are your Coaching Qualifications really externally accredited?
25.04.06
As Health & Safety and Training becomes more and more important within the Martial Arts, Groups & Associations are developing their own internal coaching courses which is fine for them to do and shows a great deal of responsibility and duty of care on their part.
However if a Group or Association claims external accreditation / recognition for their Award or Qualification, such as NVQ or City & Guilds, Candidates / Instructors are advised to check direct with the external accreditation provider to ensure this is correct.
For example The C.M.A.A. Martial Arts Instructor UK Programme is recognised / accredited by the Martial Arts Standards Agency, evidence of which can be seen on the MASA site, www.masa.org.uk, under the Coaching header on the Resources page.
The reason for this article being written is to bring to light the fact that we have recently checked into another Groups “Coaching Award” after being requested to do so by one of our members. The Group claimed “City & Guilds” accreditation and whilst the element of trust would not normally cause a person to check, we have done so. We contacted the head Office for City & Guilds in London:-
City & Guilds
1 Giltspur Street
London EC1A 9DD
United Kingdom
Telephone: 020 7294 2800
Facsimile: 020 7294 2400
E-mail: enquiry@cityandguilds.com
After searching their data base of Accredited Centres, Training Providers and Accredited Award Schemes, they stated they had no record of the Award in question nor had they ever heard of the Group providing it.
Andrew Morrell
President C.M.A.A.