Providers
Welcome to the Providers section. This section looks at delivering ITQ and working with the people who make the assessment process happen smoothly for the candidate.
Assessment is a key process of ITQ so that every learner receives feedback as to whether they are on the right track and have demonstrated they can put their learning into practice.
ITQ 2009 offers the flexibility for a learner to select from a wide choice of Units and it still offers an opportunity to work with a spiky profile.
So what is different in ITQ 2009?
As declared in the new ITQ Assessment Strategy for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, an assessor does not need the A1 qualification and therefore this allows more freedom for Centres to offer learning centre assessment without previous restrictions. Please note that the A1 is still required for SVQ assessors in Scotland.
It is strongly advised to use staff who have a sound understanding of the new standards and who can make assessment decisions at a greater skills level than that of the learner. Ideally every assessor should have IT Q Level 3 or equivalent in order to be able to adequately assess at that Level and below. Being able to give appropriate feedback and review of learning achieved would suggest that it is sensible to utilise qualified assessors if at all possible. Workplace assessment needs assessors' confidence in not only observational skills but also the ability to work with the employer to ensure they are getting the training they expect.
Refer to your Awarding Body as they may have specific advice and recommendations which you will need to adhere to. However it is advisable to maintain excellent quality assurance systems within Centres, for Inspection and your organisation's internal systems and therefore having the right staff to deliver and monitor ITQ 2009 is essential.
The choice of assessment methods for ITQ remain the same, however one new opportunity is to use scenarios within the Mandatory Unit - ‘Improving Productivity using IT’ . Centres could manage this using e-assessment and Centres might find th e current assessor team will need training to adjust to the approach.
There is also a relaxation of the 10 week rule from registration in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This will give centres more flexibility from start to finish - some employers might want training carried out in a fast timeframe whilst others might expect a slower, more gradual step towards achievement.
The ITQ in Scotland
The content of the SVQ ITQ is the same as the QCF version of the ITQ. However there is a different qualifications structure and assessment strategy. All the relevant criteria for SVQs and SQA-approved ABs must still be met. These might be different to the ITQ QCF requirements eg the 10 week rule still applies, A1 or relevant assessor qualifications are needed.
Delivery of ITQ
Planning for ITQ is essential. Central to delivery of ITQ is the model Assess-Train-Assess and therefore providers need to ascertain what route to take or which provision they will offer to learners.
There are 2 main routes to achieve ITQ 2009:
Option 1
A work-based approach means that the candidate develops an assessment portfolio with evidence for the mandatory and optional units. This can be assessed wholly in the workplace if appropriate, so a learner can apply their IT skills directly to their day-to-day work, and prove competence whilst doing so. Alternatively a learner might wish to study at a learning centre and produce evidence using tests and scenarios - or a mixture of both.
Option 2
ITQ can also be assessed by using other contributing qualifications (or Accreditation of Prior Achievement - APA) to achieve the optional units, and then assess the final mandatory unit to complete the ITQ. View the register of approved contributing qualifications and the page on methods of assessment for more information. In some instances the majority of credit values can be derived from contributory qualifications.
Top-up or not?
It is important to an employer, investing time (and possibly money) in the ITQ course, to see employees being able to extend those IT skills and knowledge as well as simply apply them in the workplace.
As a Provider you might want to check on these questions:
- Is each selected unit one that you would have chosen with that candidate if you were starting from scratch? Are there other units which would be more appropriate?
- Is a level 1 sufficient for the candidate’s job role? Should the candidate be ‘stretched’ to achieve level 2?
- Even if the candidate can complete their ITQ in double quick time – will they feel they have learned something? Will their employer?