NATIONAL FEDERATION OF WOMEN’S INSTITUTES

NFWI EDUCATION COMMITTEE

SKILLS CO-ORDINATOR GUIDANCE NOTES

The aim of these guidance notes is to assist the Skills Co-ordinator in carrying out her role.

BUDGET

It is recommended that Federations provide a budget for:

  • Travelling expenses incurred by their Skills Co-ordinator.
  • Federation assessment costs including:
  • Hire of venue for assessment
  • Overnight accommodation and meals for Assessor/Tutor
  • Provision of exhibits to be judged at Judges Assessments
  • Promotional material – the free issue of syllabi to potential candidates, Local Education Authorities.
  • The payment of candidates’ fees in certain circumstances e.g. for Judges assessments.
COMMUNICATION

Information from the NFWI Education Committee is published in NFWI News. Additionally, Skills Co-ordinators are currently sent a Newsletter once a year from the NFWI Education Committee.

The NFWI Home Economics and Crafts Department Staff are always happy to give advice by telephone or letter. The address, telephone, fax and email details are:

NFWI Unit, DenmanCollege, Marcham, Abingdon, Oxon, OX13 6NW

Telephone: 01865 391788

Fax: 01865 391908

Email:

The following are some ways in which the Skills Co-ordinator, in conjunction with her sub-committee, can stimulate interest in educational opportunities:

  1. Action Packs – a leaflet and booking form can be found at the back of the Skills Co-ordinators Information Pack. Alternatively extra copies can be obtained from the NFWI Unit.
  1. Taster Days, or Dabble Days, to try out a range of new skills e.g. craft, cookery.
  1. A visit to a local College Open Day.
  1. A visit to a Craft Exhibition.
  1. Talks or demonstrations atWIs or Day Schools.
  1. Displays of certificate holders work, at large gatherings such as Council Meetings, New Members’ Meetings and other Federation events/classes.
  1. Ask a certificate holder to speak at a meeting about her first-hand experience of certificates. Display examples of her certificate work and notebooks.

Other ways to promote educational opportunities are:

  1. To speak at Group, WI and Council Meetings.
  1. To advertise in the Federation Newsletter.
  1. To send out a questionnaire to all WIs to seek out members interests in certificates and education.
  1. Promotional material at Agricultural/County Shows with Skills Co-ordinators contact numbers. If possible, attend the Show and take names, addresses and phone numbers of interested members.

Nb. It is helpful if the Skills Co-ordinator prepares a display including examples of students work for her talks on Certificates.

HOW DO I INFORM MEMBERS ABOUT CERTIFICATES?

When there is sufficient interest in a Certificate Subject, it is a good idea to have a meeting. It is preferable to have:

  1. Details of the course.
  2. Details of costs e.g. cost of tuition, course materials, hire of hall etc.

Any requests for courses, resulting from talks, should be followed up in consultation with the relevant Federation sub-committee. The NFWI Accreditation Officer and Home Economics and Craft Advisers will be pleased to help.

SETTING UP CLASSES?

Certificates are usually worked on in a group. Some certificates, such as crafts, can be worked on either in a group or by an individual. NFWI Certificates that are worked on in a group are:

  • Food Skills (OCN)
  • Crafts
  • Gardening
  • Flower Arranging
  • Interior Design
  • Judges Certificate
  • Demonstrators Certificate
  • Interpretation & Staging
  • City & Guilds Certificates

The Co-ordinator should keep in contact with the course and see how the students are progressing.

NFWI Certificates that can be worked on by an individual are:

  • Gardening
  • Crafts
  • Flower Arranging
  • Interior Design

Sometimes it may be helpful for students working alone to get together with others so that they can exchange ideas and support each other.

Classes can be held in local village halls, Federation offices, local colleges or adult education centres. It is a good idea to liase with your local Further Education College and Adult Education Centre.

In many cases there may be a qualified WI member in your federation who would be willing to undertake the tutoring. Your Federation office may have details.

You could open up your classes to non-WI members to maintain numbers. They will however have to pay a higher fee.

You must inform the Accreditation Officer at the NFWI Unit before a course begins so that arrangements can be made for a lead Assessor/Moderator, in that subject area, to contact the tutor to discuss the course details and the assessment procedures. We feel that this discussion between tutor and Assessor/Moderator is essential, as the tutor needs to understand what the Assessor/Moderator requires.

HOW DO I ARRANGE FOR IN-FEDERATION ASSESSMENTS?

Please encourage everyone who has been taking the course to enter for the certificate.

When the tutor feels the students are ready for assessment, you should write to the NFWI Accreditation Officer at the NFWI Unit to make a provisional booking for an Assessor. The approximate number of candidates, venue and a choice of suitable dates should also be included. Please complete the application form and send it, with the assessment fees (previously collected from the students) preferably no later than eight weeks before the assessment.

You may need to liase with the Assessor over travel arrangements, accommodation and notebooks. Ideally the Assessor should have the notebooks in advance. As this is rarely practicable, she should be asked how she would like to deal with marking the notebooks e.g. arriving the day before, to work at the federation office or at her overnight accommodation. The notebooks should then be ready for the Assessor at the appropriate venue.

For some certificates, it may be advisable for the tutor to undertake a ‘mock’ assessment. You may wish to attend this to give support to students, and to see exactly what an assessment entails.

Usually, the maximum number of candidates who can be assessed at any one time is eight and the minimum is six. However, on occasions the maximum number can be exceeded on request. If there are more than eight, it will be necessary for the assessment to be divided into two or more sessions.

For the Gardening Certificate, it is preferable to have no more than six candidates at a time.

If you have difficulty in recruiting the minimum number, either contact neighbouring federations or Skills Co-ordinators and try to make up the numbers, or contact the Administrative Secretary at the NFWI Unit who can arrange to advertise the course in NFWI News.

If the numbers for an assessment cannot be made up to the required minimum, it is possible for the assessment to still take place, provided the students cover the cost required for six candidates.

The mark sheets and assessment summary sheet, giving information about the arrangements for the assessment are forwarded to you about a month beforehand. Assessment documents are also sent to the Assessors.

ASSESSMENTS FOR INDIVIDUALS WORKING ON THEIR OWN

The assessment procedure will differ if students are working on their own. In this instance, students complete applications forms and send them directly to the NFWI Accreditation Officer.

The crafts certificates are in a modular format. The students can work on the modules in their own time and are allowed up to two and a half years to complete all the modules. Assessments of modules are undertaken at six monthly intervals. Entries for the assessment are either sent to the NFWI Unit or to the Assessor’s home. The dates for the assessments are published annually and sent to Federation Secretaries.

Students undertaking a craft certificate can obtain help, particularly on standards and design, from:

  • Local Education Authority classes
  • Self-help groups
  • Relevant Federation sub-committees
  • NFWI Judges
  • NFWI Craft Adviser at the NFWI Unit
  • Fellow members who have gained a certificate

WHAT IS REQUIRED OF THE ASSESSOR/MODERATOR?

The Assessor/Moderator is primarily the person who marks and grades the students work and notebooks.

If a group requires an assessment in a Federation, arrangements are made for the Assessor to visit the Federation and assess the work there. Usually, for candidates working alone, the craftwork is either sent to DenmanCollege for assessment or direct to the Assessor’s home.

For all of the other certificates, the Assessor attends the assessment and marks the candidates work at the end of the course.

Please remember that the Assessor/Moderator is more than just someone who looks at the candidates work, gives a grade and then departs. She too, wants the assessment to run smoothly, with everyone being satisfied at the outcome. Therefore, do not be afraid to contact her for advice and guidance. She will be only too pleased to discuss with you what is required to make the assessment successful.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER AN ASSESSMENT

Results are notified to candidates, Skills Co-ordinator and Federation Secretary.

For those candidates who have gained a Credit or Distinction, you can invite them to go on to take the NFWI Judges or Demonstrators Certificate. You should follow up candidates who have not done very well in their assessments to encourage them to try again.

Certificates should be presented at Federation Council meetings.

JUDGES CERTIFICATE

Judges certificates are available in Cookery, Preservation, Gardening, Crafts, Flower Arranging, Interpretation & Staging and Sugarcraft.

Qualifications: Trainee Judges must be Members/Associates of the WI and have the support of their Federation. They must have gained a credit/distinction grade in an NFWI Certificate(s), or have an equivalent exemption by agreement with NFWI. Applications for exemption should be made in writing to the NFWI Education Committee.

Training: Full details of the Judges training can be found in the Skills Co-ordinators’ Information Pack. Training can take place in the Federation or at DenmanCollege.

Judges Information Days: These are organised every year by the NFWI Education Committee to enable qualified Judges to keep up to date and maintain NFWI judging standards. If an NFWI Judge does not attend an Information Day every five years (baring exceptional circumstances), her name is removed from the NFWI Judges List and Database.

DEMONSTRATORS CERTIFICATE

Demonstrators certificates are available in Cookery, Preservation, Gardening, Crafts, Flower Arranging and Sugarcraft.

Qualifications: Trainee Demonstrators must be Members/Associates of the WI and have the support of their Federation. They must have gained a credit/distinction grade in a NFWI Certificate(s), or have an equivalent exemption by agreement with NFWI. Applications for exemption should be made in writing to the NFWI Education Committee.

Training: Full details of the Demonstrators training can be found in the Skills Co-ordinators’ Information Pack. Training can take place in the Federation or at DenmanCollege.

HOW ARE THE MARKS GRADED?

For the NFWI Certificates marks are graded at pass, credit or distinction

A credit or a distinction grade is required to enable candidates to go on take the Judges or Demonstrators training.

Judges certificates are not graded.

ORGANISERS REPORT OF WORK

It is suggested that Skills Co-ordinator to write a short report of their year’s work for her Executive Committee, a copy of which should be sent to the NFWI Education Committee for information.

Whatever you decide to do as the Skills Co-ordinator for your Federation, please remember that we in the NFWI Unit are here to help, listen or offer advice to you. It can also be helpful to make contact with other Skills Co-ordinators in neighbouring Federations.

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