Education and training services

Tender description

SDS will manage the commissioning of Standards and Frameworks on behalf of the Devolved Administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The three Devolved Administrations are individually and collectively committed to maintaining NOS: Funding will be provided for the development of new NOS or the review of existing NOS. This will be according to evidence of demand provided by each of the DAs and the Delivery Partners. Evidence of demand should include one or more of the following: Evidence of significant employer demand for the NOS. Evidence of demand to meet priorities in one or more of the Devolved Administrations. Changes to the labour market, skills demands and/or working practices. Changes to industry legislation or regulation. National Occupational Standards (NOS) NOS provide evidence-based benchmarks of competent performance which underpin occupational and vocational learning and development, apprenticeships and qualifications. To remain current NOS must reflect changes within industries and sectors e.g. changes to labour markets, job design and working practices, legislation, Government policy etc. NOS should be developed and will be approved in line with the following key principles. National Occupational Standards must: Work for businesses across the UK. Although some standards may be developed with a specific nation in mind, each nation must be consulted to ensure that they comply with policy. Be approved via the NOS QA process which can be found on the NOS database under ‘Admin’ then ‘Guidance’. Be reviewed and agreed by a representative sample of relevant employers and stakeholders in each of the four UK Nations (English employer consultation requirements remain to ensure NOS is applicable UK wide). Be based on rigorous, high quality LMI. Be developed to the agreed NOS template. Be freely available to all employers. Be written in clear, plain language with a minimum of jargon. Support employability by clearly showing the employability skills required for effective performance in each occupation. Be suitable for use to inform sector qualification priorities. Funding will be provided for the development of new NOS or the review of existing NOS. This will be according to evidence of demand provided by each of the DAs and the Delivery Partners. Evidence of demand should include one or more of the following: Evidence of significant employer demand for the NOS. Evidence of demand to meet priorities in one or more of the Devolved Administrations. Changes to the labour market, skills demands and/or working practices. Changes to industry legislation or regulation.