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VQRP

The Vocational Qualifications Reform Programme (VQRP) is a UK wide initiative taking forward a range of critical developments to address skills need within the UK economy. One of its key aims is to simplify the vocational qualifications landscape for both learners and employers, ensuring that reformed qualifications and other learning provision are recognised, understood, valued and trusted.

The Programme has five sub-programme areas:

Strand 1: Sector Qualification Reform, led by Sector Skills Development Agency.
Strand 2: Framework Development, led by Regulatory Authority Partners.
Strand 3: Planning, Funding and Delivery of Provision for Learners, led by the Learning and Skills Council, working with planning and funding bodies across the four UK jurisdictions.
Strand 4: Preparatory Rationalisation of existing qualifications, led by the Federation of Awarding Bodies (FAB) and the Joint Council for General Qualifications (JCQ).
Strand 5: Communications. Cross cutting strand, led by DfES, covering the whole VQ Reform Programme, linking into the Strategic Communications Group (LSC chaired).

Strand 4 of the VQRP
The last meeting of strand 4 of the VQRP which looked at the Preliminary Rationalisation of Vocational Qualifications was on 25 March 2008. This strand of work will continue to report into the main VQRP Board. The main objectives of the strand were to:

Work with the regulators to cleanse the current regulators’ databases of qualifications (OpenQuals) to ensure that it contains only live qualifications and identifies multiple counting of the same qualification;
Explore the use of titling conventions for qualifications based on routes, contexts and purpose.
Encourage the voluntary withdrawal of qualifications where appropriate;
Identify the implications of the four country remit on the policy and activity associated with the above objectives.

Key outcomes from the project illustrate that:

It takes at least two to three years for new qualifications to become established. Any meaningful review of take-up undertaken in advance of this may contribute to instability in the framework.
Inaccuracies in the certification data held by regulators had led overestimation of the incidence of low take-up. Nevertheless the project led to the removal of 300 qualifications.
The dynamics of the qualifications system are much better understood as the results of insights emerging from the project. The perception that there are 5,000 qualifications on the NQF is largely an artefact of the way in which qualifications are counted. By discounting the awarding body name, allowing shared VRQ titles, and having flexible core and option structures within a single title a substantial reduction in discrete titles can be achieved, together with a better understanding by users of qualifications.
It is also now better understood that retaining some qualifications with low take-up may be justified. For instance where they form part of a larger suite of qualifications, provide an essential progression route, meet the needs of a specialist sector, allow a one stop shop, or otherwise meet the strategic circumstances of a sector.
There is also a better understanding of the factors which make a qualification a success. The most significant element is the involvement of providers and employers, as well as awarding bodies, in planning and developing qualifications provision.
The draft Code of Practice has been signed up to by 71 awarding bodies and 25 SSCs. Arrangements are being put in place for its voluntary maintenance following completion of the project

The documents below will provide you with a more complete understanding of strand 4 of the VQRP.

Main outputs of the Strand:
Frequently Asked Questions
Code of Practice
Final Report

Other information: