City & Islington puts NVQs on the internet

A Ôpowerful training revolutionÕ for optical manufacturers was launched in London today (May 11) at a special function attended by the professionÕs employers.
The launch introduced the web-based training resource, on-sightlearning.com, which will help the implementation of the industryÕs new NVQ programme in Optical Manufacturing, offering qualifications and assessment at NVQ levels 2 and 3.
The government-designated Centre of Excellence at the Centre for Applied Optics at City and Islington College is an assessment and accreditation centre for NVQ awards and has established the website.
Tony Botten, head of applied optics at City & Islington, told optician the website had taken a year of development to put into place.
ÔTo date, training for many of the industryÕs operators and technicians has been informal and in-house, with no nationally recognised qualifications,Õ he said. ÔSo opportunities for formal training have been limited and excluded anyone involved in producing contact lenses and eye prostheses.
ÔCity & Islington College is already approved to run and assess the industryÕs NVQs in Optical Manufacturing which enables candidates from anywhere in the country to participate with no travel or time away from the shopfloor,Õ Mr Botten commented.
ÔOn-sightlearning.com is pioneering the implementation of the NVQ programme, and is a world first for the industry, City and Islington College and the UK.Õ
The launch took place in the City of London at the ApothecariesÕ Hall, the headquarters of the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers.