NVQ’s (National Vocational Qualification)
These qualifications are undertaken by employees of waste contractors or increasingly by waste producer employees who need training or assessment in proper waste handling.
NVQ’s are qualifications achieved by the candidates in their workplace. They demonstrate their competence against the requirements of the award through their relevant work knowledge and by evidence of their work. There is no requirement to attend a course (though people sometimes do to build their knowledge) and their assessment is worked out on an individual 1:1 basis with their assessor.
If there are existing safety and operational procedures in use within the workplace we will ensure that candidates understand them and we will reinforce them as part of the assessment programme.
We don’t carry out unnecessary training but, if there are learning needs identified at the planning stage we will develop appropriate teaching sessions to fill any gaps prior to the assessment.
The assessment plan will highlight the outstanding items required to complete an NVQ.
There are two types of NVQ available in the Waste & Recycling sector – the process for both is the same but they are normally completed for statutory, or other, purposes.
- Operator Competence Certificate
- Non Statutory - Certificate of Competency
Operator Competence Certificate
The Operator Competence Certificate is normally aimed at Managers or Supervisors of a waste or resource management facility with the speed of progress driven by the candidate. It is progressed by visits to the workplace, normally monthly, by a SERAC assessor, who will also guide the candidate through each stage.
There are varying types of Operator Competence Certificates – which Certificate is required will be determined by the type of facility and the types of wastes it is permitted to receive. Candidates progress by demonstrating competency in each Unit of the Certificate. In summary an Operator Competence Certificate consists of:
Low Risk – 4 Units
Medium Risk – 6 Units
High Risk – 12 Units
– see WM Competence Flow Chart for more detail.
The cost of a Certificate varies depending on:
- number of Units required
- how fast a candidate progresses,
- and how many assessor visits are carried out.
The cost is usually somewhere between £750 and £4,000, which is also affected by the amount of training and support the candidate needs.
SERAC offers e-assessment of NVQ’s and VRQ’s for those that wish to take this route - for more details see below.
SERAC offers training courses to assist candidates (where required) in the achievement of an Operator Competence Certificate.
See Waste & Recycling - Learning for more details.
Non Statutory Awards
These awards are often the first time that a candidate has received any form of qualification and provide a real benefit to employee motivation and long term commitment. These awards are normally not required by permitting regulations, nonetheless these awards are suited for:
- waste producers who see the need for their employees to hold a qualification for proper waste handling
- waste contractors but need the demonstration of operator competence for Health & Safety or other reasons – for instance SERAC has developed for mobile plant operators integrated training and assessment so that they achieve a ‘plant ticket’ and the relevant NVQ
SERAC offers Non Statutory awards for Operatives, Supervisors and Managers. The process begins with a review of the candidate, from which an assessment plan is created.
The assessment stage of Level 1 and 2 NVQ’s takes place in the workplace for between 2 to 3 days per candidate and is led by a fully trained assessor, who observes candidates in their normal work roles. A Level 3 or 4 NVQ can take 5 -12 days depending on the candidate.
Funding may be available for all or part of NVQ’s at Levels 2, 3 or 4 depending on eligibility.
The cost of a non statutory award is typically somewhere between £600 and £2500, depending on the NVQ Level and how many candidates an assessor can observe in a single location.
Read more about non statutory awards
See overviews of the various awards
VRQ’s – (Vocationally Related Qualification)
There are now two types of VRQ in the waste management sector:
- Permit based under the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2007 – Level 3 – Waste and Resources Management
It consists of 6 Units – it is a 4 or 5 day training course with written scenarios per Unit and a work based assignment completed after the course. After successful completion of the Unit scenarios and assignment a Certificate in Waste & Resources Management will be awarded. SERAC runs these VRQ courses at a number of locations or in-house.
For further details of the course go to:
New Waste Technologies – developed by DEFRA and CIWM these courses are aimed at increasing knowledge of more sustainable waste management – the courses we run are:
- Level 3 – Principles and Practices of Sustainable Waste Management
- HLA – Waste Treatment Technologies
Both of these courses involve lectures, group discussion, site visits, directed study, home study, tutor observations and marked assignments.
The Level 3 qualification is for existing or trainee Managers in the waste management industry or waste producers that need to understand the basics behind how a modern waste management facility operates and what obligations are imposed upon those that run them.
The HLA qualification for Managers of waste contractors or producers focuses on emerging technologies which support sustainable waste management and the diversion of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) from landfill.
For details of these two courses see award overviews
e-assessments use software systems to replace candidates’ paper portfolios with an electronic file – evidence is uploaded over the internet or with the assessor – it can be used for all or part of an NVQ or VRQ award. Candidates access assessment packages online via SERAC. Using e-assessment, a candidate can capture and upload supporting information by means of a digital camera/video, mobile, PC, scanner, or digital recorder, for their assessor to view remotely. The system keeps track of how far a candidate has progressed and allows the assessor to go in and review on-line their candidate’s submissions.
For candidates who are comfortable with straightforward IT packages e-assessment offers a convenient and cost effective way of collating information and then sharing it with their assessor without the need for the normal field visits and paperwork.
In Company Centres
SERAC works closely with larger organisations, to help them manage their own ‘in-company’, or ‘in-house’ NVQ assessment requirements. Such organisations have so many NVQ assessments taking place throughout the year that they may well have their own in-company assessor on their permanent staff.
SERAC can take responsibility for delivering the specialist knowledge NVQ management and administration required for such members of staff as part of SERAC’s Centre infrastructure. This removes from the in-company assessor’s employer, the worry of having to ensure that their specialist is kept up to date. SERAC guarantees to do it for them.
We incorporate these personnel into our own Centre systems, to make sure that they receive continuous professional development, and are up to date on current assessor standards and best practice.
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