What Assessing Competency in the Work Environment Entails (ACWE)
If you have already either achieved the Level 3 Award in Assessing Competence In A Work Environment (ACWE) or the Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement (CAVA) you will be very familiar with exactly what assessing an individual’s competency in a workplace entails. However, for those looking to assess others in their place of work but aren’t yet qualified to do so, the ACWE may just be the best course you have never heard of (providing you haven’t heard of it, of course). Let’s have a deeper look into what the course involves and whether it would be suitable for you.
Where will you be assessing learners?
Just by taking a quick look through our website, you will see that we offer a whole range of different Assessor qualifications. Choosing the right one for your needs may seem daunting, which is why we are always on hand to help. Let’s focus on the ACWE for now, just to keep things less confusing!
Basically, if you plan on only assessing people ‘on-the-job’, then the Level 3 Award in Assessing Competence in the Workplace is the qualification that you need. The course consists of two main units:
- Understanding Principles and Practices of Assessment
- Assess Occupational Competence in the Work Environment
Unit 1
The first unit is entirely knowledge-based and will give you all the theory that you need in order to understand the responsibilities of an Assessor. This is completed entirely online within our virtual learning environment. Don’t worry though, our tutors will be on hand to guide you through the tasks.
Here’s a taste of a few of the topics you will cover as part of your first unit:
- Understanding and Adapting Assessment Methods
- The Assessor’s Responsibilities when Planning an Assessment
- Risks Associated with Assessment
- Use of Technology in Assessment
- Making Assessment Decisions and Providing Constructive Feedback
Unit 2
The second unit requires you to carry out 2 assessments, on 2 separate learners. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have access to learners though. Here at Brooks and Kirk, we are the only Assessor training provider who can guarantee access to learners for your ACWE course, no matter what sector you are in.
Within this unit, you actually get to start planning and carrying out real-life assessments. You will be guided through different techniques you can use to assess your learners, including:
- Observation of performance in the workplace
- Examining products of work
- Learner discussions
- Witness testimony
- Reviewing learner statements
Once you have completed the Level 3 Award in Assessing Competence In A Work Environment, you will be able to carry out assessments of candidates in their own workplace. However, if you are wanting to assess learners in both their workplace and their learning environments, we would advise that you have a look at the Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement (CAVA). The CAVA is the only qualification that would ‘fully-qualify’ you as an assessor.
Good luck with whatever your next step may be. Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions about the job of an assessor, any one of the courses we offer or anything assessing related for that matter!
Steve is a Chartered Manager and a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute.
He provides Educational Consultancy to the 19+ sector as well as being an Assessor, IQA, EPA and Digital Marketing Professional. When not doing any of these he finds time, every now and then, to write blogs and articles.