Originally Posted by mikefiesta

that's basically how i got mine through them although the assessor was jason king. he was due to visit me on site but due to serious problems he couldn't make it so asked me to supply photographic evidence and hey presto........10 weeks later my certificate landed on the doormat

I had all that, not Jason though, I'll make a visit, nothing loads of photos..had to wait more than 10 weeks though

Originally Posted by Captain Slow

Tony is one of the NVQ assessors. You are worth £750 as a Government funded NVQ candidate. All you have to do is pose for a few staged photos and then wait for your NVQ in the post, I'm confident that my 12 year old could get her NVQ2 through them .

OMG. There should be a lot more detail than just posing for a few photos to gain your NVQ level 2. I deliver the OSAT route often and there should be a lot more to it than that. Something is not right there.

What can be possibly assessed from a few STAGED photo's?

Originally Posted by mikefiesta

that's basically how i got mine through them although the assessor was jason king. he was due to visit me on site but due to serious problems he couldn't make it so asked me to supply photographic evidence and hey presto........10 weeks later my certificate landed on the doormat

Hi mike

Are you saying that you got your NVQ without receiving any site visits from the assessor?

yes mate, i also had a long questionaire to fill in too. i knew most of the answers anyway as i've been tiling a long time but there was a lad local to me who came to me for help (sent by jason king) and he knew bugger all and still passed. no site assesment whatsoever.

Its ridiculous, how are they getting round the IV and EV checks who are supposed to be checking the assessor has done the correct work, sounds fraudulant to me. Makes the NVQ just a worthless piece of paper if anyone can get it by thes means

Originally Posted by NETT Darren

Its ridiculous, how are they getting round the IV and EV checks who are supposed to be checking the assessor has done the correct work, sounds fraudulant to me. Makes the NVQ just a worthless piece of paper if anyone can get it by thes means

well i'm not fraudulant, i just did what i was asked.

There was a post on here from a member who had a text about getting an NVQ in 2 days, can't remember who it was now.

Nobody can blame the learners for doing what they are told to do, so i certainly wasnt directing it to you mike, its the training centres responsibility to do and undertake the correct procedure that is set out by the CAA, so its the training centre and their staff thats in the wrong. Its like a driving examiner saying send me some photos of yourself in the car and heres your licence. Things should be tightened up, i had a lad turned up at my training centre once with an NVQ in tiling that he had aquired in a fast track way, he booked a course as he didnt really know how to tile, the centre he had been to had just fast tracked him to draw down the funding and make some money from the government, then on the other hand there are the people out there who deserve to have it because of their standards, this is why the qualification is getting a bad name unfortunatly

no problem darren, i understand where you're coming from. the assessor sounded a right wide boy and seemed to be just after his money for passing me. i wonder if he's still doing it now. was about 6 months ago when i 'passed' with him

The government has pulled a lot of the funding now so there will be a lot of free lance assessors out of work, last year when train to gain money was about, they couldnt get rid of the money fast enough and there was an nvq for anything including litter picking, so your lucky you got it when you did, there is still bits of money about but harder to get funded now.

Jason King dosent work for them any more

I have had a few guys who have been on this tiling course and all seem to know what it is to be a tiler, but they do lack the experience in dealing with problems when they arise. Then again experience just means you've made your mistake lol. The course does teach them well.

Just really to want to bring to your attention not every case is the same, as an assessor you make a judgement call on what is both timely and cost effective as well as what evidence has already been produced.
The assessor may choose to use a varied sort of methods to assess competency's. Above all the NVQ is a competency based qualification, what i mean by saying that it does'nt prove you are a skilled tiler, but only one that knows what he or she is doing. so there is no pass par say, it would be up to the assessor to train the individual on any short comings. I've met some novice tilers and seasoned tilers. some breeze though some dont. But they all get the certificate in the end cause thats my job to achieve that

Methods of Assessment
The assessor will plan with you to choose the best method of assessing you in relation to your individual circumstances.
Assessors must ensure that they are:
• Valid
• Reliable
• Safe and manageable
• Suitable to your needs.
The main assessment methods are for these NVQs:
• Observation by an assessor of you doing something.
• Examining submitted evidence by an assessor.
• Questioning of you or a witness by an assessor.

Verification
Internal verification
The purpose of internal verification is to make sure and show that assessment is valid and consistent, through monitoring and sampling assessment decisions. Internal verifiers must agree the use of simulated activities before they take place and must sample all evidence produced through simulated activities.

Access to assessment
Assessment aims to ensure that centres allow that all candidates are given equal opportunity to demonstrate their competence for the NVQ against specified criteria.
All of the specified criteria must be met by all candidates independently
However, candidates may use mechanical, electronic and other aids in order to demonstrate competence so long as the aids are generally commercially available.

So an assessor a long with their IV make the call if you are deemed competent to the NVQ standard.

Originally Posted by whitebeam

There was a post on here from a member who had a text about getting an NVQ in 2 days, can't remember who it was now.

That was me beam, NVQ any trade, two days. A complete joke imo

Originally Posted by NETT Darren

Its ridiculous, how are they getting round the IV and EV checks who are supposed to be checking the assessor has done the correct work, sounds fraudulant to me. Makes the NVQ just a worthless piece of paper if anyone can get it by thes means

I could not agree with you more darren

Originally Posted by Oleschool

Just really to want to bring to your attention not every case is the same, as an assessor you make a judgement call on what is both timely and cost effective as well as what evidence has already been produced.
The assessor may choose to use a varied sort of methods to assess competency's. Above all the NVQ is a competency based qualification, what i mean by saying that it does'nt prove you are a skilled tiler, but only one that knows what he or she is doing. so there is no pass par say, it would be up to the assessor to train the individual on any short comings. I've met some novice tilers and seasoned tilers. some breeze though some dont. But they all get the certificate in the end cause thats my job to achieve that

Methods of Assessment
The assessor will plan with you to choose the best method of assessing you in relation to your individual circumstances.
Assessors must ensure that they are:
• Valid
• Reliable
• Safe and manageable
• Suitable to your needs.
The main assessment methods are for these NVQs:
• Observation by an assessor of you doing something.
• Examining submitted evidence by an assessor.
• Questioning of you or a witness by an assessor.

Verification
Internal verification
The purpose of internal verification is to make sure and show that assessment is valid and consistent, through monitoring and sampling assessment decisions. Internal verifiers must agree the use of simulated activities before they take place and must sample all evidence produced through simulated activities.

Access to assessment
Assessment aims to ensure that centres allow that all candidates are given equal opportunity to demonstrate their competence for the NVQ against specified criteria.
All of the specified criteria must be met by all candidates independently
However, candidates may use mechanical, electronic and other aids in order to demonstrate competence so long as the aids are generally commercially available.

So an assessor a long with their IV make the call if you are deemed competent to the NVQ standard.

yes mate, i also had a long questionaire to fill in too. i knew most of the answers anyway as i've been tiling a long time but there was a lad local to me who came to me for help (sent by jason king) and he knew bugger all and still passed. no site assesment whatsoever.

I would never sign off a NVQ without a site visit. I want to see work based evidence not simulated evidence. My IV would simply not sign it off and as an IV myself i would do the same to other assessors.

Originally Posted by Phil Hobson

That was me beam, NVQ any trade, two days. A complete joke imo

Lol NVQ in two days.

Unless it was the EWPA route which involves several visits to the training centre for profiling, reviews and then practical tasks followed by professional discussion.

Practical task and professional discussion can be done in two days but initial profiling and reviews can take the assessor several weeks and often months.

So from start or registration to finish in two days simply not possible.

any cheap courses mate my son could do with some sort of training it would save me doing my head in !!! lol lol

Originally Posted by gooner59

any cheap courses mate my son could do with some sort of training it would save me doing my head in !!! lol lol

Lol. more than welcome to train with us gooner59. gooners are very welcome lol

yet the experience workers can go the EWPA route and simulate there practical.

I had a occasion were a site visit was not possible due to the candidate's lack of work ( relevant at the moment). This tiler had been earning his living prior to needing a NVQ. As an assessor i gained evidence to prove he was an experienced and very competent tiler. Site visit's by an assessor are used more readily as it can be deemed reliable and valid. Also we can quickly gain good evidence and cover a great deal of the criteria need.

Originally Posted by Max@ableskills

Lol NVQ in two days.

Unless it was the EWPA route which involves several visits to the training centre for profiling, reviews and then practical tasks followed by professional discussion.

Practical task and professional discussion can be done in two days but initial profiling and reviews can take the assessor several weeks and often months.

So from start or registration to finish in two days simply not possible.

Don't I know it Max, the ironic part of it is, I was on the car park of a college who had applied for accreditation from the TTA for centre of excellence, as a member of the fixer training committee, I was just reflecting how sad the college had not quite met the criteria required.

That was the moment I got the text, guaranteeing me a NVQ in two days, any trade. For me it makes a mockery of the system

Originally Posted by mikefiesta

that's basically how i got mine through them although the assessor was jason king. he was due to visit me on site but due to serious problems he couldn't make it so asked me to supply photographic evidence and hey presto........10 weeks later my certificate landed on the doormat

Methods of Assessment
The assessor will plan with you to choose the best method of assessing you in relation to your individual circumstances.
Assessors must ensure that they are:
• Valid
• Reliable
• Safe and manageable
• Suitable to your needs.

I had a occasion were a site visit was not possible due to the candidate's lack of work ( relevant at the moment). This tiler had been earning his living prior to needing a NVQ and was clearly experienced. As an assessor i gained appropriate alternative evidence to prove he was an experienced and very competent tiler.

Site visit's by an assessor are used more readily as it can be deemed reliable and valid. Also we can quickly gain good evidence and cover a great deal of the criteria need. However site visit's on occasion are not practical or possible. So mike your assessor may well of made a judgement call because of your obvious experience. Now! (to throw the cat among the pigeons) it world seem all are in agreement that you can do a 2 or 4 week tiling course and become a competent professional tiler, but yet you say it is impossible to prove this in less then ten weeks!! As in white beams case i could if he had strong evidence at hand, complete all paperwork necessary. I could collate his nvq portfolio in two days, although it is the CAA guidelines this should not be done within ten weeks. note also that there is now no ten week rule.

i would like think i could prove i was a competent tiler in two days , lol i think i could do it in less then an hour.

Originally Posted by Oleschool

yet the experience workers can go the EWPA route and simulate there practical.

I had a occasion were a site visit was not possible due to the candidate's lack of work ( relevant at the moment). This tiler had been earning his living prior to needing a NVQ. As an assessor i gained evidence to prove he was an experienced and very competent tiler. Site visit's by an assessor are used more readily as it can be deemed reliable and valid. Also we can quickly gain good evidence and cover a great deal of the criteria need.

I would have advised this candidate to go down the EWPA route as he had a lack of work. He could have produced his simulated work at the training centre but before that I would have validated his claim that he was an established and experienced wall and floor tiler at profiling stage and then by validating his supplied witness testimonies.

Originally Posted by Max@ableskills

I would have advised this candidate to go down the EWPA route as he had a lack of work. He could have produced his simulated work at the training centre but before that I would have validated his claim that he was an established and experienced wall and floor tiler at profiling stage and then by validating his supplied witness testimonies.

unfortunately then you had to have five years experience, he could prove about four years. Today he would of been ok as i't 3 years.

Max have had only heard good things said about ableskills by the way

Oh I see, thanks for the nice comments BTW!

I Have just finshed a 2 week course with S.T.C who were P.T.S traing and please let me say I would recommend this course to anyone. I have read some of the comments on here about P.T.S/S.T.C and there N.VQ's most N.V.Q's are done in the same way. I have 2 N.V.Q's a level 2 in plant operating and a level 4 in managing a non hazordus landfill and in both these subjects all I had 2 do was take a lot of photos and be photographed pionting at things relavent to what was involved in each of the 2 subjects. I do belive that most if not all N.V,Q's are carried out in this way. I think S.T.C however did have issues with an assesor and so he is no longer being used. Everyone who attended the same 2 week course and the guys who were finishing thier all said that it was very informing and that Clint the trainer came across as being very knowledgable in tiling. Jean who carries out the business start up and marketing was also very informative.