Quality Assuring Deliverers of Education and Training for the Nuclear

Sector

Jo Tipa Operations Director

National Skills Academy for Nuclear

Purpose

• Establish an industry specific validation scheme – NEF Nuclear Assured – for organisations to be recognised as quality assured deliverers of education and training to the nuclear sector

Applicable to organisations operating in or working with the nuclear sector

• The Training Quality Standard for Employers is the Nationally recognised route for employer’s training to be validated.

• A hybrid scheme which draws on existing quality assurance standards applied in the nuclear sector and supplements or augments these with sector specific evidence

Principles

• Provides a fast-track assessment for organisations delivering the education and training to the nuclear industry

• Enables a light touch evaluation which adds substance to the Skills Academy membership process by 'assuring' education and training for the nuclear industry

• Ensures consistency in education and training across the nuclear sector supporting the Nuclear Skills Passport

Existing quality assurance standards

• Most commonly applied standards in the nuclear industry are:– General Quality Management (BS EN ISO 9001:2008)– Occupational Health and Safety Management (OHASAS

18001:2007)– Environmental Management (BS EN ISO 14001:2004)

• Other standards include:– Investors in People– Matrix Standard

Accreditation framework

• Part 1: Recognises quality assurance through existing quality standards

• Part 2: Provides an added value framework for sector specific quality assurance– Criterion based model focused on organisational capability to deliver

client focused education and training which meets sector standards– Specifies the nature of evidence and standards required to be a

recognised deliverer of education and training – Defines the sector specific evidence in a way which enables it to be

included or added to existing quality assurance standards, initially ISO 9001 and IIP

– Light touch evaluation process focused on added value to the sector, provided other quality assurance standards are held

Criterion model

The key criteria are:

– Strategy

– Engagement

– Delivery

– Innovation

– Standards

– Impact

Criteria 1 – StrategyDemand-led strategic planning linked to the nuclear industry and performance management is in place

• Evidence required:

– Business aims, strategy and performance validation emphasise excellence in delivery of education and training

– Market research and analysis, including the analysis of employer need and demand, drives business, service and product development specific to the nuclear sector

– Business objectives, performance objectives and service standards are set for all education and training services

– Robust mechanisms for monitoring, evaluation, and client input and feedback are in place to evaluate performance and drive continuous improvement in education and training services

Criteria 2 – EngagementMechanisms for sector engagement across the nuclear industry are in place and effective

• Evidence required:

– Engagement strategies target relationships and regular dialogue with employers, representative bodies (e.g. Cogent) and strategic agencies (e.g. National Skills Academy Nuclear) in the nuclear sector

– Priorities for the nuclear sector are used to support the design and delivery of education and training

– Effectiveness of wider engagement relating to both education and training standards and economic and skills development priorities related to the nuclear sector are regularly reviewed and subject to continuous improvement

– Evidence of nuclear sector related endorsements and awards

Criteria 3 – Delivery Service design, delivery and resourcing models are driven by employer needs and sectors standards, and are fit for purpose across the nuclear industry

• Evidence required:

– Business planning and people development ensures that services are able to meet the needs of learners and organisations operating in the nuclear sector

– Clear and effective mechanisms for engagement with employers in the nuclear sector to determine needs and level of demand, review performance and application of services

– Clear and effective mechanisms for identifying learner need and tailoring the provision of education and training for the nuclear sector to meet their needs

– Competency of staff involved in the design and delivery of education and training services is regularly reviewed in conjunction with nuclear industry/ employer needs and that these staff are actively supported in undertaking CPD to address gaps and development needs

– Resources and learning materials used to support the delivery education and training for the nuclear sector are regularly reviewed with respect to employer and learner needs

– Standards of education and training delivery for the nuclear sector are regularly reviewed in terms of learner and client satisfaction

Criteria 4 – Innovation Mechanisms to support innovation in the provision of education and training for the nuclear industry are in place and drive business development

• Evidence required:

– Mechanisms are in place to support horizon scanning and regular monitoring of trends and compliance issues across the nuclear sector

– Mechanisms are in place to ensure that new product development is informed by nuclear sector related trends, the adoption of new technologies, sector related occupational standards and working practices, and legislative and environmental compliance

– Mechanisms are in place to ensure that the use of learning technologies are to the nuclear sector’s industry norms and standards

– Evidence of awards for excellence in the delivery of education and training for the nuclear sector and high levels of learner and client satisfaction

Criteria 5 – Standards Mechanisms exist to ensure provision of education and training to the nuclear industry meets sector’s norms and standards

• Evidence required :

– The organisation regularly benchmarks the quality of education and training against sector norms and ensures that products and services meet the nuclear sector’s standards and fit with the Sector Skills Council’s Sector Qualifications Strategy, National Skills Academy Nuclear, Sector Skills Agreements, etc.

– That accredited education and training provision is delivered to standards recognised by employers across the nuclear sector and as such is recognised within a Skills Passport

Criteria 6 – Impact Mechanisms exist to evaluate impact and continuously improve performance in delivering education and training to the nuclear industry

• Evidence required:

– Mechanisms are in place to evaluate impact and performance of education and training delivered for the nuclear sector

– Of an embedded organisation-wide approach to quality management through the achievement of relevant quality standards and the implementation of assurance systems

– Performance in the delivery of education and training for the nuclear sector is improving and that performance issues are being addressed

– Learner and client satisfaction and impact– Nuclear sector influence and recognition

Features of the assurance process

• NEF Assured will be facilitated by the New Engineering Foundation with assessors trained in the application of the sector specific standard. The criterion model will be published with sample evidence and illustrations of application

• The proposed assurance process is as follows:

– Step 1 – Online questionnaire

– Step 2 – Site visit

– Step 3 – Assessment Panel

– Step 4 – Feedback and action plan

Step 1 – Online questionnaire

• Applying organisation completes an online questionnaire prior to a site visit• The questionnaire will gather sector specific relating:

– Organisational data – Scope of education and training provision – Client data – Existing quality systems and standards

• The NEF Assured criterion will be used as a basis of a self assessment by the applying organisation – assessment against each criterion will be on ten point scale

• Free text boxes will allow the applying organisation to provide concise explanatory statements to support their assessment and explain how within the existing quality assurance standards held by the organisation meet the sector specific criteria in the NEF Assured framework

Step 2 – Site visit

• The assessor(s) undertakes a one day site visit to the applying organisation involving:

– A presentation (30 minutes maximum) on education and training service delivery (and involving others, as appropriate) on:

• The organisation and what it does• The scope and approach to the provision of education and training provision for

nuclear sector• The existing quality assurance systems held by the organisation and how these are

applied to delivery of education and training for the nuclear sector• The impact of education and training provision on the individuals and organisations

operating in the nuclear sector– A Q&A session immediately following the organisational presentation which

targets any potential gaps identified from online questionnaire and not addressed through the presentation

– A review by the assessor(s) of the supporting evidence referenced in the online questionnaire

– Interviews conducted by the assessor(s) with a random sample of clients and learners to validate organisational feedback and triangulate evidence

Step 3 – Assessment Panel

• The assessor presents the report of findings and recommendations to assessment panel

– Includes members from the National Skills Academy Nuclear, Cogent and relevant employers from the nuclear sector

– Facilitated by the New Engineering Foundation as an independent body• The panel will make an overall assessment of the extent to which the

applying organisation has met the sector specific criterion – as follows:– NEF Assured status awarded – sector specific criterion fully met – NEF Assured status deferred – sector specific criterion partially met, action

required by applying organisation to address gaps; an action plan will be developed and agreed

– NEF Assured status not awarded – the sector specific criterion are not met and significant development is required; re-submission by the applying organisation will be allowed after six months.

• The award of NEF Assured status will be grant to the applying organisation for three years

Step 4 – Feedback and action plan

• The assessor(s) will provide feedback to applying organisation and support the organisation in developing an action plan, if required