Standards and Frameworks
High value, high quality National Occupational Standards (NOS) and Apprenticeship Frameworks are critical tools which underpin employers’ ambition to raise skills levels and support individuals’ career aspirations.
They provide an internationally acknowledged and UK industry-recognised benchmark for competence in the workplace, support essential recruitment demands and underpin transformational skills solutions.
The UK Commission will only buy NOS and Apprenticeship Frameworks which meet the demand of economically valuable skills solutions, thus reducing volumes of outputs by 10% in 2012-13 and will leverage better value for money by reducing the budget to £6m for 2012-13, buying NOS at a fair price whilst maintaining and improving quality outputs. The Commission’s research capabilities will respond quickly to innovation and emergent demands in priority sectors for NOS , working through an agile and responsive supplier network.
What are Standards & Frameworks?
Standards & Frameworks are a core set of products which are important for progression into the workplace and skills development in work. For 2012-13 onwards these products will be commissioned by the UK Commission via a new commissioning process. The areas in scope are:
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National Occupational Standards (NOS) – development, review and maintenance
- Apprenticeship/Modern Apprenticeships – development, review and maintenance
- Specific qualification related activities e.g. SVQs, qualification priorities etc (Link?)
The UK Commission will fund, on behalf of the four UK nations, the set of core products above which historically support employers and individuals in achieving improved skills in the workplace. They are also critical levers in helping raise employer demand for skills.
Key links
