Occupational Standards and NVQs/SVQs

CIC manages on behalf of the sector, the database of higher level technical, managerial and professional Occupational Standards and NVQ/SVQ Framework for the Built Environment. This provides pan-sector coverage in disciplines covering town and transport planning, statutory control, design disciplines, conservation and maintenance, contracting supervision and management, project management, property disciplines and building services disciplines.

CIC has developed a Framework of National/ Scottish Vocational Qualifications (NVQs/SVQs) covering the higher level occupations in the built environment. Since 1994, a significant number of NVQs/SVQs at levels 3, 4 and 5 have been developed for the industry covering most of its main disciplines (including planning, transportation, design, building and civil engineering, building services engineering, property etc.). View a status list of current CIC NVQ/SVQs

Standards and Qualifications Strategy Committee

The Standards and Qualifications Strategy Committee has recently been established between the partner organisations within ConstructionSkills and will be responsible to the ConstructionSkills Strategic Partnership Panel. This will ensure a fully integrated process for dealing with standards and qualifications and the development of and implementation of a Construction Qualifications Strategy (CQS).

Construction Qualifications Strategy (CQS)

In December 2004 the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) issued guidance for Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) to develop Sector Qualification Strategies (SQS) for vocational qualifications in England , excluding higher education. In February 2005 ConstructionSkills and QCA agreed to develop a Construction Qualification Strategy (CQS) as a basis for future qualification planning and development to meet the construction industry’s three major skill challenges of improving business performance; qualifying the existing workforce and recruiting qualified new entrants identified in the ConstructionSkills’ Sector Skills Agreement (SSA). The other home nations’ regulatory bodies are now supporting the development of the CQS. The CQS will inform the implementation of the ConstructionSkills’, regulatory bodies’ and home nations’ qualification frameworks and vocational education and training developments, including higher education.

A draft CQS consultation document was prepared with an audit of existing qualifications, 42 strategy recommendations and actions to take the CQS forward. Feedback was obtained in autumn/winter 2005 from twenty five, employer-focused, consultation workshops in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland . The draft strategy was also discussed at a range of sector meetings. Employers and training providers responded on the ConstructionSkills website. The CQS Feedback Report (February 2006) provides an executive summary and details the feedback. The following qualification strategy and actions have been produced based on the industry feedback to the original consultation proposals. Section two outlines other issues and possible actions which the industry identified as being needed to support the qualification strategy and meet the sector’s major skill challenges.

Built Environment Skills Alliance (BESA)

CIC is a member of the Built Environment Skills Alliance (BESA) which is predominantly an advisory and liaison group of Sector Skills Councils working within the built environment with a focus on development issues. It will aim to work through its members and to promote and encourage joint working and a partnership approach where this is appropriate and likely to add value. Other members of the Alliance include CITB ConstructionSkills, CITB NI, ECITB, Energy and Utility Skills, Pro Skills and Summit Skills.

CIC manages on behalf of the sector, the database of higher level technical, managerial and professional Occupational Standards and NVQ/SVQ Framework for the Built Environment. This provides pan-sector coverage in disciplines covering town and transport planning, statutory control, design disciplines, conservation and maintenance, contracting supervision and management, project management, property disciplines and building services disciplines.

The Occupational Standards represent a benchmark of industry-specified best practice of performance and underpinning knowledge and understanding and provide a powerful multi-purpose tool for the sector. They are designed to improve the performance of Industry, by enhancing the performance of people in the workplace and by helping to inform training and vocational education about contemporary industry needs. Extensive work has been carried out to review this web-accessed database of generic Occupational Standards for the Built Environment to ensure they reflect changing industry needs.

ConstructionSkills Consolidated Assessment Strategy for Construction and the Built Environment Craft, Supervisory, Technical, Managerial and Professional NVQ/SVQs 

ConstructionSkills have developed a single overarching ConstructionSkills strategy covering construction craft and built environment technical, managerial and professional National Occupational Standards and NVQ/SVQs. This assessment strategy provides principles and guidance to awarding bodies so the assessment of NVQ/SVQs is valid, effective, consistent and has credibility across the Construction and Built Environment sector. View the Strategy document

Standards Training and Education for Progression [STEP]

STEP (Standards, Training and Education for Progression) is an information and guidance tool within which you will find information on Occupational Standards, NVQ/SVQs, Training, Education and potential linkages between different education, training and qualification routes.

It is hoped that the information within STEP is of use to Professional Institutions, academics, training providers, individual practitioners, employers and others with an interest in training and development routes for built environment professionals. In addition, much of the information held within STEP may be of interest to those who want to know more about Occupational Standards, NVQ/SVQs and progression routes but whose interest is not necessarily construction focused .

Much of CIC's recent work is in the areas of education, training and lifelong learning has focused on the development and use of occupational standards. A range of pioneering projects have been carried out, for example: developing a central mechanism for inter-relating academic, vocational and professional qualifying systems across the built environment, based on the ‘common currency’ of industry Occupational Standards - enabling organisations and individuals to pursue improved progression paths and focus education, training and qualification development on industry competence needs – guidance arising from this work is summarised in a web-based document ‘STEP’ – ‘Standards, Training and Education for Progression’; using standards to help SMEs to raise competence and performance; using occupational standards to meet Investors in People status; encouraging industry stakeholders to recognise the central importance of developing and implementing standards-based ‘competence’ as a key aspect of all current procurement processes and performance raising initiatives.

Using standards to raise performance – a user’s guide

This guide is designed to help organisations (particularly small and medium employers and individuals), to improve their performance and so gain competitive advantage. It aims to dispel the misconceptions and lack of understanding surrounding Occupational Standards and NVQs/SVQs.

For further information on this publication, please click here.

International Benchmarking

CIC are currently working on benchmarking and research projects which concentrate on building a network of overseas bodies that promote the use of standards in vocational qualifications. The current project will focus particular emphasis on the sharing of expertise in prefabrication and offsite working.

The project will:

• Build on the foundation work carried out in the previous successful 2004-5 Benchmarking project which encompassed seven countries from Europe and worldwide and identified models and comparisons of standards development, coverage and application, lessons to be learnt for UK industry, the need to address labour mobility and recognition as a key sector issue,

• the value of continuing to pursue these issues with the original participants (who agreed to share information through a virtual web-linked community - International Forum for Construction Occupational Standards - IFCOS) and a wider group of countries from whom lessons could be learnt:

• work with and extend the IFCOS network (which currently includes Australia, Belgium, Canada, Estonia, New Zealand, Romania, United Kingdom)

Access more information about Occupational Standards and the work of the Occupational Standards panel at the CICSC site.

All education, training and qualification related queries should be directed to lifelonglearning@cic.org.uk

Read more about CIC's involvement in ConstructionSkills