Our international offer

When you choose NCFE, you can be assured that you’re working with an organisation with over 170 years of expertise, and deep specialism in some of today’s most in-demand sectors. 

Our qualifications  

Using our decades of experience in education, employability, skills innovation and workforce planning, we design qualifications for individuals ranging from school pupils to highly skilled professionals, with a clear focus on developing skills for global prosperity and equality.  

With more than 1,000 Ofqual-regulated qualifications and bespoke programmes, our provision impacts hundreds of thousands of individuals every year, giving them the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to access meaningful work throughout their lives.  

Our provision is fully mapped to competencies and skills for employment, and leading private and public sector employers recognise our qualifications as providing a high-quality route into a career in their sector. Our assessments go beyond theoretical knowledge of the subject and ensure that learners have everything they need to excel in their careers. 

We also engage with many government and non-government organisations such as the Department for International Trade (DIT), the Department for Education (DfE), and international qualifications regulators.  

Our in-house experts

We have more than 600 dedicated people working to develop and deliver innovative programmes and education services. 

Our international partners can choose from our “pick and mix” style catalogues to create bespoke continuing professional development (CPD) programmes, as well as programmes to suit schools, further education (FE) colleges or independent training providers.  

Our regulator

As an awarding organisation, we are approved and regulated by  Ofqual – England’s statutory regulator for qualifications.  

This recognition enables us to approve colleges and training centres to deliver our qualifications, and learners can therefore choose those centres with confidence.  

The centres we approve all have high-quality teaching and robust processes to treat their learners professionally and fairly, and we give them all the support they need to deliver transformational learning experiences. 

About regulated qualifications

Our regulated qualifications are written by us and regulated by Ofqual, using the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF).  

Regulated qualifications follow strict rules as to their content and delivery. Above all, they must be relevant and fit-for-purpose. Materials must be kept up to date in line with best practice, and organisations that manage learners must do so within the guidance laid out by the regulations. 

Regulated qualifications are named according to the size of the qualification, or how long it will take for a learner to qualify.  

The size of a qualification is determined in terms of the total qualification time (TQT) – this is made up of guided learning hours (GLH) or teaching time, and self-study. The hours it takes to complete the course determines whether learners achieve an award, a certificate, or a diploma. 

• 120 hours or less – Award 
• 121 – 369 hours – Certificate 
• 370+ hours – Diploma. 

Qualification levels relate to the level of difficulty, with Level 7 being the highest (equivalent to postgraduate level).

Unregulated qualifications

Qualifications written by you and accredited by us are unregulated. This means that they are not regulated by Ofqual and are not part of a qualification framework.  

This official recognition from NCFE will enable you to demonstrate quality and rigour to your customer or end user – helping you drive sales and improving the value of the qualification. Plus, you’ll retain ownership of the qualification content and delivery.  Learn more about unregulated and customised qualifications, and other bespoke services we can provide. 

Contact us

Get in touch with our International Team on [email protected] or call us on +44 (0)191 239 8000.