In response to the Coronavirus pandemic, iTEC & VTCT are the first Awarding Body to introduce a number of sector-specific, Government regulated COVID-19 infection prevention qualifications for a variety of different industries.
Earlier this year, iTEC & VTCT’s team of public health experts completed an in-depth review of each qualification in their portfolio and evaluated the nearly 300 qualifications that contained close contact services for potential risks related to COVID-19. After completing this thorough review, iTEC & VTCT sector subject matter experts worked directly with leading health experts in the UK, Ireland and Australia to evaluate every technique and treatment protocol involved in beauty, make-up, nails, spa, aesthetic, complementary therapies, hairdressing, sports massage, and beauty retail services. New knowledge content and criteria about infection prevention and control specific to each of these treatments and services, including the potential for virus transmission whilst working on the body, have been included as mandatory content.
Whilst the qualifications naturally align with the government’s generic public health guidelines relating to specific types of workplaces (handwashing, face coverings, social distancing etc), these qualifications also contain additional unique, bespoke treatment-specific content which goes much further than general advice about the working environment. The comprehensive content has been written specifically so that instructors do not need to adapt content created for general audiences to fit their needs. The objectives and outcomes of these qualifications are both relevant and targeted to their specific industry.
These concise, single unit qualifications contain content that can be completed with approximately four hours of guided learning, followed by an online examination of multiple-choice questions. iTEC & VTCT desire that each one of their tutors is trained to this high-level of prevention and armed with all the knowledge necessary to prevent risks in their classroom. Because of this, tutors may register for this qualification free of charge. The qualifications also include a suite of resources available for instructors and learners alike.
Marcus Bull, Chief Commercial Officer for VTCT said: “We are proud of the work undertaken by our team to develop these robust qualification as we have a responsibility to ensure that all learners working towards iTEC & VTCT practice-based qualifications are equipped with the most current and essential knowledge required to safely and effectively perform treatments and services on clients within industry. We also have a responsibility to ensure that VTCT qualification holders are fully prepared to enter employment during the lifecycle of the COVID-19 pandemic, in alignment with the purpose of the qualification. We also believe as more professionals complete these qualifications, it will increase safety within industries and slow the spread of the virus ensuring these services are performed in the safest possible way.”
Further details on each of the new COVID-19 Awareness Qualifications can be found at www.itec.org.uk/covid-quals. As of 1st September, this suite of qualifications became a prerequisite for a number of iTEC & VTCT qualifications (see the list here). It is strongly encouraged that any learner who was on programme for one of these qualifications prior to 1st September should complete a COVID-19 Awareness course before they are issued with a certificate—this is to demonstrate their understanding of the risks and prevention of the disease in their future workplace. For learners starting one of these courses after 1st September 2020, it will be a mandatory requirement to complete the COVID-19 qualification before they can receive their certificate.
To find out more about these, or any of our qualifications, contact our Customer Support team at 023 8068 4500.