The Employment National Training Organisation is asking for comments on the draft of their revised occupational standards.

Last year, the Employment NTO started an 18 month long project to review and revise its occupational standards, which form the basis of NVQ qualifications in Health and Safety, Personnel and Training and Development and for Trade Union Officers.

The revision proposes that the units which make up the four occupational areas will be combined to form a 'suite' of units. Work on occupational and functional mapping took place in 1998-99, and has now progressed to first drafts of nearly all the units required for the new standards.

The Employment NTO is now seeking the views of practitioners - managers, other employees, consultants, teachers and lecturers, and others - on the first draft.

The intention is that the standards will appear familiar but better-presented and more user-friendly. For example, those working towards becoming NVQ assessors will find that D32/33 are to be amalgamated to become L28. Changes have been made to the way that strategic and operational units are defined, and a suite of strategic units will be applicable across all occupations. There is also a suite of generic strategic units which will apply across all the occupations.

The consultation will close on 20 October. Any comments received up to that date will be collated by the NTO and HOST and will be referred to when revising the drafts.

To view the draft of the revised qualifications, visit www.empnto.co.uk/projects/review. Units for Health and Safety and Personnel will be available to view on 21 July, but Training and Development units are already available to view.