Typical courses are quality and business improvement but other subjects are eligible and are becoming popular. Organisations wishing to be accredited under the FICO UK regime will need to comply with a recognised training provider or competence recognition scheme. Typically these would be GAF(S)02, ISO 29990, ISO 17024 or similar.
As well as the below publications, all applicant organisations must be aware of the Accreditation: General Requirements documents. These can be accessed from the 'How do I apply?' page.
The following FICO UK documents apply to Training Institutes:
Guide 21 Training accreditation
Guide 69 Training fees USD / GBP
Since 1995 FICO UK has been actively involved in tertiary levels of quality assurance for further education programmes.
FICO UK does not design or deliver education and training programmes and is constrained by its operating procedures to restrict itself only to the provision of accreditation services for training and development courses and for certification bodies.
Typically, the accreditation activity will ensure that the totality of training provision is appropriate for the intended or target trainee and their employers where appropriate. This is achieved via the provision of quality assurance measures designed to ensure that the training requirement or input, matches the training and educational material, or output. In addition, FICO UK accreditation will ensure that the training provider has addressed those essential ancillary and logistical support activities, including essential Health & Safety requirements as well as the academic and administrative support, that results in the correct delivery and assimilation by students of the training and educational material.
It is a requirement of the training accreditation process that course training plans are prepared defining key elements of the training provision. These are reviewed by FICO UK and verified at site. Copies of all training materials are retained within the FICO UK library and courses are attended by accreditation officers in order to verify the appropriateness of delivery and to derive feedback and comment from students and to assess levels of 'customer' satisfaction.
Accreditation of training programmes provides an essential level of assurance for Trading Standards Organisations, Local Authorities, Chambers of Commerce, Insurance Companies and Higher Education Establishments. Independent accreditation by FICO UK and similar accreditation authorities is often an essential pre-requisite for the delivery of training under the auspices of the above and similar categories of organisation or association.
FICO UK training accreditation is limited to subjects defined in the accredited training organisations scope only. See relevant Accreditation Statements and profiles.