Scheme to validate foundation degrees is met with caution

College lecturers and heads have given a mixed response to the launch of a national validation service for foundation degrees.

Some believe that the service, offered by the University Vocational Awards Council (Uvac) through a newly created National Validation Council (NVC), will give further education colleges and lecturers far more freedom to develop courses that local universities cannot or will not validate.

But others fear that adding another player to the increasingly competitive validation market for higher education in further education will confuse students, employers and the public.

The NVC has been set up by Uvac as a company limited by guarantee to validate foundation degrees and other higher level vocational courses for colleges and other training providers without degree-awarding powers.

Students who successfully complete NVC-validated courses will have their qualifications awarded by the four degree-awarding institutions in the NVC consortium: Kent, London Metropolitan and Luton universities, and Southampton Institute. Two more are expected to join soon.

The awarding body Edexcel has become the NVC's first customer. It said that it will use the service from October to offer up to 85 BTech foundation degrees in ten employment sectors, beginning with computing, engineering and business.

The NVC joins a market occupied by the Open University Validation Service, Foundation Degree Forward and universities operating in local or regional partnerships with colleges.

With just half a dozen colleges signed up so far, the NVC is a small player compared with the OUVS, with 49 accredited institutions worldwide, and FDF, which offers a validation brokerage service between colleges and universities and says it supports some 200 colleges.

Simon Roodhouse of Uvac said the NVC planned to expand. "While we are initially focusing on providing a service for Edexcel, we will move into other fields," he explained.

College principals have welcomed the launch. But some say they are concerned that it could bring confusion over who awards foundation degrees and the purpose of the qualifications.

John Widdowson, principal of New College Durham and chairman of the Mixed Economy Group of colleges, said: "For a lot of colleges, local arrangements will be their starting point because there are lots of issues around progression to an honours degree."

Roger Lowans, vice-principal of Newcastle College, said: "What worries me is that if Uvac develops a national service it might take away the emphasis in foundation degrees on developing skills for the regional employment market. A national qualification may not take account of local employer needs."

THE ACCREDITATION PROVIDERS

Provider

What they offer and what it costs

Who uses them

National Validation Council

National validation service for all higher level vocational qualifications. Validation visit: £2K-£3K; registration fee per student: £550

Edexcel and six colleges so far

Open University Validation Service

Worldwide institutional accreditation and HE; programme validation. Accreditation fee: £5K. Registration fees vary

49 schools, colleges and universities

Foundation Degree Forward

Brokerage service between universities and colleges for foundation degrees, plus support services. FDF service free, fee for participating institutions £2.5K-£5K per validation + 10-15 per cent top-sliced per student

200 colleges receiving support

Individual universities

 

Validation for a range of courses for local colleges and regional college networks. Wide range of fees

Hundreds of colleges