The National Training Scheme

The majority of training courses and qualifications use the National Occupational Standards (NOS) as the minimum content requirement.

National Occupational Standards are developed by people within the industry concerned and provide the set of standards necessary for an individual to perform their role within an organisation.

The NOS are most closely linked with National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs), but can be used to set a standard for any qualification. The Modular Training System comes under this category, using the NOS as the basis for its content.

The modules were originally developed as a ‘Technical Certificate’, providing a standard for the knowledge required by a roadside/recovery technician.  They were then further developed to incorporate a ‘Skills Test’. This allowed the instructor to ensure that learning had taken place not only in the training room but also outside, while performing the job.

The modules were originally developed and submitted to the Highways Agency (HA) to comply with the training requirements of Sector Scheme 17a and 17b.  They were then accepted by the HA as a viable alternative to NVQ’s and made part of the requirements for NHSS17a and 17b.

The Modular Training System has developed into a truly national scheme. It has been adopted by many recovery operators that do not work for the HA and other related sectors, such as commercial vehicle manufacturers, bus companies, tyre organisations and roadside assistance organisations.

The Institute will be a key player in the further development of the scheme and by adding different levels will give technicians a clear career path within the recovery sector.