This qualification has been developed to provide learners with the skills and knowledge needed to be able to carry out a range of activities related to operating plant and equipment. Delivered in the workplace it can be undertaken as a standalone vocational qualification, or as part of an apprenticeship.

Learners must be at least 16 years old. There are no formal entry requirements for this qualification. However, learners must have the potential to achieve all aspects of the qualification. In particular, learners should be able to demonstrate that they have the minimum levels of literacy and numeracy required to comply with the health and safety aspects of the scheme, the completion of the learning outcomes, and the assessments.

This qualification is predominantly for learners employed on a construction site or similar where they would be working with plant or machinery such as cranes, lorry loaders, hoists or forklift trucks. The qualification may also be suitable for learners who are interested in a career change.

Performance evidence must be a combination of:

outputs of the learner’s work, such as items that have been manufactured, installed, maintained, designed, planned or quality assured, and documents produced as part of a work activity together with:

evidence of the way the learner carried out the activities such as witness testimonies, assessor observations or authenticated learner reports, records or photographs of the work/activity carried out, etc.
Competent performance is more than just carrying out a series of individual set tasks. Many of the units contain statements that require the learner to provide evidence that proves they are capable of combining the various features and techniques. Where this is the case, separate fragments of evidence would not provide this combination of features and techniques and will not, therefore, be acceptable as demonstrating competent performance. If there is any doubt as to what constitutes valid, authentic and reliable evidence, the internal and/or external verifier should be consulted.

These qualifications are made up of a number of nationally recognised units which EAL has converted into assessment material called ‘assessment routes’. These documents allow both the learner and the assessor to record the progress through the NVQ qualifications. The units contain the performance to be assessed, the knowledge to be assessed and the evidence required from the learner to demonstrate their competence.

Qualification Manual