Programmes
For a full list of courses, click on the categories below:
TAP communities
The Training Foundation's response to the IITT Announcement, 28 Nov 2008
IITT membership rules & TPMA
Response to the IITT changes to membership rules,
Nov 2008 click here
Comments on the IITT's FAQ section,
Dec 2008 click here
'TPMA - Unanswered Questions',
Feb 2009 click here
IITT certification is now based on its TPMA service,
Trainer Performance Monitoring & Assessment. To maintain membership status, members are required to undergo periodic TPMA assessments at a cost of approx. £300 +vat.
The IITT announcement downgraded the membership status for all trainers holding a TAP Diploma (Level 4 HE level) to the entry-level professional grade of Associate!
A complaint was made to the Regulator, Jan 2009
In first promoting TPMA the IITT repeatedly sought to closely link it to the Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector (PTLLS) qualification, awarded by OCR. The IITT became an Approved OCR Centre in 2008. In his 2009 New Year email message to IITT members, the IITT's Chief Executive wrote;
"we are recognising the value and investment made through your
take-up of TAP and that all that you need to do is to take a TPMA Assessment and you can achieve the national Level 4 qualification. That is already happening for many members right now."
This statement was clearly incorrect: it is not possible to obtain a Level 4 qualification from a short assessment process. It was therefore inconceivable that 'many members' had done so, as the IITT claimed.
Since TAP-qualified IITT members were being asked to pay some £350 for TPMA assessment on a false premise, in Jan 2009 The Training Foundation complained to the QCA (Regulator of the National Qualifications system and licensor of Awarding Bodies).
The Regulator took the matter seriously and initiated an investigation. The IITT's status as an Approved OCR Centre was suspended while this took place. Subsequently, the IITT withdrew its claims for TPMA and ceased to be an OCR Approved Centre. It became a Centre for City & Guilds during 2009. It has not explained the reasons for this change.
The IITT claimed that the change was necessary to align its membership rules with the 'Government's one standard /one national qualification policy' - this was said to be PTLLS; 'Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector'. The IITT is now a training provider and markets PTLLS courses as a City & Guilds Centre. TPMA assessment is said to be aligned with PTLLS.
In reality, the IITT was mistaken. The Government did not have, never has had and cannot ever impose a 'one standard/one national qualification policy': different training environments require different choices to be available.
Clarifying the facts on training qualifications
The Lifelong Learning Sector Skills Council (LLUK) has responsibility for several distinct audiences and for each of these it maintains National Occupational Standards (NOS) and a Qualifications framework.
In 2008 LLUK introduced three qualifications enabling teachers to achieve QTLS status (Qualified Teaching Learning and Skills). The entry-level qualification, Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning sector entitles teachers to join the Institute for Learning. more about PTLLS
If you are, or want to be, a teacher or trainer in an adult-learning college, PTLLS was DESIGNED for YOU!
If you are a tutor/trainer involved in LSC-funded Work Based Learning (WBL) you may be required to do PTLLS as a base-level qualification, but it will not address your primary skills requirements; facilitation and coaching. However, you can choose to upgrade to a relevant TAP qualification!
...funded WBL provision is less than £0.5b
- around 2% of total employer training
BUT - if you are an IT trainer employed by either
a private sector or public sector organisation
PTLLS was NOT DESIGNED to meet YOUR NEEDS!
...non-public funded training accounts for
some £24b of employer investment
Since there are at least 20 times as many IT trainers employed in non-funded than in LSC-funded training,
PTLLS is relevant to less than 5% of IT trainers. However, if you do have a PTLLS qualification, you can choose to upgrade to TAP!
Alternative professional body for IT trainers
Current or potential IITT members who object to the IITT's approach may choose to join an alternative national professional body which actively welcomes TAP-qualified learning and development professionals at all membership grades.
In 2007 TAP Qualifications were formally adopted by the British Institute for Learning and Development as granting eligibility for membership at Associate, Member and Fellow (ABILD MBILD and FBILD) grades. For further details see:
www.thebild.org
Preferential introductory membership arrangements are available to TAP-qualified applicants.