What kind of management qualification - management NVQ or management VRQ? 

Management, is an occupation, and as such, management qualifications need to be related to occupational professional standards. These professional standards are referred to NOS- National occupational standards. The National occupational standards for managers and management skills in the UK are devised by the management standards centre (see CMI awarding body).

Management qualifications generally would fall into two broad categories:

Vocationally related qualifications.

Vocationally Related Qualifications (VRQs) are nationally recognised management qualifications which mix the academic study process of learning and reflection with more work or case study related assessment enabling participants to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding. They are based on the national framework of qualifications and are applicable for managers at all levels.

The very nature of vocational related qualifications means that both training and assessment is provided.

Awards, Certificates, and Diplomas are all typical vocationally related qualifications and are normally available for each level of management qualification.

National vocational qualifications (NVQ)

National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) are qualifications designed to assess an individual's ability to actually perform in a particular role. Where an academic qualification is based mainly on the knowledge and understanding of theory, an NVQ is based upon the live performance of an individual in the workplace.

As NVQs are work performance orientated qualifications, it would be difficult for anyone who does not have access to a considerable amount of work experience to gather appropriate and sufficient evidence of their competence in a management role.

It is often the case that only assessment is provided for NVQs, without any training input.

Important considerations are therefore:

·       Whether management skills training or knowledge is required or desirable – if so choose a VRQ

·       Whether assessment only is required – if so choose an NVQ

·       Whether your current role and experience would enable you to complete the NVQ assessment requirements, if not a VRQ is the best option.

Whilst NVQs can be useful in that they prove your actual practical performance, in many professions, employers prefer vocational related qualifications, and this is generally the case within the management profession.

It is important not to confuse vocationally related professional management qualifications with general business studies type courses which are often suitable for younger full time students.