This summer, the prime minister announced that workers are to be given the right to ask their employers for training. The move aims to bring about a culture change in an estimated one-in three firms that do not train their staff. However, there is evidence that a growing number of working people are already somehow finding the time and money to study for professional qualifications, with or without support from their employers.
A survey commissioned by the education foundation Edge found that the number of national vocational qualifications — and their Scottish equivalents — achieved rose by 67% over five years up to 2006-7. More than half of these were gained by people over the age of 25, and a quarter by people over 40.
Bob Coates, managing director of City and Guilds, one of the major awarding bodies for vocational qualifications, says these figures are significant.
"The average age of our candidates is 28. That tells you that there are an awful lot of people who are doing qualifications at a crucial point in their career development, which is often not at the start of their career," he says.
Many of these workplace students start their career straight after A-levels. At some point they reach a stage where professional qualifications are needed if they want to progress further. This can be for a variety of reasons, such as gaining a licence to practise or acquiring the knowledge and skills needed at management level. Fortunately, there is a wide range of qualifications available to cater for almost every situation.
National vocational qualifications are "certificates of competence" set at five levels, the upper two of which are considered broadly equivalent to degree and postgraduate levels. To gain an NVQ, candidates must build a portfolio of witnessed achievements. A total 670,000 NVQs were awarded in 2006-7. There are more than 1,300 to choose from, but the most popular cover jobs in health and public services, retail and commercial enterprise, and business administration and law. Vocationally related qualifications (VRQs) are similar, but include more underpinning knowledge and testing. BTecs are another type of workrelated qualification set at the same five levels as NVQs. Over the past two years, 2.5 million people have taken BTecs, many of which are designed in collaboration with employers.
A great raft of professional qualifications are awarded or overseen by hundreds of professional bodies and associations, covering just about every occupation imaginable. Certificates and diplomas, as well as NVQs and BTecs, are on offer. They all allow progression to professional status, and most also open up opportunities to progress on to a foundation degree or degree course.
