The issue of which courses qualify for VTR has also been a problem here at
North London.

We have one particular course  - Postgrad Diploma in Human Resource Management
(part-time) - which leads solely to a university award.  However, the
university award will qualify a student for entry as a Graduate Member of
the Institute of Personnel & Development (GradIPD qualification).  By
obtaining the GradIPD, the student will be eligible for an NVQ qualification,
according the the IPD prospectus.  Therefore, does our course in effect
"count towards an NVQ", as the Inland Revenue phrases it?!

Rather than prevail on colleagues on Mailbase for the invaluable advice
they invariably provide, I decided to tackle Inland Revenue directly on
this point.  For what it's worth, the following is an extract of their reply:


"The basic condition to be satisfied in relation to NVQs is that a programme of
activity within or constituting a training course is capable of counting
towards an NVQ.  This relates not only to the NVQ itself, but to any unit of
competence that forms an element of an NVQ.  Decisions on the eligibility of
courses are the responsibility of the Training Provider.  If you can establish
a link between competences within the course being offered and units of
competence within the National Vocational Qualification then you can offer VTR
on the cost of the courses to qualifying students.  The Training Provider can
achieve this by consulting with the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
who have a database of NVQ courses.  Failing that I suggest you contact [the
Institute of Personnel & Development]. As the awarding body they may be able
to assist you in determining whether you can offer relief or not."

The letter ends with the intuitive "I am sorry that this is not the answer
you were looking for"...

Going down this line does seem to open up a whole range of part-time courses
to possible eligibility for VTR, and the task of having to cross-reference
NVQ units of competence with particular elements of our courses is somewhat
daunting.  We are still considering which way to go - has anyone got any
thoughts or had similar experiences?


------------------------------------
Mike Galtrey
Head of Student Records Unit
Academic Registry
University of North London
e-mail: [log in to unmask]



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