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Latest updates

Updated 18.01.2021 11:35

Latest News

 

A two-week joint consultation by Ofqual and the Department for Education on proposals for policy and approaches to VTQ education and assessments in 2021 has been launched. Take part here.

 

Skillsfirst is now offering remote invigilation (proctoring) for their Functional Skills (FSQ) English and Maths exams (legacy and reformed). 

Click here for full information

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Specific Qualification Information

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Performance Table Qualifications (PTQs)

Vocationally Related Qualifications (VRQs)

National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs)

End-point Assessments (EPA)

 

New VTCT Infection Prevention Qualifications

Information on our suite of sector-specific Infection Prevention Qualifications can be found by clicking the button below.

Certification Update

In response to the Prime Minister’s latest announcement (4th January) regarding a third English lockdown and the restrictions imposed on training/education establishments across the UK and Ireland, VTCT and iTEC have taken the decision to temporarily pause certificate printing activities until 1st March 2021.

If you have recently submitted a certificate claim* and your learners require their certificates before normal services are resumed, please do not hesitate to contact the Processing Department directly at certification@vtct.org.uk or call our Customer Support Team on 02380 684 500 to arrange printing. A small team will be operating at the VTCT office to support urgent requests.

*Please note, only approved and processed certificate claims are eligible for printing. Certificates for unsubmitted claims or claims requiring EQA approval cannot be printed until the necessary processes have been completed.

Updated Policy Documents

To access the following documents, please click here and go to the Additional Downloads section”

  • COVID-19 Appeals Policy and Procedures Addendum
  • COVID-19 Complaints Policy and Procedure Addendum
  • COVID-19 Malpractice Policy and Procedure Addendum

 

Centre Re-opening Information

Following the release of the Government guidelines ‘Keeping workers and clients safe during COVID-19 in close contact services’ on 23 June 2020, it has been confirmed that Hairdressing and Barbering services are now permitted to be undertaken.

VTCT want to support centres in re-opening safely and have produced guidance information for centres to follow.

It will be the responsibility of the centre and training provider to ensure that the information is adhered to when preparing for internal practical assessments within the training environment.

 

VTQ 2020 Extraordinary Regulatory Framework (ERF)

Following the Ofqual Consultation between 24th April and 8th May for ‘VTQ 2020 Extraordinary Regulatory Framework (ERF)’, Ofqual has now launched the ERF and published the changes that they have made to the ERF as a result of feedback received.

The final documentation on the ERF can be accessed here. We strongly encourage you to read this to understand what it means for you.

To support, Ofqual has developed an interactive tool which can be accessed here. This will provide you with clarity around whether your qualifications fall in or out of the scope of the ERF and what the primary mitigation approach would be for the qualification.

Further documentation that Ofqual have put together for guidance can be found here:

• Guidance for centres – the collection of guidance they have created for schools, students and parents on how vocational and technical qualifications will be graded and awarded in summer 2020.
• Video: Update for Centres 22 May – information for schools and colleges submitting centre assessment grades in summer 2020
• Contingency plan for England, Wales and Northern Ireland – Guidance on what schools, colleges and other centres should do if exams or other assessments are seriously disrupted
• AoC webinar on Technical and vocational assessment in summer 2020 – recording of the webinar held on 21 April 2020 looking at key areas on VTQ assessment in summer 2020

Weekly Webinars

Specific Qualification Information

Jump to:

Performance Table Qualifications (PTQs)

Vocationally Related Qualifications (VRQs)

National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs)

End-point Assessments (EPA)

Performance Table Qualifications (PTQs)

Important announcement: next week’s exam window for Technical Certificate and Technical Level Qualifications for January 2021 is cancelled.

We can also confirm that the March exam window for Performance Table Qualifications is also cancelled.

The Department for Education and Ofqual are launching a consultation later today which will inform a new model of Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs) for the award of these qualifications in 2021.

This means that series based external examinations for the VTCT PTQ qualifications (see list below) are now cancelled and will not be reinstated in 2021, but will instead be replaced by a form of teacher-assessed grades, with webinar training and support to ensure these are awarded fairly and consistently.

VTCT will update centres as soon as possible with the DfE approved process for Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs) and VTCT will work with our centres in the coming weeks and months to support learners to complete their qualification, during these extenuating circumstances in 2021. Please contact exams@vtct.org.uk if you have any queries on the next steps.

Click here to access a list of the Performance Table Qualifications.

The link to the Government’s guidance pages for schools and colleges can be accessed here.

Centres that have queries about scheduling for the Performance Tables Qualifications assessment series please contact customersupport@vtct.org.uk or exams@vtct.org.uk

If you are not sure if your qualification is a PTQ please check with this list of qualifications

We have put together a number of guidance resources to support and explain what this means for your further. Please see the documentation and webinars below.

Documentation

• Applied General Adaptation Centre Guidance – NEW
• Technical Award Adaptation Centre Guidance – NEW
• Technical Certificate and Technical Level Qualification Adaptation Centre Guidance – NEW
• PTQ Adaptation Application form PDF version and Word version – NEW
• Head of Centre Declaration Form PDF version and Word version – NEW

Webinars

• Recording of the PTQ adaptations webinars

Supporting Completing Learners

VTCT wish to support graduating learners in completing their qualifications in order to support learner progression.

The additional assessment series, which will be available throughout the year, will give the flexibility that is needed in these uncertain times. Centres are now able to schedule learners in the e-testing system for these contingency assessment series. All of the assessment series are open and we have been flexible with the deadlines to schedule learners. The default delivery method of these examinations will be online only. This is necessary so VTCT is able to issue results within the turnaround period published.

Centres with queries about this contingency planning for Performance Tables Qualifications should contact customersupport@vtct.org.uk

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Vocationally Related Qualifications (VRQs)

VTCT has been working closely with our regulators, to ensure the most appropriate way forward is in place for learners to progress with their vocational and technical qualifications. VTCT has been working through each of the qualifications in our portfolio and aligning them to a mitigation approach. The approach to awarding will depend on the qualification’s primary purpose. VTCT has identified that a majority of our VRQs are appropriate for the adaptation mitigation approach.

VTCT has put together a number of guidance resources to support and explain what this means for you. Please see the documentation and webinars below.

Documentation

• Checklist for re-opening VRQ and NVQ Hairdressing and Barbering
• Sample Risk assessment
• VRQ Centre Adaptation Guidance for Hair and Beauty
• Adaptation Guidance for Hospitality – NEW
• Adaptation Guidance for Sport – NEW
• COVID-19 Operational Guidance for Centres
• Client Health Declaration
• COVID-19 Centre Declaration Form
• VTCT Learner Health Declaration
• Professional Discussion Form
• Witness Statement Form

 

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National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs)

Documentation

• NVQ Centre Adaptation Guidance for Hair and Beauty – NEW

 

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End-point Assessment services

Re-scheduling of EPAs

Following the guidance published by IfATE and the trailblazer groups, all End-point Assessments for the Hair Professional and Beauty Professional standards will be delayed during the third COVID-19 national lockdown.

We are now scheduling End-point Assessments from the 18th February for all Hair and Beauty Professional Apprentices who are held or approaching gateway. All bookings can be scheduled at EPA@vtct.org.uk.

If you have any questions regarding this please contact epa@vtct.org.uk or customersupport@vtct.org.uk.

VTCT (ITEC) Level 2 Award in Infection Prevention (COVID-19) for Hairdressing and Barbering Services

In order to help embed best practice and assist with building the confidence of both our Training Providers/employers, apprentices and their clients on how to “return back” safely, VTCT have released the Level 2 Award in Infection Prevention (COVID-19) for Hairdressing and Barbering Services.

VTCT has drawn upon a wide variety of reference materials applicable to the personal services sector which include the World Health Organisation (WHO) and national authorities in the UK and around the world, as well as from our experiences through our International activities in Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore where we have seen the reopening of businesses since the COVID-19 virus outbreak.

Each qualification will allow learners to develop knowledge on the causes, transmission and effects of COVID-19, the importance of social responsibility and the methods used to control transmission such as correct hand hygiene and the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). They will also gain an understanding of the safe working practices required to protect themselves and their clients.

Documentation

• Checklist for Apprenticeship Assessors (Step 8 of the 10 step process for Hair Professional and Step 10 of the 12 Step process for Beauty Professional)
• Checklist for Re-opening Hairdressers and Barbers
• Hair Professional End-point Assessment Guidance Document for COVID-19
• Beauty Professional End-point Assessment Guidance Document for COVID-19
• Sample Risk Assessment form
• Hair and Barbering Apprentice Health Declaration form
• Beauty Therapy Apprentice Health Declaration form
• Hair and Barbering Client Health Declaration form which includes client guidance for End-point Assessments
• Beauty Therapy Client Health Declaration form which includes client guidance for End-point Assessments
• Hair and Barbering Generic Health Declaration form
• Beauty Therapy Generic Health Declaration form

Webinars

• End-point Assessment Guidance during COVID-19 webinar recording
• End-point Assessment Guidance during COVID-19 webinar slides
• Exceptional arrangements for Technical and Vocational qualifications in 2020 webinar recording
• Exceptional arrangements for Technical and Vocational qualifications in 2020 webinar slides 
• Exceptional arrangements for Technical and Vocational qualifications in 2020 collated FAQs

 

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Customer support

Given the Government’s recent announcement of lockdown, the VTCT Customer Support team will be running with a reduced line capacity.  As a result, if you have a non-urgent query, please contact Customer Support via email on CustomerSupport@vtct.org.uk.

If your query is urgent, please call VTCT Customer Support on 023 8068 4500.  If we are unable to answer your call, due to high call volumes, please do call back again later. Customer Support will then take your contact details and a representative will call you back within two hours.

Thank you for your understanding, commitment and support during these unprecedented times, where our focus must be on preserving public health and wellbeing, whilst retaining capability to provide effective support to centres.

Business Continuity

VTCT has an established business continuity process, supported by a designated Covid-19 Task Force (C-19TF). The latter is drawn from senior representation from across the organisation, all with a strong understanding of the key processes and systems, and the needs of our employees, centres and stakeholders. Business continuity arrangements are being reviewed and managed in line with the latest government advice regarding Covid-19 and as the situation evolves. The C-19TF will continue to meet frequently to review the ongoing situation and latest UK Government and World Health Organisation (WHO) official advice. This team is responding to queries and preparing and issuing guidance, ensuring the organisation is prepared to respond to the changing situation.

Working together with, and guided by the qualification regulators, VTCT is monitoring the ongoing Covid-19 situation. We understand that centres may have queries or concerns as to how this may impact the delivery of any VTCT qualifications and any upcoming assessments.

Irish centres please visit the iTEC Ireland website for specific information related to Ireland