QA Associates have become a partner provider with West Nottinghamshire College to deliver a number of work-based qualifications throughout the United Kingdom.
West Nottinghamshire College achieved a clean sweep of top grades in the recent round of Ofsted inspections. This impressive result puts the college in an elite group of colleges nationally with only a handful of others achieving the same result.
The Ofsted report highlighted powerful partnerships and in particular, inspectors noted the excellent relationships developed to meet the needs of local and national employers.
This new partnership with the college will enable QA to offer free vocational training to eligible learners through the governments flag ship initiative for improving workforce skills – ‘Train to Gain’.
For the past six months, Jason, our media designer has been developing electronic portfolios. The aim of the project being to remove the need for all the paper that is found in a traditional NVQ portfolio and utilise electronic evidence from other systems found in the workplace. It also reduces bureaucracy as suggested by QCA.
After an extensive period of testing, the paperless portfolio, which is based on a memory stick, is now a resilient product and one that we feel will be well received. Many thanks to all the RFFS’s that have assisted in the development of the product.
Portfolios for V1, A1, L10 & L11 qualifications are now available.
QA Associates became the BTEC ‘approved centre’ for the Fire & Community Safety Section at The Fire Service College at the beginning of 2007.
With a brief of developing a range of qualifications for fire safety courses that are delivered at the college or on outreach, 19 courses at levels 3 & 4 have been approved by Edexcel.
We currently have over 150 students registered for various customised qualifications and the work of the first four students taking the Level 4 ‘BTEC Professional Award in Fire Safety (Fire Alarms, Detection & Emergency Lighting)’ has now been Certified.
For more information, contact Dave Rae at the FSC on 01608 812095.
QA Associates have become one of the first Centres to be approved by City & Guilds to deliver the new NVQ Level 2 qualification Co-ordinating Aviation Operations on the Ground.
Although the qualification has four different pathways, QA will initially be focusing upon only three:
• Providing Safe Airside Operations at Airports
• Providing Airside Ramp Services
• Supporting Aircraft Operations
This qualification will compliment our existing vocational standards work with Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Services, and is aimed at demonstrating the competence of personnel at airports who are involved in Safety Operations, Ground Handling Services and turnaround of aircraft.
Delivery of the award will be available from April 2008. Operations Managers & Ground Handling Service Managers should contact Director Dennis Fretwell for further details on 01773 748866.
Evaluation & Audit•
on March 8th, 2008•
QA Associates recently assisted Derry City Council to select two new Crew Managers at the airport Rescue & Firefighting Service. The successful candidates then went on to their training course at ITC and came out as two of the best candidates.
Robert Bradley of the City Council was very pleased with the process which was carried out in an impartial and independent way, leaving all candidates with the feeling that they had all had a fair opportunity to gain a post.
Feedback has been provided to each of those who went through the selection process and a development program for the successful candidates is due to commence under the guidance of QA Associates.
For further details on the process, contact Dennis Fretwell.
QA Associates have commenced training personnel from Westinghouse Rail Systems in Manual Handling.
This is a half day course followed by a short examination. Successful students achieve a certificate from The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health. The program is to be rolled out across all Westinghouse sites as part of the companies successful Health & Safety program.
If you are interested in this course for your company’s personnel, please contact us for more details.
Evaluation & Audit•
on March 3rd, 2008•
QA Associates’ consultant Keith Webster recently assisted Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service in their selection process for two new Brigade Managers.
Keith carried out external verification of the process and advised on interpreting the Brigade Manager Role Maps and related Behavioural Anchored Rating Scales.
The Fire Service College in collaboration with FPM Training, a specialist provider and a partner of the ‘National Youth Agency’, have jointly developed a program that enables the staff of FRSs to meet the challenges faced when working with Children and Young People.
Entitled ‘Safe & Effective Working with Young People’, the aim of the program is to ensure that staff are effective and professional in order to meet the needs of child protection legislation and good practice. The first part of the program is an e-learning package followed by a two day residential course, either at the FSC or on outreach.
Completion of the program enables the Fire Service to start to implement the Government initiative ‘Every Child Matters’. The first courses commenced in January and will be available as a BTEC through the QA Associates ‘approved BTEC centre’.
Evaluation & Audit•
on December 1st, 2007•
Independent External Verification visits in accordance with the requirements of CAP 699 are due to start again in January at East Midlands Airport.
Following discussion with CAA a number of changes to the visits are planned next year – this is particularly important as changes to CAP 699 are imminent.
All of our External Verifiers are either qualified to V2 (the industrial standard) or working towards V2 qualification. For more information/prices, please contact Dennis Fretwell.
The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health has also approved QA Associates to deliver the ‘Professional Trainer Certificate’ This three day course is ideal for anyone who needs to either understand the basics of training practice, or wants to refine their training techniques. Those who have never delivered training before will find it an ideal basis for their future training activities.
This latest qualification from CIEH expands our range to six courses in health & safety. For further information, please contact Dennis Fretwell.
