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Organisations and Assessment Centres

Royal Meteorological Society

The Royal Meteorological Society is the learned and professional body recognised as the Regulating Body for the meteorological sector in the UK. It is concerned to maintain standards of performance and ethics and generally to foster the subject. Therefore, it was natural for it to take the lead in promoting the development and use of standards in the main specialist, operational functions performed by the sector. To further this goal, with the active support of all parts of the sector and funding provided by Met Office, it arranged for a study to be carried out into the pros and cons of introducing vocational qualifications and the feasibility of doing so. This concluded that there would be significant advantages in introducing such qualifications based on national occupational standards.

The Society subsequently took the lead in obtaining funds for this from within the sector and from a levy raised on NVQs controlled by the appropriate government departments and agencies. They also appointed a project leader, consultants and eventually an awarding body to oversee and administer the awards. The Society has set up a sector committee to oversee all the preparatory work and the development, promotion, continued maintenance and use of the standards and qualifications based upon them. It will continue to ensure that the national occupational standards remain relevant and up to date. The particular ability of the Society to represent the interests of all parts of the sector has been and will remain crucial to success. Membership of the Society is open to all involved in meteorology and you are encouraged to join.

PAA\VQSET

PAA\VQSET is the awarding body for National Vocational Qualifications in Weather Observing Level 3 and Weather Forecasting Level 4..

Process Awards Authority Ltd was constituted in April 1997 as an independent awarding body specialising in offering accreditation for training and development via the National Qualification Frameworks for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and in the non-regulated sector for the paper, man-made fibres and building products sectors and other related areas.

In July 2002 PAA acquired the awarding body, Vocational Qualifications in Science, Engineering and Technology (VQSET) which provides qualifications in Chemical, Pharmaceutical, Science and Meteorology Sectors. The amalgamation of the two awarding body functions owned by Process Awards Authority Ltd now trades under the name of PAA\VQSET.

PAA\VQSET works in partnership with employers, Standards Setting Bodies (SSBs) and Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) that represent these sectors (see SEMTA information below).

PAA\VQSET is holds ISO 9001:2000 and is approved by QCA and SQA for qualifications in their qualification frameworks.

Further information can be found on our website: http://www.paa-uk.org

Qualifications and Curriculum Authority

The 1997 Education Act established the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) as a non-departmental public body. It is accountable to the Secretary of State for Education and Employment. It is required to advise him/her about the curriculum, the methods to be used to assess progress, qualifications and national occupational standards as these relate to the education and training system in England. However, QCA is also responsible for accrediting NVQs in Wales and Northern Ireland.

QCA oversees the national qualifications framework within which the Forecaster and Observer NVQs sit. It is tasked with assuring that they are up to date, accurate and being assessed fairly. QCA also sets the criteria that are designed to guarantee the coherence, consistency and quality of national occupational standards generally. It approves sets of standards that meet these criteria.

For more information visit: http://www.qca.org.uk.

 

SEMTA

SEMTA is one of 25 Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) set up to develop National Occupational Standards (NOS) and associated qualifications for their relevant sectors within the UK. SEMTA is also part of the Skills for Business network, which ensures that all SSCs work to the same high standards.

SEMTA is one of the largest SSCs, whose footprint includes Engineering Manufacture (which covers Automotive, Aeronautical, Marine, Mechanical, Electrical and Electronic Engineering), as well as many Science based areas such as Biotechnology, Optical Manufacturing, Applied Psychology, Analytical Chemistry, Explosives Detection and Clearance, Packaging, Nanotechnology, and Meteorology.

SEMTA works closely with representatives from the various 'industries' and their associated Professional bodies (such as RMetS) to ensure that the NOS reflect, in clear language and using relevant terminology, exactly what a competent person needs to be able to do, and what that person needs to know, in order to work competently and safely in a particular occupation or profession.

SEMTA also works closely with the regulating authorities (such as QCA and SQA), to ensure that the standards and qualification structures meet the criteria laid down for acceptance into the National Qualifications Framework. This means that all NVQs (such as the ones for Meteorology) are nationally recognised throughout the UK (and, increasingly through the European Qualifications Framework, by many other countries).

For more information on SEMTA, please click on the link below: www.semta.org.uk

Assessment Centres