Concerns about wide variations in the quality of candidates getting NVQs could increase with new funding methods, as Mary Evans reports
National Vocational Qualifications were designed to equip the country to meet the challenges of the 21st century by improving the calibre of our workforce through assessments of their practical skills, knowledge and understanding of their work.
At its best, the early years NVQ level 3 is a sought-after qualification by employers, but leading childcare professionals worry that in practice it does not always maintain its mark of excellence. Critics complain about standards in training, assessment and verification.
Indeed, Michael Thomson, managing director of the nursery chain Child Base, was so alarmed about variations in NVQs that he set up a company NVQ centre. Ann Jenkins, the Child Base assessment centre manager, says, 'I have seen some horrific port-folios that have achieved an NVQ when they had not got enough evidence. My impression is that a lot of training providers do not get candidates to relate their activities directly to the standards.
'Our candidates see their assessors very regularly, at least once a fortnight, if not once a week. I gather that in some places it can be as little as once a quarter. Many people have a misconception of the role of the assessor.
Assessors are not there to teach. Candidates should have been taught properly before they go for assessment.'
Sandra Hutchinson, proprietor of the four Primley Park Nurseries in Leeds, criticises the quality of some training and external verification. 'Obviously, you don't know what you don't know. Some of these young people do not know that they are not getting a good training.'
From her teaching background she knows that many candidates, particularly those who have under-achieved at school, need a high level of support and guidance which she doubts training centres have the staff and resources required to deliver.
Time together Meg Jones, a peripatetic early years assessor with City and Guilds, was shocked to be told when observing a candidate in a school recently that other candidates had qualified without ever having an assessor visit them. 'It is worrying.' she says. 'You need to see people working to know they understand what they are doing and why they are doing it.'
She favours more funding so assessors can spend more time with candidates. 'I am doing almost twice as much as they are paying me to do. They pay me three for hours a month which covers my travelling time to a setting, assessing the portfolio, practical observation, questioning and feedback.'
Assessors are monitored by their centres and also by external verifiers appointed by the awarding bodies. Meg Jones says, 'Every time the external verifiers arrive they introduce something different. It is quite subjective. Each one changes things.'
CACHE chief executive Richard Dorrance, however, does not accept that there are major variations in the standards of NVQs and says the chief verifiers of the English awarding bodies for early years qualifications sit on a quality assurance sub-committee of the Awarding Body Forum to maintain standards. He says external verifiers are moved every three years to prevent them becoming too cosy with centres. 'There will always be the odd rogue centre. If we discover one we try to close it down. Our external verifiers would pick up any variation in standards. We investigate all complaints. In seven years I have only known three frauds - one was unintentional but we closed the centre down, and the other two were financial and were nothing to do with handing out certificates.
'We have had cheating where a candidate scans in their certificate and changes the name and puts in their pal's name. At one stage we were discovering about 50 of these a year, but we now offer a free service to employers to check certificates.'
A spokesman for the Qualification and Curriculum Authority says its quality assurance division runs scrutiny exercises on the quality and consistency of qualifications. There was a thorough audit of the early years NVQ level 2 in 1999. 'The exercise involved looking at what goes on in the assessment centres, the awarding bodies and right across the whole process, and there was no evidence to suggest any variation in standards. Obviously, early years is a fast-moving sector and is developing all the time, but we did not pick up any feeling that there was problem over variations in standards.'
Individual needs The Government's original proposals for staff qualifications in daycare settings in England were amended recently after a chorus of complaints that they were set too low. Ministers have now determined that all supervisory staff should hold NVQ level 3 and supervisors in baby rooms should have two years' experience working with under-twos.
NVQs were originally intended to provide mature workers with a qualification affirming their practical skills, with candidates presenting themselves for assessment when they were ready. However, Kate Beith, head of the Chiltern College in Berkshire, says that instead, school leavers are being encouraged to take NVQs and Modern Apprenticeships, which is an attractive option as they then can receive payment for training. At the same time, training centres are under pressure to push candidates through their qualifications to meet targets.
'Sometimes I don't think enough thought is given to which training option is best for the individual and whether that person needs the guidance and support provided on a full- time course,' she says. 'Some training companies offering NVQs are excellent but when funding is outcome-related and they are paid to get people through, they are under pressure.
'Internal and external verifiers have a crucial role to play in assuring the quality of NVQs and are working hard in this area. I have come across some superb NVQ candidates who have had the best training and support, and others who are merely being exploited.'
Hot-house flowers Catherine House, proprietor of Springlands Nursery in Colchester, argues that the National Minimum Wage increases the pressures to push young people, as employers cannot afford to allow them time to settle in before beginning their NVQs. 'We cannot afford to pay the minimum wage to somebody who is unqualified.
We have a girl starting tomorrow who is 19 and she is having to sign up to start on her NVQ straightaway because we can't afford to pay her any more than the enhanced training allowance.'
She fears that the move by the new Learning and Skills Council to fund candidates to complete NVQ3 in 18 months will make matters worse. 'It will lead to youngsters being hot-housed, but remember - hot-house flowers often wilt. I have two 18-year-olds with A levels, but I think it is too tall an order to push them through level 3 in 18 months. For a start, they would have to take on board the information from level 2. They would be struggling and would not enjoy their training. I think we should get them through level 2 quite quickly and then they feel valued and can go on to level 3.'
Savita Ayling, director of the Early Years National Training Organisation (NTO), concedes that funding training on outcomes could put pressure on providers to push candidates. 'If there is a problem and it can be proven, we need to look at what we can do to prevent it. We have to look very carefully and see if there is a problem before we can go to Government and say we need to change things. It is terribly difficult to respond to just anecdotal evidence.
It may be that there is a problem with a particular assessor, and you don't then want to take a sledgehammer to crack a nut.'
Ms Ayling says that when the NTO begins the review of early years NVQ levels 2 and 3 later this year, 'we will get the awarding bodies together to agree a consensus in terms of assessment strategy.'