"Having not studied since passing my BTEC National Certificate 12 years ago, I felt it was about time I updated my skills and got a useful qualification on my CV, so that I had some hope of career progression. Having two small children meant that going back to college was not an option. I received an e-mail inviting me to a presentation about the NVQ 3 in Business and Administration. I had been noticing that a lot of job vacancies were asking for NVQ 3 as an essential requirement. I was a bit nervous about embarking on a course, but encouraged by the fact that other people in my directorate would also be doing it, decided to take the plunge. I found the first couple of assignments a bit baffling as I couldn't see how everything would fit together, but as soon as I started to cross reference my evidence, it began to make sense. My assessor, Vicki, was really helpful at this stage. I must say that having the support of my manager was also very helpful, as it allowed me to use some work time to gather examples needed for my units.
The most interesting thing about the NVQ 3 was that it was not so much about learning new things, as learning a new way of looking at the skills and knowledge I already had. It helped me to develop analytical skills and to value the work I do more highly. It also helped me to be more systematic and organised in my approach to my work. I think it gave me increased confidence to pursue my goals. Near the end of my studies, a vacancy came up in my team for a Project Worker. I knew that this would be a really good career move for me and open the door to the career progression I wanted. The person specification for the vacancy listed NVQ 3 as a minimum requirement, so I was over the moon when my assessor signed off my final unit. I was short listed for the job, attended the interview and I am very pleased to report that I got the job! The next stage in my studies will probably be the 'Prince 2' project management qualification next year, which I would have been very wary of tackling, had I not done my NVQ 3. I would really recommend the NVQ 3 to anyone, especially if you haven't studied for a while and you are not sure about taking on a long course. It is a relatively short course but not too intense, you get as much support from your assessor as you need and there is no scary final exam!"
Sue Davidson, Worcestershire Drug & Alcohol Team, Project Worker