The University Vocational Awards Council has received a green light

The University Vocational Awards Council has received a green light to set up a trans-regional consortium for the validation, accreditation and credit rating of higher vocational learning.

An open consultation of UVAC members and other interested parties took place at the UVAC conference last week, following which the decision was confirmed to work towards the establishment of the Validation Consortium at the earliest opportunity. UVACís Board will now consider a business plan and strategy for implementation.

Professor Simon Roodhouse, chief executive of UVAC said:

There is a clear need to develop a national consortium which validates and credit recognises high quality vocational programmes - whether these be foundation degrees, graduate apprenticeships or professional development programmes undertaken in the workplace.

The consortium will achieve this by working closely with UVAC members, sector skills councils, awarding bodies and employers in the design, development, credit rating and validation of vocational awards - thereby facilitating wider access and more effective progression routes for learners.

The aim of the consortium will be to complement existing arrangements between institutions and with employers and to offer extended services to industry to the benefit of UVAC members - saving time, resources and duplication of effort.

As well as responding to regional initiatives and proactively influencing national developments, the ongoing objective of the consortium will be to benefit vocational learners by helping to ensure that there is a consistent approach to general credit rating contained within a national credit framework for vocational awards. Such a framework will help
facilitate:

* Direct entry from further education to higher education

* Entry and progression within the consortium through the
accreditation of prior learning and experience

* A clearer progression route for non-prescribed higher education.
This currently accounts for approximately 60,000 awards - many of which
are National Vocational Qualifications.