NVQ full funding

National Training Organisation Skillset is offering full funding for NVQs from a nearly £1m budget.

The budget, granted by the Department for Education and Employment to Skillset, is to off-set the cost of certificating nearly 2000 NVQ candidates and recruiting and training over 120 assessors.

Individuals will be able to apply for 100% funding under this scheme in Camera, Grips, Sound, Lighting, Research and Health and Safety; there will also be funding for being trained as an NVQ assessor.

The funding is available to both staff and freelance individuals, and the qualifications will be delivered by Skillset approved centres at the BBC, FT2, Michael Samuelson Lighting and the Northern Media School.

BECTU supports Skillset, the National Training Organisation for broadcast, film, video and multimedia, and the union's General Secretary Roger Bolton commented: "For some years BECTU has supported the industry-wide push for agreed standards and qualifications recognising that they are an important part of our future. They have now come of age.

"In our mobile, casualised industry, they are becoming increasingly important as portable evidence of professional skills and competence and we would strongly encourage practitioners to grasp this unique opportunity."

Those interested should contact Skillset directly for more details by phone on 0171 534 5310.