Cogent Skills is responsible for setting National Occupational Standards (NOS) for the science industries.

NOS are used as the building blocks for many vocational qualifications, including S/NVQs. They are a competency based tool, which are statements of the skills, knowledge and understanding needed for employees to carry out particular job roles or functions.

NOS can also be used in many different ways to improve the quality of goods and services, increase employee productivity and reduce recruitment costs, through:

• Assessing skills already in the workforce and highlighting any gaps.
• Identifying the competencies which bring together the skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to do the work.
• Motivating employees to learn and develop new and existing skills.
• Acting as a benchmark for rewarding experience, knowledge and competence.
• National Occupational Standards are highly regarded and many companies will use them as an integral part of their training programmes. The NOS are produced through extensive consultation with industry. NOS are for public use and can be found on the following website www.ukstandards.co.uk

National Occupational Standards have international status and are recognised worldwide.

All National Occupational Standards are available from the UKCES National Occupational Standards website.

For more information, please call 01925 515200 or email [email protected]