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TLH Leisure Resort prides itself in providing training and development for all it's staff and over the years this has included many operational roles such a read more about this success story
Training and Development
Everyone recognises that the Training and Development of all employees is a vital part of growing and improving their business. However when it comes to accessing the necessary courses, you can get totally confused by the range available, by the funding available, by the type of course, and by the relevance to your business. This document will attempt to clear this confusion, and list Training and Development opportunities available to your business through the TACCS Project.
Training Levels
Courses are normally classified by their levels, which can be the first area of confusion, the table below links the levels of courses their educational equivalents and their relevance to your business.
| Training Level | Educational Equivalent | Business Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Below C grade GCSEs | Line Worker |
| Level 2 | 5 GCSEs of grade C or above | Line Worker |
| Level 3 | 2 A level passes | Supervisor |
| Level 4 | Degree Level | Line manager |
| Level 5 | Postgraduate level | General Manager |
Training Courses
Training course content, for qualifications relevant to work based learning, can be classified into four sections:
- Direct training, normally in a group – classroom style.
- Project work – carried out in the workplace.
- Assessment for competence – candidates are assessed on their competence to meet National Standards, it is up to the candidate to produce the evidence.
- Examinations to assess knowledge.
NVQs are the main source of training for work-based learners. They rely almost exclusively on assessment for competence. The learner needs to be doing the job already, and the NVQ ensures that the learner has the skills and knowledge to do the job, and that they are capable of working to a recognised national standard.
It is the responsibility of the learner’s supervisors, as well as the NVQ assessor to ensure that the learner has the skills necessary to be judged competent. While NVQs were very much a paper based, there has been a move recently by most Learning Providers to base their assessments much more on discussion, recorded on Dictaphones, and observation, taking the pressure off the learner. With support from within the business, NVQs can be an excellent method of improving performance, and guaranteeing consistent standards. The disadvantage is that NVQs cannot be used for preparing learners for a future position, as they need to be assessed actually doing the tasks.
NVQs are divided into units, between 6 and 12 per qualification, many of which are optional, so that the qualification can be fitted to the job responsibilities of learners. There are no exams involved, although there may be some project work required by the assessor. Having said that the new NVQs (2006) for Hospitality do include the necessity for a test of Under Pinning Knowledge for each unit, which will need to be taken under examination conditions. Providers will take different approaches to this requirement.
Also for technical NVQs, cooking in particular, some providers consider that it is better to include some day release training, this will increase the hours necessary to complete the award, but it will guarantee a better standard of training.
It is very difficult to assess the time required to complete NVQs as it varies between learners and assessors. You should estimate that a learner would require between 3 and 5 hours a week (including assessor time), over a period of about 8/12 months. The higher the qualification the more time will be needed.
Certificates (or in some cases Diplomas) contain much more direct training, involving the transfer of knowledge from the trainer to the learner. This training is ideal for preparing learners for a new position. They are particularly useful for preparing learners for new management responsibilities, as well as for expanding their technical skill base in specific areas (e.g. health and safety). These courses may include projects in the workplace to support the training, and a final exam.
The time requirement varies, dependent on the certificate, and in most cases it will involve the learner attending training sessions out of the workplace.
Using certificates as a source of training will normally be more expensive than an NVQ due to the increased time spent actually training.
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