Are you feeling stuck in your current career and looking for a change? Have you ever considered becoming an assessor? Assessors play a critical role in the education and training industry. Their work is essential in ensuring that learners meet the required standards and achieve their goals. In this blog, we'll explore why becoming an assessor could be a rewarding career change for you, and what qualifications you need to get started. Regardless of your industry, becoming an Assessor is a great potential career change.
Why Become an Assessor?
Assessors work in a variety of settings, from schools and colleges to training providers and workplaces. They are responsible for evaluating learners' knowledge, skills, and competence against the standards set out in their chosen vocational qualification. This involves designing and delivering assessments, providing feedback and support to learners, and maintaining accurate records of their progress.
One of the main benefits of becoming an assessor is that it offers a great deal of flexibility. Many assessors work on a freelance basis. This means that they can choose their own hours and work with a variety of different organisations. Having flexibility allows you to fit your work around your other commitments. Such as family and hobbies. Having a better work/life balance is a great reason why people become assessors, as it gives them more freedom to put what matters first.
Another advantage of becoming an assessor is that it's a highly rewarding career. Assessors play a critical role in helping learners to achieve their goals and progress in their chosen careers. By providing feedback and support, assessors can help learners to identify their strengths and weaknesses and develop the skills they need to succeed.
What Qualifications Do You Need to Become an Assessor?
To become an assessor, you need to have a good level of knowledge and experience in the vocational area that you want to assess. For example, if you want to assess learners in hairdressing, you'll need to have a qualification in hairdressing and several years of experience working in the industry. In addition to this, you will also need to have a recognised assessor qualification.
The Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement (CAVA), is a recognised qualification that enables individuals to become qualified assessors. The qualification is designed for those who want to assess within the workplace and the learning environment. Making you a qualified Assessor.
The CAVA qualification covers all aspects of assessment, including the principles of assessment, designing and planning assessments, making assessment decisions, providing feedback, and quality assurance.
Brooks and Kirk have a series of Units that make up the CAVA course. These are:
- Unit 1 – Understanding the Principles and Practices of Assessment
- Unit 2 – Assess Occupational Competence in the Work Environment
- Unit 3 – Assess Vocational Skills, Knowledge and Understanding
Benefits of CAVA
There are several benefits to gaining an assessor qualification. Firstly, it will give you the skills and knowledge you need to become a competent and effective assessor. This means that you will be able to deliver high-quality assessments that meet the needs of learners and the requirements of the qualification.
Secondly, gaining an assessor qualification will increase your employability. Many training providers and colleges require their assessors to hold a recognised qualification, so having one will open up more job opportunities for you. You may have the inability to work in your sector. This could be due to injury or illness, meaning you need to find something else to do. This is why it’s a great idea to become an assessor, as it gives you the tools to share your expertise with the next generation. We see this with a lot of our learners, especially those in labour jobs, such as construction, engineering or even motor vehicle. It gives them a new lease on life, to still do what they love, but not have the stress of injury or hardness of manual labour.
Finally, gaining an assessor qualification can also be a steppingstone to further career progression. Many assessors go on to become internal verifiers or quality assurance managers, which are more senior roles that involve overseeing the assessment process and ensuring that standards are maintained. Becoming an assessor is also a great form of second income! It’s also one of the main reasons why people become assessors, as they want a bit more cash in their pocket but still want to work in their chosen field.
In Conclusion
In conclusion, becoming an assessor could be an excellent career change for you if you are looking for a rewarding and flexible role in the education and training industry. By gaining a recognised assessor qualification such as the CAVA. You will have the skills and knowledge you need to progress in your chosen career or field.
If this is something you’re interested in, please contact Brooks and Kirk at training@brooksandkirk.ac.uk or call them on 01205 805 155.
