ASC

Linda Sharpe clarifies National Occupational Standards

22/08/06

Following a recent meeting with the ASC Chairman, Linda Sharpe the Interim Chief Executive of Skills for Security suggested that in the past the objective for developing a NOS had perhaps not been presented as succinctly as it might have been and assumptions had been made that everyone knew what Skills for Security were trying to achieve. It was also unfortunate that the NOS became embroiled in the debate about licensing and some ASC members became uneasy when they thought that the NOS might be used as a syllabus for a qualification for licensing.

Linda, along with many others, consider it very important that ASC members recognise the benefits of a NOS and support Skills for Security through recognition of a first occupational standard for the Security Consultancy. Linda clarified National occupation standards as follows:


What are National Occupational Standards

National Occupational Standards (NOS) define the level of competence needed for a particular job role or occupation. They cover the key activities undertaken within the occupation in question and under all the circumstances the job holder is likely to encounter.

NOS also include an assessment strategy which defines how competence should be assessed against nationally agreed standards of performance, across a range of workplace circumstances for all roles.

NOS are viewed by modern managers as an indispensable tool for managing a highly skilled workforce. They are used widely to support individual and organisational development and quality assurance at all levels. They provide benchmarks of good practice across the UK.

National Occupational Standards also form the basis of qualifications, most commonly National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) and Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs).

National Occupational Standards can be used to:

? Develop qualification specifications and apprenticeship frameworks
? Develop Foundation Degrees
? Develop training programmes and learning materials
? Accredit training courses and course materials
? Define job roles
? Measure staff performance and identify strengths and weaknesses using the standards to appraise and develop staff
? Identify and develop routes for progression and continuous professional development (CPD)

The Government (through the Sector Skills Development Agency) is now encouraging all sectors of the economy to develop NOS to cover all workforce activities. For this reason, Skills for Security, as a standards setting body, is engaging with all sub sectors of the security business sector to ensure that NOS are in place and up to date.