NCRQ v NEBOSH
28 January 2019
If you are thinking of progressing with a career in Health & Safety, you need to understand the options of qualifications and their impact on your future choices.
Does most popular make it the most demanded?
NCRQ claimed via Twitter, that they are reputedly now the most popular Health & Safety Diploma course provider in the UK. Maybe they are, but is this because the course is cheaper and easier to pass than NEBOSH? I have been asked the ‘Which Course?’ question increasingly over the past 12 months, and the answer I give is, that it depends what you want to do. If you want to become a Health & Safety practitioner - there is only one question you need to ask…
How do employer’s value these qualifications?
There are three possible routes you can take to get an accredited health and safety qualification:
NQRC (National compliance and risk qualification) certification
NCRQ have developed a suite of degree-level (QCF Level 6) qualifications in occupational health and safety, with a focus on the competence and skills required in the modern workplace. Learners are assessed by assignments and an online validation interview, instead of exams.
NVQ (National Vocational Qualification)
NVQs are work-related, competency-based qualifications that reflect the skills and knowledge needed to do a specific job. The Level 5 NVQ Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety Practice is the UK’s premier vocational qualification designed specifically for safety professionals who want to attain chartered status of IOSH (CMIOSH) through a practical, evidence-based route as opposed to an academic course.
NEBOSH (The National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health)
NEBOSH offer a comprehensive range of globally-recognised qualifications, designed to meet the health, safety and environmental management needs of all places of work. The qualifications are also recognised by IOSH and IEMA, the two most prominent HSE professional membership bodies.
Approximately 90% of Health & Safety Jobs request a NEBOSH qualification
If you don’t believe me, just go to any job site and type in health and safety and look at the job specification – 9 times out of 10 NEBOSH will be directly specified. What’s more, the jobs where a NEBOSH qualification is specified offer better remuneration packages. So if you are seriously thinking about a career in health and safety, NEBOSH courses are the ONLY ones which offer a globally recognised qualification. The NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety or NEBOSH National Certificate in Construction Health and Safety provide an excellent first step towards becoming a fully qualified health and safety and/environmental professional.
What you need to know about NEBOSH Qualifications
NEBOSH exams are challenging, they have a very high failure rate compared to NQRC and NVQ, which is why many NEBOSH training providers stipulate pre-qualification criteria before you can sit a NEBOSH course with them. RISK, have no such criteria because I chose a different approach to teaching the NEBOSH qualification. The RISK approach has ‘year on year’ achieved a higher than national pass rate for our NEBOSH delegates.
The RISK NEBOSH Fast Track format - and if you take this, you will have a significantly higher chance of passing - we’re so confident, we provide a RISK NEBOSH Guaranteed pass scheme.
