| I do not want to frequently travel to Nottingham to complete my NVQ |
| This is not a problem and in fact candidates attend BCS College from all over various parts of the UK and abroad. This is possible as a result of an overseas system that we have in place as well as District offices around the Country. The District offices are currently in the following regions or near them: Chichester London Wakefield Suffolk Southampton Dorset Cheltenham There is also a system for remote use of phone / correspondence reducing the need to travel where a district office is not near your location. However, it is important to note that the NVQ involves structured attendance but not frequent and the attendance arrangements are flexible. The availability of electronic portfolio rather than hard copy improves the ability to work at a remote location and still keep in contact with your Assessor by e mail and by phone. |
| What if I cannot afford the full cost of an NVQ course myself ? |
| BCS College recognises that an NVQ involves a significant investment in your education and if you cannot currently afford to pay for this all at once there are other options: 1) Spread the payments using your credit card 2) Take advantage of interest free payments on a standing order that may be available at BCS College and subject to certain conditions. 3) Talk to your own bank about loan facilities 4) Plan the NVQ in advance to meet your available funds and payment plan. 5) If you work for a company involved in the construction industry who pay the CITB levy then a grant may be available to your employer towards the cost of the course. 6) If your employer is paying for the course then they would normally re-claim the VAT element of the cost of the course. |
| Where are the courses held ? |
| We have an open course provision in Nottingham which means you can book on line or phone and book onto courses at the Nottingham College premises. This includes a range of short courses and vocational courses. However, courses are also provided around the country on demand and in company premises and hence if you would like a course delivering at your company premises please telephone. Block course booking of this kind are subject to a quotation and with sufficient reasonable numbers the cost per person will normally be more economic. In the case of the NVQ this can be at one of our District offices around the Country such as in Sussex, Hampshire, Suffolk, Surrey border of Sussex, Yorkshire, Dorset or Nottingham. There is also a system to facilitate overseas candidates or we can come to your place of work. |
| Do I need to have a job to undertake an NVQ ? |
An NVQ is based on your performance at work as well as concentrating on developing specific skills to support that goal. Hence you need to be working in a suitable health and safety role. If you are considering the NVQ then give us a call and have a chat and we will advise you if you have any queries or concerns about your occupation and / or job role. Some candidates have a dedicated role in health and safety at work while others have the role as part of their job such as Managers and Supervisors. In some cases candidates work for charities and may even do unpaid work. Call us and we can discuss your case and advise you. If you are not at work then it is unlikely that you will be able to pursue an NVQ until you have established a suitable job. However, you can still call us for guidance. |
| NVQ: Why should I go to BCS College |
| Where you undertake a qualification is important and undertaking your qualification with a well established organisation (BCS College was established in 1979) and one with an excellent reputation is very important. BCS College is the only specialist Further and Higher Education College in the country for occupational health and safety and has been involved with the NVQ since it was invented and was one of the first in the country to be accredited with the NVQ 3 and 4 in Occupational Health and Safety. Later these were updated and BCS College was the first in the country to be accredited with the new NVQ 5 and owing to our excellent levels of customer service and quality control we were accredited with self certification status by City & Guilds and later were able to offer the prestigious Post Graduate Award in Occupational Health and Safety. Obtaining a qualification at BCS College puts you on a higher level as standards are excellent and learning is high on the agenda as well as caring about your progress. There are so many very senior people qualified with BCS College you will soon meet others who have been very successful in their careers after their time with BCS College. This is perhaps why we have so many prestigious organisations and government departments including the Ministry of Defence, Police service, Fire Service, Prison Service, Foreign Office, Universities and many more who have used our services. |
| How can I become Chartered with IOSH |
| Membership levels are controlled by IOSH and not by BCS College, but the NVQ 4 in Occupational health and Safety Practice at BCS College is the academic entry requirement to apply for Grad IOSH. Once you have achieved Grad IOSH you then need to demonstrate you have the experience and have completed IPD (Initial professional development) enabling you to apply to be Chartered. |
| NVQ4 How long will it take |
| This depends on your time availability as well as the requirements of the course. At BCS College we undertake a careful evaluation to ensure that we can guide you carefully taking into consideration your own perceived availability depending on work and home commitments. Hence each course is tailored to meet individual needs. If it helps, the course on average takes between about 6 months and 10 months. However, it is not about speed it is about planning carefully and meeting the competence objectives. We will work with you and if you have a time scale you would like to meet then we can talk to you about your perceived plan and how this can be met if it is realistic. |