Introduction

National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) recognise what a person is able to do at work. They involve the skills and knowledge needed to do the job, ability to organise work and spotting and stopping problems.

Each qualification has a level which shows what skills are needed to achieve the qualification. In the workplace, the levels can be described as:

Level 1: Foundation or basic skilled employees
Level 2: Operators or semi-skilled employees
Level 3: Technicians, craft, skilled and supervisory employees
Level 4: Technical and junior management positions
Level 5: Professional engineers and senior management positions

NVQs are based on industry standards which must be met to be competent in a particular task. There’s no need to go back to college or to sit exams, assessment is usually in the workplace. They’re very flexible – a candidate doesn't’t have to start at Level 1 but at the level that fits his/her job and abilities.

Each qualification is made up of a number of units, each of which has an EAL assessment route. The NVQ is gained when all the assessment routes have been achieved. The individual is certified for each unit completed so even if they don’t manage to complete the full qualification they still have proof of their ability and could complete the NVQ at a later date.

The Benefits of NVQs

For employers, NVQ can:

	Increase productivity and help win contracts
	Show customers that you have a workforce competent to industry standards
	Help reduce accidents as NVQs cover health and safety
	Reduce staff turnover, help to recruit people and to motivate them

	Provide evidence that you can do a particular job or skill
	Help with promotion
	Gain you a qualification without going back to college or sitting exams
	Be completed at a pace that suits you

What is Business Improvement Techniques?

The primary objective of this qualification is to improve business performance as a whole. This can only be done by empowering the people who make up the organisation, this means the top level management, middle management, supervision and all other employees who will have a part to play in improving the performance of their business.

This NVQ is not an alternative to any other qualification but sits along side the qualifications you already have or are working towards. It is intended to maximise your company profits and revenues by the elimination of waste and the creation of flow through the business by reducing cost and variation. It is also intended to improve responsiveness by making more effective use of people and physical assets.

Who would benefit from this qualification?

The Business-Improvement Techniques awards been designed to cover those people who are:

At Level 2

	Workers involved in business improvement within a team who wish to have their business improvement competencies assessed for certification purposes
	New employees who have undertaken some business improvement training and are now acquiring experience within a team and wish to demonstrate their competencies for assessment purposes
	Other people involved in the business at all levels who require fundamental understanding of business improvement practices

At Level 3

	Employees as supervisors, team leaders or facilitators and are responsible for carrying out business improvement activities
	People who through continuous professional development are being prepared to take on staff responsibilities in a business improvement environment
	Other people involved in the business at all levels who require a more in depth understanding of business improvement practices

At Level 4

	People who have overall responsibilities for business improvements and will probably be middle management with specific responsibilities for achieving business objectives
	People who through continuous professional development are being prepared to take on management responsibilities in a business improvement environment
	Full time facilitators on business improvement delivering improvement training across the business. They may not have specific day to day responsibilities
	Other people involved in the business who require an in-depth understanding of business improvement practices

The Business-Improvement Techniques awards have been designed to allow progression through the various levels (where this is appropriate). As a general rule, candidates who have achieved a Level 2 Award, and are moving on to a Level 3 Award, do not need to cover units already undertaken. Candidates who have achieved a Level 3 Award and are moving up to Level 4, do not need to cover units already undertaken. However, where mandatory units have been undertaken in a particular context it may be appropriate to generate some additional evidence if the new context is significantly different.

How is the qualification structured?

At all levels candidates can choose either a Process pathway or a Quality pathway. This ensures that the qualification matches the organisation’s objectives and reflects the candidates’ job role.
At Level 2 the candidate must choose four mandatory assessment routes plus two optional assessment routes from a choice of eight if they wish to take the Process pathway. For the Quality pathway the candidate must complete five mandatory assessment routes plus two optional assessment routes from a choice of four.
At Level 3 the candidate must choose six mandatory assessment routes plus three optional assessment routes from a choice of twelve if they wish to take the Process pathway. For the Quality pathway the candidate must complete seven mandatory assessment routes plus three optional assessment routes from a choice of eight.
At Level 4 the candidate must choose seven mandatory assessment routes plus six optional assessment routes from a choice of thirteen if they wish to take the Process pathway. For the Quality pathway the candidate must complete nine mandatory assessment routes plus three optional assessment routes from eight in one group and also two optional assessment routes from five in another group.

For further information please refer to the SEMTA web site or email Stefan March