employees to have their work-based competences recognised.

Find out how employers from Birmingham, Coventry, Walsall, Warwickshire, Wolverhampton and across the UK are benefiting from Solihull College’s first class employee training programmes. The Employer Service at the College is one of the leading employee training providers in the West Midlands.

Based on national occupational standards, NVQs describe what competent people in a particular occupation are expected to be able to do, including:

• current best practice
• the ability to adapt to future requirements
• the knowledge and understanding that underpin performance.

How can NVQs help your business?

Most employers now accept the value of making a commitment to NVQs, which in turn is a commitment to raising the performance of your employees and recognising their improvement.

NVQ training and assessment not only strengthens competence but also provides important opportunities to review current practices and implement new, more effective ways of working.

“At Smith's Wood Sports College, we are delighted with the support we have received from Solihull College since our partnership began. Over 60 staff have completed NVQs and other qualifications or taken part in a host of activities organised by the College.

Throughout our partnership, not only have staff been given the necessary training and tools to improve confidence and skills, but it has also led to enhanced team-building activities and a willingness to learn throughout the support staff."

Sally Bowen (Assistant Principal, CPD Coordinator, Smith’s Wood Sports College)

Who can apply for an NVQ?

NVQ’s are available to anyone who would like to be assessed on the work they carry out and have their skills and knowledge formally recognised. There are no age limits, no special entry requirements and within reason they do not have to be completed in a specified amount of time.
Essential features include:

• No entry requirements or examinations
• Candidates may be of any age, with or without qualifications
• No requirements as to how the skills and knowledge required are developed
• Applicants may already be in a job (full or part-time), starting a new job with in-house training, going to College or starting on a government sponsored scheme.

What NVQs does Solihull College offer?

We offer NVQs from level 1 to level 5 in a range of disciplines, including:

• Business Administration
• Business Improvement Techniques
• Customer Service
• Catering & Hospitality
• Cleaning
• Team Leading and Management
• Health & Social Care
• Retail Operations
• Warehousing Distribution & Logistics
• Children’s Care Learning & Development
• Contact Centres
• Spectator Safety
• Learning & Development
• A1 & V1 Awards

NVQ Levels defined – A quick guide

Level 1

Competence that involves the application of knowledge in the performance of a range of varied work activities, most of which are routine and predictable.

Level 2

Competence that involves the application of knowledge in a significant range of varied work activities, performed in a variety of contexts. Some of these activities are complex or non-routine and there is some individual responsibility or autonomy. Collaboration with others, perhaps through membership of a work group or team, is often a requirement.

Level 3

Competence that involves the application of knowledge in a broad range of varied work activities performed in a wide variety of contexts, most of which are complex and non-routine. There is considerable responsibility and autonomy and control or guidance of others is often required.

Level 4

Competence that involves the application of knowledge in a broad range of complex, technical or professional work activities performed in a variety of contexts and with a substantial degree of personal responsibility and autonomy.
Responsibility for the work of others and the allocation of resources is often present.

Level 5

Competence that involves the application of a range of fundamental principles across a wide and often unpredictable variety of contexts. Very substantial personal autonomy and often significant responsibility for the work of others and for the allocation of substantial resources features strongly, as do personal accountabilities for analysis, diagnosis, design, planning, execution and evaluation.

How are NVQs achieved?

NVQs are awarded when work is carried out competently over time, in a range of settings, and to a national standard. Some people have been doing a job for a long time and can be assessed immediately (this is called Accrediting Prior Learning); others will need to have completed training and been doing the job for a period. A team of occupationally competent assessors at Solihull College assess the performance of NVQ candidates in their workplaces.