ABSTRACT
It is unfortunate that training and education tend to be treated as separate activities because this leads to difficulty when one is attempting to choose a course of study or training. However, there are many fundamentals of motor vehicle engineering where the distinction between training and education cannot sensibly be made. With valve timing of an engine, it is essential to understand cycles of engine operation, for example, the four stroke cycle. The knowledge required is known as engine technology and is generally considered to be education and therefore is part of the syllabus for courses such as City and Guilds Progression Award, BTEC First Diploma and Certificate and similar qualifications. The actual setting of the valve timing is a practical task and learning how to do it is considered to be training. The instruction and practice that leads to becoming proficient at the task is also considered to be training and is considered to be part of the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ). The outcome of this rather artificial distinction between education and training is that educational courses contain much that contributes to ones ability to be a vehicle technician, while practical training courses for NVQ also contain much that is of educational value and, as a result, there are several routes that people can follow in order to qualify as a motor vehicle technician.
