ABSTRACT
A radical restructuring of the current system of vocational qualifications is under way in the UK. The Lead Body for Advice, Guidance, Counselling and Psychotherapy was established to define competencies and set standards for new National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) and Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) in the occupational areas identified by its title. Counselling’s professional body, the British Association for Counselling (BAC), has made a significant commitment to the development of these qualifications. ‘BAC is putting considerable effort into the development of the NVQs in Counselling on behalf of their members so as to ensure a quality product’ (Counselling 1995, 6 (2) 101). In addition, the BAC scheme for Recognition of Counsellor Training courses includes proposals for accreditation of prior learning (APL). It is within this context that the process of APL can be regarded as a new trend in counselling. ‘Since APL involves the assessment of individuals against outcome-specified standards, it lends itself to extensive use in the new vocational qualification frameworks of NVQs in England and Wales and National Certificate in Scotland’ (Employment Department 1990:3).
