National Vocational Qualifications

The NVQ route has been adopted because it is based on standards of competence that have been defined by the employment sector which are seen as being directly relevant to the needs of employers. They recognise people’s practical skills at work, rather than relying totally on knowledge learnt from academic study. Standards are maintained by continual assessment, this means that candidates undergoing an NVQ can expect to see their assessor on a regular basis.

There are no pre-set start dates, which means that a candidate can be registered at any time of the year. Individuals can start with one unit and progress at their own rate. There is therefore no hard and fast guidance on the duration for completion of an NVQ. However as an indicator, a new entrant to the lift and escalator industry who has completed their first year basic training will take between two and three years to complete a level 3 NVQ.