Standards - FAQ
National Occupational Standards (NOS) provide a clear description of what you need to be able do in order to perform your job successfully.
Do you want to know more? Find out here:
– Who develops and writes the standards?
– What's the usual structure of the Standards?
– Why do different sets of the standards have different dates on them?
– What is a functional map?
– Do I have to look at every unit?
– I am a freelancer/I work freelance. How can the standards help me?
– Are standards and qualifications the same thing?
– What are mandatory and optional units?
– Why do some units refer to Collecting Evidence, Performance Evidence or Evidence Specification?
– What about copyright?
– Is there a cost in using the standards?
Do you have any other questions?
Please ask! Just drop an email with your questions to standards@skillset.org
Who develops and writes the standards?
Skillset develops National Occupational Standards (NOS) on behalf of the audio visual industries. This work is normally undertaken on an annual cycle. The standards are written in conjunction with a wide variety of employers and employees who work in the industry.
The development process involves looking at what is already in place, holding focus group meetings with industry practitioners, running workshops, interviews, sector-wide consultation and approval by our industry steering groups. Final drafts of the standards must then be approved by the UK Co-ordinating Group in order to become National Occupational Standards.
The process of developing National Occupational Standards can be broken down into a number of specific tasks. For a map showing how National Occupational Standards are developed; click here: 
NOS Development process map
What's the usual structure of the Standards?
Standards follow a similar format across sectors. An overview of the structure of Standards is given below:
Why are some of the standards presented in different styles and use different terminology?
Generally, the reason for this is that the standards have been written in partnership with a different industry, for instance Accessing Operations and Rigging (Broadcast, Film and Video) Standards were developed with the Construction Industry but are very relevant to this sector/industry.
Skillset has an agreement that they can use their standards but are not in a position to change the style or layout as they don't belong to Skillset.
Why do different sets of the standards have different dates on them?
The reason for this is that the series of Skillset Standards were developed at different times over a number of years. However, all of the standards you access and download from the website are the most current set of standards.
Are the standards up-to-date?
Essentially they are but... Due to the rapid changes in technology in this sector/industry together with changes in legislation some parts of the standards may not be as accurate as we would like.
Skillset is addressing this issue and will be updating all of the standards on an incremental basis and we welcome feedback from users on their content and accuracy. But we need you, the people working in the industry on a daily basis to tell us if there are any elements of the current standards you think do need to be revised or revisited. You can do this by emailingstandards@skillset.org
What is a functional map?
A functional map describes the broad work activities that take place across an occupational sector - it describes these work activities in general terms to gain a picture of the type of work that is carried out by individual members of staff. A functional map is the starting point for developing standards, in a few words,a functional map attempts to describe, the tasks carried out in a particular job.
You can see an example of a Functional Map here:Animation NOS - Functional Map
Do I have to look at every unit?
No, you don't have to look at every unit as not all of the standards will be relevant to the job that you do or wish to move into. A good starting point is to look at the titles of the individual units and then decide which ones you think will be relevant to meet your needs.
There are lots of tasks I have to do in my day to day job which I cannot find reference to in the standards. Can I still use the standards?
Of course, you can! If you can't find reference to all of the parts of the job you can always pick-and-mix the standards to suit your needs. You can either use the standards and units as one set, or pick appropriate units from one set which will be most relevant to you as not all elements of the work you do may be covered in one unit. The way you decide to use standards to benefit you or your organisation/company may not be covered in one unit so a pick-and-mix approach maybe necessary.
There are numerous Occupational Standards that have been developed in many different areas of work which may be relevant to the work you or your organisation/company do. Often referred to as common or generic standards, they cover almost every occupation throughout the United Kingdom.
A directory listing of all the occupational standards that have been produced in the United Kingdom is available here: National Occupational Standards (NOS) Directory
I am a freelancer/I work freelance. How can the standards help me?
The Skillset Standards can be of use to you in many ways if you are working as a freelancer. For instance, they can help you measure your own performance, as well as managing your own continuous professional development. You can also use them to create a creativity checklist, in other words a skills audit and use them as an objective benchmark of where you are at with your own skills and knowledge and then measure your own performance.
So, if you identify any gaps in your skills and knowledge you could then consider undertaking specific on the job, or off the job training to fill the gap to enhance your competence in that area. You may find them a useful tool to help you create a portfolio of evidence to take to prospective employers as a way of promoting yourself. It will also enable you to decide whether you should go for a certain job if you realise you do not have the right knowledge and skills.
Standards are also a great tool to help you focus your mind and compile a CV which will highlight your competence and present yourself more effectively as well as ensuring you are using the correct terminology. As well as Skillset Standards there are numerous Occupational Standards that have been developed in many different areas of work which may also be applicable to work you or your organisation/company do. There are standards to cover almost every occupation throughout the United Kingdom. You can take a look at these other standards here: National Occupational Standards (NOS) Directory
Are standards and qualifications the same thing?
No, they most definitely are not. Anyone can use standards to inform their work, their area of study and their own professional development, for instance. Standards can be used for a variety of things such as writing job descriptions, identifying training needs and curriculum design and development to name but a few.
However, there is a very close relationship between standards and qualifications as occupational standards inform the development of vocational qualifications. Skillset also tries to encourage all educational institutions to look at the standards when developing vocational courses for the audio visual industries.
What are mandatory and optional units?
Mandatory and optional units are linked directly to qualifications as they are made up of a series of units which you must complete. Mandatory units are those which have been decided by your profession are essential to the role.
The optional units can be picked by you to suit your particular job role. In order to achieve an award you must complete all the specified number of units. Unless you intend to work towards a qualification you don't need to be concerned with this.
Why do some units refer to Collecting Evidence, Performance Evidence or Evidence Specification?
These terms appears on standards units when the units are part of an NVQ (National Vocational Qualification) . To achieve an NVQ you need to be able to demonstrate to an assessor that you are carrying out your role competently, following the standards. As a rule, you do not gain an NVQ by taking a test or exam (although there are one or two exceptions to this) but through working; you will need to gather 'evidence' such as testimonials from managers, colleagues etc and be assessed through observation, which are then put together in a portfolio.
You will see that in some of the standards some units mention Collecting Evidence and Performance Evidence. Unless you intend to produce work specifically for an NVQ you can disregard these terms and continue working up to the specific standard.
What about copyright?
The ownership and therefore copyright of the Standards belongs to Skillset. However, Skillset would like them to be available as widely as possible for the industry and individuals who may want to work in it.
So, if you would like to use them do so! Remember they are FREE to download!
Is there a cost in using the standards?
No! You can download Skillset Standards from the website FREE of charge! However if you wish to use standards from other Sector Skills Councils or sector bodies they may charge you if you request a hard copy rather than downloading and printing them off from website, so it is probably best to contact them first.
For further details please contact standards@skillset.org
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