First-hand NVQ

Why did you decide to earn a national vocational qualification certificate?

My employer has presented me with the possibility of being included in the programme intended to earn the Production machine operator NVQ certificate. I was positively surprised. I was also very satisfied with the NVQ certification programme and would like to thank all the participants. By earning the NVQ certificate, I was promoted to a job position for which I was previously not sufficiently educated.

Uroš Bohak

Why did you decide to earn a national vocational qualification certificate?

I decided to earn the NVQ certificate because I always wanted to learn every detail of this profession. Such knowledge is very important in terms of health and customer satisfaction. As an economist, I didn’t have enough knowledge to even be able to do this kind of job. However, I always had an overwhelming desire to officially become a manicurist and a make-up artist.

What does the national vocational qualification that you have earned mean to you, and how does it help you as you exercise your profession or your activities?

For me, the NVQ is a great confirmation of all the knowledge that I have acquired through my education. It is impossible to obtain that kind of extensive knowledge during one-day courses or on social media. I think it is very important to build proper foundations before you can start upgrading your knowledge. The fact that I have earned the NVQ means a great deal to me in terms of my job, because every client can now see my approach and the course of my work for themselves. And this is what helps me stand out from the crowd of other competitors.

Natalija Štaleker

Why did you decide to earn a national vocational qualification certificate?

I decided to earn the NVQ certificate even before I started working at the rescue station. I mainly made this choice because of the need for additional knowledge and broader opportunities to pursue my desired profession.

What does the national vocational qualification that you have earned mean to you, and how does it help you as you exercise your profession or your activities?

To me, the NVQ means a confirmation of the additional knowledge and competencies that I have acquired since I need them for my work and they truly come in handy.

Peter Čop

Why did you decide to earn a national vocational qualification certificate?

I decided to earn the Assistant chef NVQ certificate because of the fast-paced education possibilities and lifelong learning. We are all learning and thinking about our own educational path. One of them is also the national vocational qualification (NVQ) programme which offers the opportunity to evaluate and validate the skills acquired through informal learning. The national vocational qualification system offers numerous national vocational qualifications which are required by companies. Since I also had the opportunity to take up a new job position, I opted for the NVQ. As a pastry chef, I passed the few missing exams and got the title of Assistant chef. Personally, I really liked cooking classes since they allow you to learn a lot and also give you some confidence; they make you see that you can truly do something yourself.

What does the national vocational qualification that you have earned mean to you, and how does it help you as you exercise your profession or your activities?

For me, obtaining this certificate is a type of self-affirmation. I was interested in this job and I was happy that I got it. This certificate is proof of my knowledge, of my competencies, and nobody can take this away from me. I successfully used my certificate to pursue further qualification as a Chef. I believe that we must all learn throughout our lives; the spectrum of our knowledge must always be expanded, broadened, upgraded. We need to be aware that the workforce is rapidly changing, and we need to be prepared for that.

In my opinion, NVQs are the best answer to the fast-paced changes on the labour market.

Aleksandra Pohorec

Why did you decide to earn a national vocational qualification certificate?

I am a young person with a Level 4 professional education. Since I was unable to get work in my chosen profession, I decided to work in the kitchen and train to become an assistant chef, which was recommended to me by the Employment Service of Slovenia. I was not sufficiently qualified to work in the kitchen, which is why I joined the training to earn the Assistant chef NVQ certificate.

At the end of this training, I have earned a certificate which I believe has provided me with more reliable conditions for employment in the hospitality industry.

How does the national vocational qualification that you have earned help you as you exercise your profession?

With the Assistant chef NVQ certificate, I gained a lot of knowledge in the field of cooking and catering. I have gained a lot of expertise, so I can perform work in the kitchen or in the catering industry according to all the required principles of safe and healthy nutrition, while considering the occupational safety measures and the principles of the HACCP system. I now find it easier to do the work that I am trained to do, which also contributes to an overall better quality of my work.

Polona Kerš

Why did you decide to earn a national vocational qualification certificate?

I have been in dairy farming for over 15 years. I was acquiring knowledge during various courses and seminars at home and abroad; this profession takes a lot of practical knowledge, and since the Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry of Slovenia is ready to attest to this knowledge, it would be a shame to not earn a certificate. I will continue my education in the future since I am well aware that you can never know too much.

How does the national vocational qualification that you have earned help you as you exercise your profession?

Most importantly, this national vocational qualification will bring me some sort of motivation and confirm that I am on the right track. It is possible that this certificate will also be of use to me in some other way in the future, for example as proof of the fact that I have acquired certain knowledge.

Judita Demšar

Why did you decide to earn a national vocational qualification certificate?

For a long time, I found the profession of real estate agent truly interesting, mainly due to the obsolescence of the way in which most existing companies currently carry out this activity.

What does the national vocational qualification that you have earned mean to you, and how does it help you as you exercise your profession or your activities?

Despite the fact that I was already interested in real estate before, I learned a lot of new things during the NVQ certification programme. The NVQ programme also enabled me to become an independent entrepreneur in the field of real estate, and I am now successfully cooperating with a real estate agency.

Nejc Svete

Why did you decide to earn a national vocational qualification certificate?

For five consecutive years, I have been carrying out the job and work tasks of a Roma assistant at an elementary school. I am currently employed by Ljudska univerza Kočevje which employs about 20 Roma assistants in the framework of the project. I work at Osnovna šola borcev za severno mejo and at Osnovna šola Slave Klavore Maribor. Last year, I attended the first certification process for obtaining the Roma assistant NVQ certificate. I was extremely motivated to obtain this public certificate since the NVQ certificate was a condition for me to be able to perform this work. Otherwise, I completed my studies at the commercial college. My mission is working with children: I simply feel most useful when I am helping children learn, when I monitor them, help them by translating things for them, etc. To this day, I still remember the process of putting together my personal portfolio. I believe that my effort in preparing the portfolio was repaid by the fact that I am still one of the first 31 people in Slovenia with this certificate. The portfolio stays with you forever – it is a place where you can collect education certificates, reference letters, creations, etc. You can introduce yourself at any time using this portfolio, and even add new components. We have created our portfolios with the assistance of the NVQ advisor at the Andragogical Institute of Maribor (Ljudska univerza) where the first certification took place. The committee has decided to only award the certificate based on the confirmed portfolio.

How does the national vocational qualification that you have earned help you as you exercise your profession?

If I wanted to become employed as part of the LU Kočevje project, I had to obtain my Roma assistant NVQ certificate. Before that, me and other assistants were a part of longer education projects which somehow culminated in obtaining this certificate. Without in-depth education, we never would have been able to navigate the complex waters of schoolwork; at the same time, new pedagogical and psychological content has also broadened my horizons. Personally, I would like to see the work of a Roma assistant become a permanent job position. I would like to continue with this special work with Roma children and their parents.

Valbone Haliti

Why did you decide to earn a national vocational qualification certificate?

I have been a janitor for the past 10 years. I work at a spa. When I was young, I didn’t have the opportunity to learn a trade, so I took the initiative and learned all sorts of home repairs. I gradually moved up the ladder in the company where I was working, and started doing a good job as a janitor. While I was searching for a way to prove my knowledge and obtain a certificate, I came across the NVQ programme.

Silvo Šalamon

Why did you decide to earn a national vocational qualification certificate?

I have decided to earn the national vocational qualification certificate of a security guard because I truly wanted to become a security guard in order to contribute to a higher level of security in the society, and according to the legislation, this was the fastest way to start pursuing this profession. The certificate also coincides with my way of life and thinking, since I attach particular importance to safety. Although the programme needed to obtain the national vocational qualification is relatively short, it allowed me to gain a lot of knowledge and obtain an even greater awareness of safety through lessons provided by renowned experts in the field.

What does the national vocational qualification that you have earned mean to you, and how does it help you as you exercise your profession or your activities?

Since the need for security is one of the basic human needs, it is noticeable that an ever-increasing number of companies and individuals are deciding to protect their assets. Obtaining this certificate has allowed me to meet the necessary condition to finally be able to start working at a security company, which gave me an opportunity to participate in guaranteeing a safer society. For me, the Security guard NVQ certificate is a confirmation of my skills acquired as part of this training. The knowledge that I have acquired allows me to perform my work confidently, professionally and legally. The story of a security guard obviously does not end by earning the NVQ certificate since you can further educate or specialise through individual private security modules, which is what I have decided to do.

Aleš Gerjevič

Why did you decide to earn a national vocational qualification certificate?

I chose the profession of a home-care attendant and to obtain the Social carer NVQ certificate because I believe that there are many elderly people out there who need our help. I don’t normally work in this profession, but it still benefits me in various ways and provides me with a broader view of the various factors affecting the elderly.

Petra Perhaj

Why did you decide to earn a national vocational qualification certificate?

12 years ago, when I opened my own farm, my life was suddenly full of new challenges. I have gradually upgraded my knowledge in the field of fruit farming during various courses where I learned more about agriculture, safe use of plant protection products, and agricultural machinery. Due to a gradual increase in production and, as a consequence, the placement of crops and products on the market, I felt the need to earn an official qualification.

What does the national vocational qualification that you have earned mean to you, and how does it help you as you exercise your profession or your activities?

In addition to being able to present myself and my products on the market in a more confident fashion, this NVQ certificate will indirectly (through my farmer status) be useful for me for purchasing new agricultural land (pre-emptive right) and obtaining subsidies for the further development of my farm.

Matevž Žiberna

Why did you decide to earn an NVQ certificate and how does the national vocational qualification that you have earned help you as you exercise your profession?

At first, massage was a hobby for me. Then, I started thinking more and more often about turning it into my profession which would enable me to combine my hobby with the provision of social security. I have followed quite some training sessions on different techniques and types of massage. Earning an NVQ certificate seemed like a logical continuation of this path. I consider this as some kind of official confirmation that I have obtained the required and necessary theoretical, practical, professional and general knowledge. Of course, my education obviously does not end there, since this is a continuous, life-long process. However, by obtaining an NVQ certificate, I think that I have acquired an official confirmation of my competence as a provider, which is also a guarantee of safety for my clients. At the same time, it serves as a basis and incentive for any further training sessions in this area, and for a better quality of my work in general.

Jelka Lenič

Why did you decide to earn an NVQ certificate?

I have decided to earn the Safety advisor for the transport of dangerous goods NVQ certificate because of the increased scope of works and tasks in my own company, namely in the field of advisory services in the transport of dangerous goods. For 11 years, my company has been active in various areas of consulting, such as consulting in the field of chemicals, cleaning products, biocidal products, cosmetic products, etc. Due to the aforementioned fact, these products have also had to be transported from one country to another, or from one company to another. We know that these goods most often travel by road, rail, air and water, which is why I started paying attention and looking for more information, which I was later doing online. I gathered the first information while performing control visits in companies where I provide consultancy services in the aforementioned areas on a contractual basis, as well as by reading safety data sheets of dangerous chemicals. I was offered the opportunity to improve my knowledge, which is why I decided to apply for the procedure of obtaining the Safety advisor for the transport of dangerous goods NVQ certificate. As the rules in this area are regularly amended and updated, renewal verifications must be carried out once every five years. I have successfully renewed my NVQ certificate for the third time during this period.

How does the NVQ that you have earned help you as you exercise your profession?

The NVQ certificate and the knowledge that I have acquired enable me to perform the tasks of advising on the transport of dangerous goods, namely as a safety adviser on the transport of dangerous goods by road and rail. The transport of dangerous goods poses a significant risk to other road users, as well as a risk of environmental pollution. Therefore, all undertakings involved in the transport of dangerous goods, such as carriers, consignors, consignees and transport organisers, must take all necessary measures to reduce the risk to an acceptable level. The acquired NVQ certificate enables me to successfully advise these companies on how to meet legal requirements and, in particular, what measures need to be taken to minimise the risk of transporting dangerous goods, and I have been doing that for the past 11 years.

Marta Lačen

Why did you decide to earn a national vocational qualification certificate?

You never know when a certificate will be a useful addition to your life. I have wanted to be a bobbin lace teacher ever since I was a child. This desire has transformed into the motivation to obtain the Bobbin lace maker NVQ certificate. For many years, I have been gaining experience in the field of bobbin lace making by attending lessons at the Idrija Lace School which I attended in the Col department, since this is where I come from. I was attending these lessons as a schoolchild, as a pupil and as a student. All of my will, efforts, enthusiasm and motivation have culminated in my wish to obtain the certificate which proves that I am qualified, that I have the required knowledge and that I am qualified to create high-quality bobbin lace products.

What does the national vocational qualification that you have earned mean to you, and how does it help you as you exercise your profession or your activities?

For me, the Bobbin lace maker NVQ certificate is a confirmation of all the knowledge and skills in the field of bobbin lace making that I have acquired throughout my life. The certificate also means that I am a professional in my field and that I can perform my work in a high-quality, professional manner, which opens up new possibilities as I independently engage in this profession in a classroom, with pupils. With the Bobbin lace maker NVQ certificate, I can prove my competencies and motivation to perform a specific profession – bobbin lace teacher. I pass on my knowledge to my pupils, hoping that some of them will decide to earn their own Bobbin lace maker NVQ certificate since this is not only the domain of retired women and museum collections but also concerns young people – and this world belongs to the youth!

Ines Čuk

Why did you decide to earn a national vocational qualification certificate?

This decision was motivated by the fact that, despite many years of experience in the nursing home, I could always acquire some additional knowledge and information that I would need to help the elderly in their homes.

How does the national vocational qualification that you have earned help you as you exercise your profession?

Nowadays, a lot of elderly people need home care. By earning a Social carer NVQ certificate, I will be able to offer quality assistance that they will need or require from me.

Nataša Bauer