Southampton Man Completes the First NVQ in A

[BAJR Host]

#(note.. reminds me of the Dundee Courier story when the Titanic sank.. Local Man drowns at sea -- no puns intended!) [:p]

Well done to him

Local Southampton Man Completes the First NVQ in Archaeology Making Education History

At Tudor Merchant’s Hall in Southampton on Wednesday 7 January at noon, members of the archaeological world will be gathering to celebrate a piece of education history. Ben Jervis (23, of Southampton) has completed the UK’s first National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) in Archaeological Practice and is now furthering his career with a PhD at Southampton University. The qualification, accredited by awarding body EDI (http://www.ediplc.com), is the first of its kind and is being piloted on work placements funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (http://www.hlf.org.uk) and run by the Institute for Archaeologists (http://www.archaeologists.net).

The NVQ in Archaeological Practice nationally recognises skills in the field and allows archaeologists to demonstrate their competencies on paper as well as develop their vocational skills with work experience. The NVQ is available to both new learners in the profession and amateur archaeologists who wish to gain and accredit basic skills in the subject.

Ben completed his NVQ on a work placement specialising in Medieval Pottery at Southampton Museums. His main duties included characterising pottery types by fabric and form, liaising with specialists in the field to identify particular types and producing reports of his findings.

Ben comments: “I am ecstatic to be the first recipient of the NVQ in archaeological practice, which along with the Institute for Archaeologists (IFA) workplace bursary scheme, has given me an excellent opportunity to develop my practical skills. I hope that the scheme will continue so that other colleagues can benefit from the advantages of a professional qualification. This experience will help me to continue my development as an archaeological professional over the coming years.”

Trevor Meakin of EDI, comments: “We are delighted to be celebrating this day with Ben and marking a new educational route for those who wish to pursue archaeology. This NVQ will enhance learners’ employability and improve the capacity of the growing archaeological workforce in the UK.”

Offered at Level 3 and Level 4, the NVQ is based on assessment of evidence gathered in the workplace allowing on-the-job learning to be accredited. Learners’ work is assessed by occupationally competent assessors who have at least two years experience in the area they are assessing and are all monitored and passed through quality control procedures by EDI.

For more information on the NVQ in Archaeological Practice or any other qualifications awarded by EDI please email: enquiries@ediplc.com or phone: 08707 202 909. Alternatively take a look at the EDI website: http://www.ediplc.com


"Gie's a Job.."
Prof. 'Dolly' Parton

[chiz]

well done to him!

perhaps slightly ironic that the first recipient of a vocational qualification immediately goes and starts a phd?!

sorry, couldn't resist[:I]

[historic building]

Hopefully it is a phd related to medieval pottery.

[Oxbeast]

Indeed, Saxon food and identity from a ceramic perspective, according to the website. Good on him. However, the real story is that getting the workplace learning bursary (which seems to have supported him while doing this NVQ) gave him the contacts he needed to get into a PhD. Not that I'm knocking him at all, he must be very good at what he does.

[chiz]

I realised the phd was in med ceramics, and fair play to the bloke. I'd like to see the NVQs in site jobs as well, that's all, with units investing in their staff. So that people who don't go down the uni/work placement/phd route get on it as well

[monty]

I have always believed that there should be more NVQs in site work, and units have to start investing in training as in any other profession. Things are hard at the moment...... but this should be the way forward.

[BAJR Host]

true...!

"Gie's a Job.."
Prof. 'Dolly' Parton

[shovelnomore]

Just wondering, have any units signed themselves up as centres outside the workplace bursary schemes?

[bpj91]

I never thought I'd see a forum discussion on the subject of me! Many thanks for your words of congratulations. In repsonse to a few points...

I appreciate the irony in getting a vocational qualification and then going back to academic study. Hopefully the qualification will be able to be offered through universities in tandem with an archaeology degree, ensuring graduates have the practical skills as well as the knowledge to become archaeologists. Certainly I think this 'proof' I have a degree of competance helped in gaining funding for my studies and research, as it gives some suggestion that any work will be carried out professionaly. Besides, it is currently a good time to be training (I appreciate I am fortunate to have been granted financial support!) and hopefully I and the other recipients of the NVQ will be in a good position from the perspectives of both practical and theoretical knowledge and understanding when the economic situation improves. I applied for PhD funding knowing I probably wouldn't get it, but also knowing that if I didn't try the liklihood of me gaining employment and being able to continue skills development and research outside of the academic environment were slim.

Secondly, I think it is an important point that the recipients of the qualification so far have been largely desk based, be this in finds or post-ex. It is up to units to embrace the qualification and find ways to allow their excavators as well as those 'back at base' to work towards these qualifications. Although there is cost involved, proving competancy and gaining the qualification takes very little extra work on the part of the unit or individual, provided they are competant of course!

I have heard through the grapevine of at least 1 unit and 1 university being interested in offering the NVQ, although whether this has got anywhere I don't know. What I do know is for it to be worth anything it needs to be taken up by more people than those supported by the IFA workplace bursary schemes and the relatively small number of other organisations currently offering the opportunity to gain the qualification.

Once again, thanks for the suport on the forum,
Ben

[shovelnomore]

I'm sure there's no shortage of people interested in offering the qualification or even acting as assessors, myself included... I suppose what I was really wondering was whether the IfA were restricting the NVQ to the bursary scheme as a pilot or whether they were rolling it out more widely.