MoD gains 'Awarding Body' accreditation

In yet another "up yours" to Britain's teachers, the Ministry of Defence has announced that it has become the first public sector body to be given ‘Awarding Body’ status by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA). Awarding Bodies are able to develop, assess and award qualifications to its personnel.
Although the MoD already runs courses leading to standard national qualifications, from now on courses which meet specific military training needs can receive national accreditation and the qualifications earned will be recognised outside the services.

Ken Boston, QCA's Chief Executive said: "Employers, whether in the private or public sectors, are demanding a more flexible and focused system of qualifications. By becoming awarding bodies themselves, these employers are in a position to offer their staff high quality training that is specifically work-based, but provides the long-needed accreditation of employee learning that can be valued throughout their working lives."

Employers are getting increasingly despondent with the standard of education provided in Britain's schools and are becoming more and more sceptical about the qualifications that are being dished out to school-leavers; indeed, employers are having to run their own courses in literacy and numeracy to bring their new staff intakes up to acceptable levels. As well as helping the service careers of military personnel, qualifications awarded by the Ministry of Defence will provide employers with a sound basis for assessing prospective employees.
Link> MoD: MOD gains national recognition for in-house training

The MoD has also recently entered into a new partnership with the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) to seek to ensure that recruits and trainees experience a high quality of training, welfare and care in the UK's Armed Services. The partnership will mean that from 2008/09 OFSTED will be undertaking independent inspections to assess the recruitment and selection process for potential recruits and the level of training provided to newly recruited entrants and those in training. These are Phase One trainees, normally aged between 16 and 24, and Phase Two trainees, who have moved on to study a particular trade, such as engineering or catering.
Teachers' common rooms are well aware of the intense nature of OFSTED inspections; perhaps they will now stop their bleating about the recruitment practices of the MoD.
Link> MoD: Ofsted to carry out inspections on Armed Forces training