Introducing ITQ

What is ITQ?

ITQ is the National Vocational Qualification for IT Users which demonstrates staff competence in the use of IT in the workplace. It is offered at levels 1, 2 and 3. In Scotland, the qualification is called the Scottish Vocational Qualification in Using IT.

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ITQ is primarily aimed at IT users and not professional IT staff such as engineers and developers. ITQ was developed by employers for use in the workplace and has the full backing of a number of awarding bodies. It has been in use in all sectors of business and industry for 3 years.

ITQ has been designed to provide you with an up to date IT user qualification for your workforce, tailored to the needs of your business and your staff. It provides analysis of workforce skills such as making the best use of technology in business systems and in communication with colleagues and customers. It recognises that all organisations need IT skills but that these will vary in level and type depending on individual business needs and the use made of technology in the organisation. ITQ even allows for the inclusion of bespoke units in recognition that many employers have their own unique IT systems.

Customise your ITQ

The fundamental difference in ITQ, unlike any other IT User qualification, is that it is highly customisable. The content of the qualification can be adjusted to suit the requirements of the workplace and employee, as well as the skills level of your chosen disciplines. In other words, the employer ends up having 'created' their own ITQ (eg, The East Cheam Electrical Company’s ITQ, the Big Car Company ITQ), allowing their staff to learn and be assessed on tasks that they need to know as part of their job, and taking into consideration any existing qualifications they have.

In addition to being able to mix-and-match traditional IT skills in an ITQ (such as word processing, databases, email and so on) ITQ also recognises bespoke software. This means that if an organisation runs a proprietary program/system for managing client data, logistics, statistics and analysis, for example, it too can be incorporated into the qualification.

For details of how ITQ can contribute towards an IT user apprenticeship visit www.e-skills.com/apprenticeships. 

Last modified: 10 Jun 2008