NOCNGroup Chief Operating Officer

Introduction from Gareth Jones, Chair

Thank you for your interest in joining our long-established charity.

NOCN is trusted and recognised by apprentices, SMART card holders, learners, training providers, colleges and employers as an organisation that makes a real difference to people’s lives. We hope that our work inspires you and that you will consider applying for this unique and exciting opportunity, helping to take NOCN forward in its next stage of development as an educational and skills charity operating in a rapidly changing commercial and political environment both in the UK and internationally.

Founded in 1986 as a UK membership organisation for similar like-minded regionally based charities, NOCN was formally registered as a charity in 1999. Our members provided a pathway for people who had not fully benefited in the formal education system to obtain qualifications or accredited recognition of their skills in order to gain employment and develop their careers.

When the regulation of awarding bodies, now called awarding organisations, came into force in the late 1990s NOCN was one of the charities quickly to become a government recognised awarding body. From March 2000 NOCN was the national awarding organisation controlling the work of all the various regional member organisations which supported the delivery of NOCN’s nationally recognised qualifications.

NOCN is moving away from being an organisation that achieves its charitable objectives solely by being a recognised awarding organisation in the UK, to one that offers a diverse range of skills solutions, operating internationally as well as nationally. As part of this process we became an End-Point Assessment Organisation for the new apprenticeship standards approved by the Westminster Government and are seen as a leader in this market.

Since 2019 we have provided SMART digital job cards for the construction industry in the UK and are engaged on a ground breaking innovative project of HS2 using the cards to improve safety for the workforce. We have started to expand our SMART card services internationally.

In response to market realities, our focus is increasingly commercial; we are managing this challenge whilst still remaining true to our charitable purpose. Our journey has already started and we have commenced an ambitious programme of service and product diversification both in the UK and internationally with a Vision for 2030.

In this recruitment prospectus, you will find information about our work, our structure and our plans for the future.

You will also find specific details on our current requirements and information on how to apply for this exceptional opportunity.

Gareth Jones,
Chair