Accredited Workplace Learning

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Accredited Workplace Learning
John Mumford OBE Vice President BP Oil UK
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Why are we interested in accredited training

• Objective
• Enable attendance at in house courses to earn
  credits that count towards external
  qualifications ranging from NVQs up to degrees,
  diplomas, and MBAs
• Expected benefits to company
• Strengthens workforce competency assessment
• Facilitates business knowledge creation/transfer
• Provides a recruitment incentive
• Expected benefits to staff
• Provides recognition and motivation
• Recognises experiential learning and makes it
  portable

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Experience with existing programs

• Positives
• Concept of accredited training is popular with
  staff
• Strong evidence of improved recruitment/retention
  with lower level staff on NVQ/MA programs
• Academic input valued
• Negatives
• Limited eligibility for government schemes an
  issue
• Major issue with associated paperwork
• Little recognition of prior experiential learning
  
• Schemes are supported internally while they are
  relevant to a business need and dont get in the
  way of the business

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How the idea will work

• Management of learning
• Documentation of course structure and learning
  outcomes
• Quantification of learning in terms of national
  occupational standards
• Trainer training and skills assessment
• Documentation of learner participation (eg
  retention of coursework)
• Governance of overall process (eg a program
  management board)
• Demonstration of learning
• Coursework (eg reflective essays, case studies,
  etc)
• Demonstrable learning hours (eg course attendance
  record)
• Grading of assessments (to confirm a standard has
  been reached)
• Accreditation of awards
• NVC acts as awarding body, approving credits for
  individual learners under the CAT system
• QAA approve the company as a learning
  establishment and NVC as awarding body (a process
  involving documentation, interviews and
  inspections)

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Risks and Issues

• ISSUE
• Awards must be recognised by a wide range of
  institutions
• Demands on learner (eg time) must be acceptable
• Staff may not value the program or be willing to
  devote time
• Qualifications and awards may lack prestige
• Failure could damage company reputation and staff
  morale
• Flexibility to revise courses may reduce
• Bureaucracy may be invasive

• RESPONSE
• Partnership with university consortia and
  alliances
• Design course work so it adds value as a
  knowledge resource
• Surveys indicate strong interest but trials will
  test this
• Proactively build interest with other
  employers/universities
• Be realistic about what is achievable
• A bigger issue with traditional universities than
  with NVC
• NVC committed to managing

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