Jargon Buster

Throughout your programme you’ll come across terms and phrases that are new to you.

A

Advanced Apprenticeship
If you do an Advanced Apprenticeship, you’ll take a Level 3 NVQ (or SVQ). This will be called an MA, Modern Apprenticeship in Scotland.

Analyse
To analyse something is to examine it carefully.

Apprenticeship
If you do an Apprenticeship, you’ll take a Level 2 NVQ (or SVQ). This will be called an MA, Modern Apprenticeship in Scotland.

Assess
To assess somone or something is to decide how good or useful they are.

Assessment Plan
Sets out the requirements and the process of the assessment that takes place once the apprentice has progressed through the gateway.

Awarding Organisation/Body
In the UK, in order for a qualification to be recognized it must be accredited through one of the United Kingdom Awarding Bodies that is regulated by the three government-appointed statutory education bodies. Most referred to Awarding Organisations are Edexcel, IMI, City & Guilds.

C

Code of Practice
The general rules by which they want it done, e.g. a recruitment code of practice covers the timings, techniques, and morals to adhere to when recruiting.

Company Policy
The general approach your employer wants to take, e.g. recruitment policy covers the kinds of people they want to hire and maybe how many per year.

Competence
The ability to do something to a certain standard and to understand why you are doing it that way.

Core Skills
The general skills you need to use no matter which trade or job you work in; they are Core Skills - Numeracy, Communication, Information Communication Technology (ICT), Improving own learning and performance (IOLP), Problem solving (PS), and Working with others (WWO).

Critically evaluate
To appraise, assess, judge the quality or value of something in great detail.

D

Define
Define is a word to explain what it means, to define an idea or problem is to show exactly what it is.

Demonstrate
This means to show or prove something. 

Describe
If you describe someone or something, you say what they are like.

E

Explain
Something is made clearer to someone else, to explain a fact or event is to show why it is important. 'That explains his absence'. 

Element
A group of tasks or activities that make up an NVQ unit.

Employer Occupational Brief (EOB)
Is an expansion of the standard and gives further guidance around the training and on-programme assessment. This is not a mandatory document, therefore not all standards will include an EOB.

End Point Assessment (EPA)
The summative assessments that the Apprentice undertakes at the end of the apprenticeship programme to confirm their knowledge, skills and behaviours meet the requirements of the standard. End point assessment includes between 2 to 4 assessment methods and the results of each component are combined to give an overall graded outcome.

ERR
Employment Rights and Responsibilities - i.e. Understanding the industry, your rights and responsibilities - that teaches you what your employer is legally allowed and not allowed to ask you to do as part of your job, and what’s expected of you as your part of the deal.

Essential Skills
The general skills you need to use no matter which trade or job you work in; they are Essential Skills - Application of Number (AoN), Communication (COMM), and Information Communication Technology (ICT).

Etrack
Etrack is a web-based e-portfolio system that allows your Vocational Learning Advisor and Internal Verifier to actively monitor your assessment progress both on and offline.

Evaluate
To appraise, assess, judge the quality or value of something.   

Evidence
The documents you need to collect to prove you’ve completed the activities in your NVQ and Key/Core/Essential Skills units.

EV
External verifier - Their role is to triple check your work and the judgements made by your Vocational Learning Advisor and Internal Verifier. They don't check everyone's work - just a random sample. If they do want to check your work, they'll either visit you on site or request to sample your portfolio.

Examine
To examine something is to look at it closely or in detail.

F

FW (Framework)
All the different parts of your apprenticeship i.e. your NVQ/SVQ, Functional/Core/Essential Skills, Technical Certificates and ERR.

Functional Skills
The general skills you need to use no matter which trade or job you work in; they are Functional Skills - Numeracy, English and Information Communication Technology (ICT).

G

Gateway
Once the Apprentice, On-Programme Trainer and the Employer have confirmed the apprentice meets all the requirements of the standard – the apprentice moves through into ‘Gateway’, this is where the apprentice and the employer have contact with the Independent End Point Assessor and plan the assessment schedule, as outlines in the Assessment Plan  

I

Identify
To identify somone or something is to discover who or what they are. 'The police have identified the car used in the robbery'.
To identify with someone is to understand or share their feelings or opinions.  

IIP
Investors in People.

ILP
Individual Learning Plan.

ILR
Individual Learning Record.

Implement
To implement a plan or idea is to put it into action.  

Internal Quality Assurance (IQA)
Internal quality assurance takes place during the on-programme and end point assessment. For End Point Assessment an IQA carries out a representative sample of the Independent End point assessors assessment decisions using a variety of sampling methods, sampling takes place over the full cycle and components of the end point assessment process. The IQA also gives support and guidance to the independent end point assessor. For the on-programme the IQA carries out a representative sample of the teaching and learning, feedback and formative assessment the trainer delivers to the apprentice. The IQA also samples the on-programme progression review process and gives support and guidance the trainer.

IV
Internal Verifier - Verifies by sampling learner evidence, supports the Vocational Learning Advisor and quality assurance programme.

L

LDPS
Laid down procedures - The procedures, rules or regulations you have to follow when completing a task or activity; for procedures (LDPS) example, if your employer has a certain dress code, then that counts as an ‘employer laid down procedure’; LDPS are part of your performance criteria for your NVQ assessment.

Learner Development Plan (LDP)
This document details out any ‘learning’ you are a required to undertake and can be a combination of both knowledge and practical based activities.

LMS
Learning Management System is the web-based platform which holds your learning for your programme. All learning progress is tracked and monitored through the LMS and can be accessed at any time by you and/or your VLA.

Learner Self Study/Learning Record
Throughout your programme you will be required to do an amount of self-study. Your Learning Record is where you will record this activity to use as evidence towards your overall programme.

M

Mandatory Units
The units that you have to complete to get your NVQ/SVQ.

N

NVQ
National Vocational Qualification - the main part of your Apprenticeship or Advanced Apprenticeship and the part that teaches you your profession.

O

On Programme Progression Review
Takes place every 2 months, during the on-programme delivery. The apprentice, trainer and employer review and record the apprentices progress against the standard. During these review meetings evidence should be discussed and recorded by the apprentice, once the apprentice is deemed competent the relevant sections of the standard should be signed off by the employer and trainer.

Optional Units
The additional units you need to choose to complete to get your NVQ.

P

Procedure
The steps to take to get it done, eg: recruitment procedure covers the specifics, for example how to place the recruitment ad, who to go to for sign off, who should conduct the 1st & 2nd interviews etc.

Portfolio
Where your evidence may be kept.

Proxy
A qualification you already have that can count towards your Functional/Core/Essential Skills.

R

Recruitment Advisor
A Recruitment Advisor is a member of Babcock Training staff who signs you up to the programme.

Readiness for End Point Assessment
The end assessment should only commence once the employer is confident that the apprentice has developed all the knowledge skills and behaviours defined in the standard. To confirm the apprentice is ready for end point assessment a structured meeting should take place with the apprentice, employer and trainer, during this meeting reference to the on-programme reviews should be used to evidence the apprentice readiness for end assessment. The outcomes of this meeting should be recorded on the Readiness for End Point Assessment Record.

Recognise
To recognise someone or something is to know who they are because you have seen them before, to recognise a fault or mistake is to admit to it.
'We recognise that we may have acted unfairly'.

Reflect
You reflect on something when you look back on something and consider.

Review
To relook at or reconsider a subject or thing.

RSM
A Recruitment & Sales Manager is a member of Babcock Training staff and is the line manager of the Recruitment Advisor.

S

Skills Scan
This document is used to identify what skills you have currently and if there are any new skills you need to learn.

Standard
The standard confirms the knowledge, skills and behaviours the apprentice should meet to ensure they are competent within their job role, it also defines the level of maths and English the apprentice should achieve and the minimum time on-programme before the apprentice can move forward to end assessment.

Standards
These are set by the awarding organisation for your qualification and which your work will be judged against.

ST
Skills Trainer is a member of Babcock Training staff who works alongside your VLA on Functional Skills training.

SV
Standards Verifier - Their role is to sample your work and the judgements made by your Vocational Learning Advisor and Internal Verifier. They don't check everyone's work - just a random sample. If they do want to check your work, they'll either visit you on site or request to sample your work.

T

Technical Certificates
A knowledge based qualification that underpins your competence based qualification.

U

Understand
To understand something is to know what it means or how it works, to understand something is also to have heard about it.
'I understand you've not been well.'
To understand someone is to know what they are like and why they behave the way they do.

Utilise
To utilise something is to make use of it.

V

VLA
Vocational Learning Advisor  - The name for the person who works for Babcock Training who checks your answers, ensures you getting all the assistance you require and decides if the evidence you give demonstrates enough knowledge which meets the standards for you to complete your course.

VLM
Vocational Learning Manager - Your Vocational Learning Advisor's line manager.

W

What you must cover
These are the tasks or items you have to do.
What you must do
This is the doing part of your unit - standards you must achieve.
What you must know
This is the knowledge part of your unit.