Glossary

Find below a list of some of the acronyms that surround learning, skills, employment and IT-related issues.

• A/AS
  Advanced/Advanced Supplementary level qualifications
  
  
• ABs
  Awarding Bodies
  
  
• ACCAC
  Qualifications Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales
  
  
• AE
  Adult Education
  
  
• AEV
  Association of External Verifiers
  
  
• AGCAS
  Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services
  
  
• AISS
  Alliance for Information Systems Skills
  
  
• ALI
  Adult Learning Inspectorate
  
  
• AMA
  Advanced Modern Apprenticeship
  
  
• AoC
  Association of Colleges
  
  
• APL
  Accreditation of prior learning
  
  
• ASCETT
  Advisory Scottish Council for Education and Training Targets
  
  
• ASSET
  Association for Schools, Science, Engineering and Technology
  
  
• AIVA
  Association of Internal Verifiers and Assessors
  
  
• AVCI
  Association for Vocational Colleges International
  
  
• BCC
  British Chamber of Commerce
  
  
• BCS
  British Computer Society
  
  
• BECTa
  British Educational Communications and Technology Agency
  
  
• BITC
  Business in the Community
  
  
• BLink
  Business Link
  
  
• BSA
  Basic Skills Agency
  
  
• BTEC
  Business and Technician Education Council
  
  
• BTI
  British Training International (now part of the British Council)
  
  
• CBI
  Confederation of British Industry
  
  
• CCET
  Community Councils for Education and Training
  
  
• CCTA
  Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency
  
  
• CCTE
  Chambers of Commerce Training and Enterprise
  
  
• CDL
  Career Development Loans
  
  
• CEC
  Council for Education in the Commonwealth
  
  
• CEG
  Careers Education & Guidance
  
  
• CEI
  Centre for Education and Industry
  
  
• Certus
  Association for IT Directors
  
  
• CETW
  Council for Education and Training for Wales
  
  
• CfA
  Council for Administration
  
  
• CIPD
  Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
  
  
• CITB
  Construction Industry Training Board
  
  
• CMA
  Communications Managers Association
  
  
• COGS
  Confederation of Group Training Schemes
  
  
• COIC
  Careers and Occupational Information Centre
  
  
• Comptia
  Computing Technology Industry Association, USA
  
  
• CRE
  Commission for Racial Equality
  
  
• CSNA
  Careers Services National Association
  
  
• CSSA
  Computing Services and Software Association
  
  
• CVCP
  Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals
  
  
• DENI
  Department for Education, Northern Ireland
  
  
• DETR
  Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions
  
  
• DfEE
  Department for Education and Employment
  
  
• DRE
  Disability Rights Commission
  
  
• DTI
  Department for Trade and Industry
  
  
• EAZ
  Education Action Zone
  
  
• EBP
  Education Business Partnership
  
  
• EC
  European Commission
  
  
• ECB
  European Central Bank
  
  
• ECDL
  European Computer Driving Licence
  
  
• ECITB
  Engineering Construction Industry Training Board
  
  
• EEDA
  East of England Development Agency
  
  
• EMA
  Education Maintenance Allowance
  
  
• EMDA
  East Midlands Development Agency
  
  
• EMTA
  NTO for Engineering Manufacture
  
  
• EOC
  Equal Opportunities Commission
  
  
• ERDF
  European Regional Development Fund
  
  
• ES
  Employment Service
  
  
• ESF
  European Social Fund
  
  
• ESiB
  E-Skills into Business
  
  
• ETAG
  Education and Training Action Group
  
  
• ETAP
  Education and Training Action Plan
  
  
• EU
  European Union
  
  
• EVs
  External Verifiers
  
  
• FBI
  Federation of British Industry
  
  
• FD
  Foundation Degree
  
  
• FE
  Further Education
  
  
• FEDA
  Further Education Development Agency (now replaced by the Learning and Skills Development Agency)
  
  
• FEFC
  Further Education Funding Council (now replaced by the Learning and Skills Council)
  
  
• FEFCW
  Further Education Funding Council for Wales
  
  
• FEI
  The Federation of the Electronics Industry
  
  
• FMA
  Foundation Modern Apprenticeship
  
  
• FSB
  The Federation of Small Businesses
  
  
• FSW
  Future Skills Wales
  
  
• GA
  Graduate Apprenticeship
  
  
• GCSE
  General Certificate of Secondary Education
  
  
• GNVQ
  General National Vocational Qualification
  
  
• GO
  Government Office
  
  
• GTA
  Group Training Association
  
  
• GTC
  General Teaching Council
  
  
• HE
  Higher Education
  
  
• HEFCE
  Higher Education Funding Council for England
  
  
• HEFCW
  Higher Education Funding Council for Wales
  
  
• HIE
  Highlands and Islands Enterprise
  
  
• HNC/D
  Higher National Certificate/Diploma
  
  
• I&Dea
  Improvement and Development Agency
  
  
• IAG
  Information, Advice and Guidance (Partnerships)
  
  
• ICT
  Information Communications Technology
  
  
• IEE
  Institution of Electrical Engineers
  
  
• IER
  Institute for Employment Research, University of Warwick
  
  
• IES
  Institute of Employment Studies
  
  
• IiP
  Investors in People
  
  
• ILAs
  Individual Learning Accounts
  
  
• ILO
  International Labour Organisation
  
  
• ILR
  Individual Learning Record
  
  
• IMIS
  Institute for the Management of Information Systems
  
  
• IoD
  Institute of Directors
  
  
• IPD
  Institute of Personnel and Development
  (now the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development)
  
  
• ITB
  Industry Training Board
  
  
• ITCE
  Information Technology, Communications & Electronics
  
  
• ITO
  Industry Training Organisation
  
  
• ITSSP
  IT Systems Support Professional
  
  
• ITSST
  IT Systems Support Technician
  
  
• JETI
  Jobs, Education and Training Information
  
  
• JSA
  Job Seekers Allowance
  
  
• KPAG
  Key Partners Action Group (Scottish Office)
  
  
• KSSP
  Key Skills Support Programme
  
  
• LCCI
  London Chamber of Commerce and Industry
  
  
• LDA
  London Development Agency
  
  
• LDP
  London Development Partnership
  (now London Development Agency)
  
  
• LEA
  Local Education Authority
  
  
• LEC
  Local Enterprise Company (Scotland)
  
  
• LFS
  Labour Force Survey
  
  
• LMI
  Labour Market Intelligence/Information
  
  
• LMT
  Labour Market Trends
  
  
• LPC
  Low Pay Commission
  
  
• LSC
  Learning and Skills Council
  
  
• LSDA
  Learning and Skills Development Agency
  
  
• MA
  Modern Apprenticeship (Foundation and Advanced levels)
  
  
• MANTRA
  Modern Apprenticeship and National Traineeship Steering Group
  
  
• MaP>IT
  Mature Professionals into IT
  
  
• MoD
  Ministry of Defence
  
  
• NACETT
  National Advisory Council for Education and Training Targets
  
  
• NCVQ
  National Council for Vocational Qualifications
  
  
• NCWE
  National Council for Work Experience
  
  
• NFER
  National Foundation for Educational Research
  
  
• NGfL
  National Grid for Learning
  
  
• NIACE
  National Institute of Adult Continuing Education
  
  
• NILTA
  National Information and Learning Technologies Association
  
  
• NLSC
  National Learning and Skills Council
  
  
• NMW
  National Minimum Wage
  
  
• NOMIS
  National Online Manpower Information System
  (Labour Market Database)
  
  
• NTA
  National Training Awards
  
  
• NTr
  National Traineeship (now Foundation Modern Apprenticeship)
  
  
• NTF
  National Training Federation
  
  
• NTO
  National Training Organisation
  
  
• NTO NC
  NTO National Council
  
  
• NTOD
  National Training Organisation Division,
  (now Skills for Employment Division) DfEE
  
  
• NTP
  National Training Provider
  
  
• NUS
  National Union of Students
  
  
• NVQ
  National Vocational Qualification
  
  
• NWDA
  North West Development Agency
  
  
• OCR
  Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations
  
  
• OECD
  Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
  
  
• ONS
  Office of National Statistics
  
  
• OSC
  Occupational Standards Council
  
  
• OST
  Office of Science and Technology
  
  
• OU
  Open University
  
  
• PIU
  Performance and Innovation Unit, Cabinet Office
  
  
• PSAG
  Projects and Standards Approval Group, QCA
  
  
• PSE
  Personal and Social Education
  
  
• PSS
  People Skills Scoreboard
  
  
• QAA
  Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education
  
  
• QCA
  Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
  
  
• RDA
  Regional Development Agency
  
  
• RES
  Regional Economic Strategy
  
  
• RSA
  Royal Society of Arts
  
  
• RVQ
  Related Vocational Qualification
  
  
• SATRO
  Science and Technology Regional Organisation
  
  
• SBS
  Small Business Service
  
  
• SCONTO
  Scottish Council of NTOs
  
  
• SDF
  Skills Development Fund
  
  
• SDEP
  Sustainable Development Education Panel
  
  
• SEEDA
  South East England Development Agency
  
  
• SEN
  Skills and Enterprise Network
  
  
• SESSU
  South East Sector Skills Unit
  
  
• SfED
  Skills for Employment Division, DfEE
  
  
• SFIA
  Skills Framework for the Information Age
  
  
• SI
  Social Inclusion
  
  
• SIC
  Standard Industrial Classification
  
  
• SME
  Small / Medium [sized] Enterprise
  
  
• SOC
  Standard Occupational Classification
  
  
• SQA
  Scottish Qualifications Authority
  
  
• SVQ
  Scottish Vocational Qualification
  
  
• SWDP
  Sector Workforce Development Plan
  
  
• SWRDA
  South West Regional Development Agency
  
  
• TEA
  Training and Employment Agency, Northern Ireland
  
  
• TEC
  Training and Enterprise Council
  (now replaced by local Learning and Skills Councils)
  
  
• TEC NC
  TEC National Council
  (now replaced by the national Learning and Skills Council)
  
  
• TfT
  Technologies for Training
  
  
• TNC
  TEC National Council
  
  
• TSC
  Training Standards Council
  
  
• TTJL
  Through-the-job learning
  
  
• TUC
  Trade Union Congress
  
  
• UCAS
  Universities and Colleges Admission Service for the UK
  
  
• UKAIS
  UK Academy for Information Systems
  
  
• UfI
  University for Industry
  
  
• VET
  Vocational Education and Training
  
  
• VQ
  Vocational Qualification
  
  
• WbLA
  Work-based Learning for Adults
  
  
• WDP
  Workforce Development Plan