Who We Work With
OCN provides your organisation with countless opportunities to enhance the educational needs of learners.
Who we work with
OCN refer to the organisations we work with as Recognised Centres.
A Centre is an organisation undertaking the delivery of a qualification and assessment to learners.
Centres are typically educational institutions, training providers, or employers as outlined by the Qualification Regulators.
OCN Centres are the organisations that use OCN Qualifications and/or Endorsed Courses.
We work across Northern Ireland with organisations from Further Education Colleges and Schools to Private Training Organisations, Adult Education Providers to Voluntary & Community Organisations, and from SME’s to Public Sector Bodies such as Health Trusts, NI Prison Service and Local Government Agencies.
Having the recognition from a leading Awarding Organisation such as OCN can provide your organisation with countless opportunities to enhance the educational needs of your learners. Our Qualifications and Endorsed Courses can meet the needs of your entire community.
Colleges
At OCN, we are proud to facilitate qualifications for the six Further Education (FE) colleges in Northern Ireland, which play a crucial role in promoting both social inclusion and economic growth.
The FE sector in Northern Ireland consists of the following six colleges:
There are 29 Further Education college campuses throughout Northern Ireland, providing learners with access to training and qualifications that help them achieve their potential and enhance their professional and personal development.
These six Further Education colleges are the largest providers of professional and technical qualifications in Northern Ireland. At OCN, we are dedicated to supporting the FE colleges by developing and awarding high-quality qualifications that meet the needs of learners, employers, and the broader community.
Schools
OCN has a wide range of vocational and technical qualifications available to offer in schools through the Entitlement Framework. The qualifications listed below have been approved for use in Schools in Northern Ireland and appear in the NIEFQAN file. The NIEFQAN file shows details of GCSE Guided Learning Hours (GLHs) size comparisons for Level 1 and Level 2 qualifications and A-level Guided Learning Hours (GLHs) size comparisons for qualifications at Level 3.
The system is designed to enable schools to report their performance. The information on GLHs/size equivalency applies only to the allocation of school performance points.
It is not intended for use in relation to the comparison of qualifications for employment and/or further/higher education purposes.
OCN offers training for staff who are new to assessment and/or internal verification and provides ongoing support and guidance throughout the delivery of any of the above qualifications.
Employers
Does your organisation have a highly-skilled and innovative workforce? Are you meeting the educational needs of your organisation? OCN Qualifications can help by formally recognising the achievements of your staff. Our qualifications can assist your organisation in improving business performance, profit, and staff morale.
We live in a society where there are close to 4.5 million organisations registered with Companies House. Recent research found on average, employees waste about 2 hours per 8-hour work day, and less than 1 hour per day is optimal. Taking this into consideration, what can we do to get the most out of our staff?
Given that high levels of workforce skills are critical to economic prosperity, supporting learning at work is high on the agenda of policy-makers and employers. For organisations, the skills of the workforce are vital to meet current and future business demands. Employers should be aware of the importance of continually investing in and developing the skills levels of their employees through methods such as on-the-job training, in-house development and coaching.
Our solution is to ensure your staff get recognised and rewarded for the new skills and training they have undertaken. This will help to reduce the “skills gap” within your workforce and enable them to be more efficient in their day to day. Advantages to your business include:
OCN offer over 500 nationally recognised Qualifications and if any of these don't meet your needs, you can work with us to develop something bespoke for your employees. Up skilling employees using our Qualifications and Endorsed Courses are an effective solution to help increase efficiency and productivity and ultimately profitability within your organisation, whilst also giving your employees the opportunity to partake in their CPD (continuing professional development), whilst gaining national accreditation.
Third Sector
The third sector includes not-for-profit, non-governmental organisations. It covers a wide range: social enterprises, community groups, and charities. These organisations play a vital role in tackling social challenges and improving community well-being.
Why Qualifications & Education Matter to the Third Sector
OCN has partnered with third sector organisations for over 20 years. We help develop qualifications that meet specific needs. We know the sector’s challenges. Our experience lets us deliver practical solutions that lead to real change.
We don't offer one-size-fits-all training.
Become a Centre
If you'd like to become an OCN recognised centre follow the link below to get the process started!
