Skills minister John Denham starts talks with employers about accrediting employer training in national qualification scheme

The government has kick-started an initiative to enable in-house training to lead to nationally recognised qualifications.

Speaking at the CBI Skills Summit yesterday, John Denham, the Innovation, Universities and Skills secretary said that the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) had launched a consultation process to see how employers could engage more directly with the national qualification scheme.

Denham said the move was aimed at giving employers a greater role in training, and called for an end to the distinction between vocational training offered by employers and traditional providers.

“We want to end the outdated distinction between employers’ training and public qualifications,” said Denham. “By bringing qualifications and skills closer than ever before, business, employees and the state will all benefit.”

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The minister said that firms including McDonald’s, Vodafone and Sainsbury’s, which have signed up to the Local Employment Partnerships, would have their training schemes fast-tracked for accreditation, along with 60 other large companies.

The proposals are part of the government’s response to the Leitch Review of the UK skills shortage.