NCFE Qualifications - Find & Compare

What is NCFE?

NCFE, formerly known as the Northern Council for Further Education, is one of the longest established and most esteemed awarding bodies of vocational and academic qualifications in the United Kingdom. As well as accrediting courses for individuals, NCFE also aids training providers and schools in writing and delivering programmes that are approved and certified by the organisation.

NCFE today

Since its inception 170 years ago, NCFE has retained its ambitious commitment to high education standards, becoming a respected awarding body for qualifications, apprenticeships and curriculums across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Recently over 340,000 thousand students were awarded certification by NCFE last year through over 2,000 colleges and training providers nationally. 

The history of NCFE

Established in 1848 as The Northern Union of Mechanics’ Institutes (NUMI), NUMI set out with a mission statement to become "a centre from whence the elements of knowledge and civilisation shall go on with an unceasing progress, conferring intellectual, scientific and moral blessings throughout the length and breadth of the Northern Counties."

In 1920, NUMI was succeeded by the Northern Counties Technical Examinations Council (NCTEC) and, for the following 61 years, was responsible for providing examinations and certifications to schools and technical colleges, where it was backed by 9 northern local education authorities.

In 1981, the Northern Advisory Council for Further Education (NACFE), which was established in 1947 to co-ordinate further education provision throughout the nine LEAs, merged with the NCTEC to become the Northern Council for Further Education.

When the further education sector was incorporated (made independent of the government) in the early 1990s the company felt the old name was incompatible with our new national focus and has since then been identified simply as NCFE with the letters no longer being an acronym.

NCFE courses

NCFE accredits thousands of courses in hundreds of specialised sectors. Whether you are a beginner or advanced practitioner of your subject area, NCFE approved courses can be found for beginners (level 1) to advanced (level 7) students. Each course is also approved by the national regulator of qualifications and assessments (OFCAL. Here are some examples of the industries that you can attain an NCFE accredited course in:

NCFE course formats

The format of an NCFE accredited course can vary, depending on the options offered by your accredited NCFE certification provider. A popular training format for NCFE certifications is distance learning, which is well suited to those with a busy schedule. Distance learning allows students to study at their own pace and fit their training in between other responsibilities. A number of NCFE courses are also available to participate in on open training days scheduled by the training provider. This gives learners the benefit of expert instruction and the opportunity to participate in group activities.

NCFE Level 2

NCFE level 2 courses are a suitable option for learners who wish to develop skills and gain a solid understanding of their industry. NCFE level 2 qualifications aim to provide learners with the necessary framework to progress to employment or more advanced qualifications like NCFE level 3.

NCFE jobs

Following the successful completion of an NCFE accredited course, individuals will benefit from having gained a well respected and recognised qualification. Job applicants that are NCFE certified are likely to be viewed favorably by employers, as they will immediately be able to acknowledge that they are educated in their sector to the high standards set by NCFE.