Contrary to popular belief in the wider trade, it’s not just a matter of OFTEC staff members deciding how the assessments should be structured and what should, or should not, be included.
Working group
The main OFTEC board, together with the OFTEC Scheme Committee (OSC), will identify the area in which an assessment package will be developed. The OSC will ask OFTEC to put together a working group to look at this, and it is usually the responsibility of the Training Manager to identify suitable participants and invite them on to the group.
The working group will then look at the Minimum Technical Competencies for the area of work in question – these set out the minimum competence requirements for organisations and individuals in a competent person scheme. It is normal to exceed these minimum competencies to ensure a robust assessment process.
Draft assessments are written, and we try and ensure that wherever possible, there is a large practical element and not just theory papers. The draft assessments are then trialled to identify any areas of weakness, any questions that are misleading (or simply incorrect) and, following this pilot process, alterations are made.
It may be that a second, or even a third, trial is required before the working group is satisfied that the assessments are robust and fit for purpose.
At the same time, the working group will identify the equipment required by assessment centres to deliver the course. The whole process may take a matter of months, but usually, with the group meeting once a month, over a year passes before everyone is satisfied with the outcome.
Scheme approval
Every part of the process must be logged and monitored, as the scheme will then be submitted to the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) for its approval that the scheme is suitable for accreditation under ISO17024. This standard is the general requirement for bodies operating certification of persons. Once UKAS approval has been achieved, the certification bodies can apply for accreditation under 17024.
OFTEC does not run assessment centres – the centres that we work with are all either manufacturers, colleges, or independent training/ assessment providers. The assessment process is monitored by certification bodies, and they are the ones that are accredited to 17024 standards and issue the certificates of competence. OFTEC works with seven certification bodies, and it is up to the assessment centres as to which one they choose.
From time-to-time, assessments will need updating – this may be due to a change in regulations, or feedback from centres identifying a particular question that candidates struggle with. In these cases, for small changes this will be carried out by OFTEC’s training and technical departments; for larger changes the working group may be re-convened.
For any queries regarding OFTEC training and assessment, contact David Knipe or Simon Gray in the training department, and don’t forget that you can find details of over 100 OFTEC approved centres on our website at https://www.oftec.org/technicians/ industry-training/find-your-nearest- training-centre
Image credit: OFTEC
