Nursery World - Crisis to worsen for NVQ assessment

The shortage of NVQ assessors in early years and playwork has reached 'crisis point' in some parts of England and training providers are concerned that it will get worse when the new national occupational standards come on board in November. Playlines, a training company in Devon, said that the situation is 'so severe' that it is having an impact on staff recruitment and retention.

Playlines, a training company in Devon, said that the situation is 'so severe' that it is having an impact on staff recruitment and retention.

Eddie Gooding, training operations manager for Playlines, said, 'We have 65 childcare and play workers waiting to undertake NVQ level 2 and 3 training but cannot put them through immediately because there are not enough qualified assessors to help them complete their training.'

He said the situation was 'likely to get worse' when the National Occupational Standards in Children's Care, Learning and Development come into force on 1 November.

Meg Jones, a freelance NVQ assessor and verifier, said that because the new standards require assessors to have a knowledge of the nought-to-16 age range it could 'frighten people off' becoming assessors. She said, 'It's been difficult in the past, but with the new standards I think it will be more difficult in the future. The principle is good, but the practicalities of assessing this age range are more difficult.'

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