The Covid-19 pandemic has had a considerable effect on many aspects of society, including job-based training and skills shortages within the UK’s workforce. A report from the London School of Economics reveals that duration and quality of in-house training has declined as well as the frequency of this training (LSE). In addition to this, research shows that Brexit has also had an impact on the prevalence of employer provided training as a result of many businesses having to cut back on expenditure for learning and development. Due to these forces and the lack of investment in skills and education, there is a growing skills gap in the UK and Job-related education and training is vital for closing this gap and enabling individuals to progress in their careers.

What are Endorsed Programmes?

Endorsed Programmes are the bespoke quality marks given to an employer, training provider or college’s training activities across a wide range of industry sectors and levels. Endorsement enables an organisation’s training programmes to stand out from the rest and ensures that they are adhering to high standards of quality, delivery, and management; this results in businesses developing a motivated, skilled and qualified workforce.

Why are they important?

The skills and capabilities of the workforce in the UK are vital for economic growth and sustainability. In 2020, the UK’s economy saw a record-breaking 9.9% decline due to the COVID-19 pandemic (ONS), and as a result, there was a sharp rise in unemployment. Employer investments in endorsed training programmes are crucial for responding to this economic decline and are vital for contributing to innovation, productivity and wage growth.

What are the benefits to employers and employees?

There are many ways in which Endorsed Programmes can benefit employers offering training programmes and the employees who are undertaking them. Endorsed Programmes allow businesses to be instantly recognised as quality learning providers; this not only demonstrates to stakeholders that their courses adhere to the high standards of design, management, and delivery, it can also help to raise the profile of the training and development activities that these businesses provide.

In addition, Endorsed Programmes give learners the confidence that the training programmes they are undertaking are high quality, worthwhile and relevant to industry standards. Endorsed Programmes can also give learners opportunities to showcase their achievements. Once they have completed their training programme, they will receive a certificate showing they have completed an Endorsed Programme, which can often be used as evidence for CPD.

The endorsement process provides businesses with the opportunity to reflect on their procedures and how they engage staff with their training programmes. As a result, training providers and employers can improve their training and induction processes for the future. Employers can increase staff morale and share the success and pride of being an Endorsed learning provider.

How to become an endorsed training provider

In the UK there are many supporting specialists for Endorsed Programmes who are developing processes that formally recognise and endorse training providers who offer learning programmes. At NOCN we are now offering Endorsed Programmes for our approved centres. An NOCN Endorsed Centre will be provided with a subject matter expert to review course content against NOCN Endorsed criteria as well as the opportunity to utilise the NOCN Endorsed Programme branding on programme materials and products. To find out more about NOCN’s Endorsed Programmes visit: https://www.nocn.org.uk/products/endorsed-programmes/