Improve Proficiency Qualifications - Northern Ireland

Improve Proficiency Qualifications (IPQs) are work-based qualifications developed specifically for the food and drink industry. They are accredited on the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF).

 IPQs confirm competence in the workplace. They are based on units of assessment, covering the occupational skills or knowledge needed to carry out specific job roles. Learners will accumulate credits for units completed as they work towards a full qualification.  IPQs are unique to the food and drink industry. Within one qualification, learners can select from a range occupational skills and knowledge units relevant to their current job roles within the sector. They can also select underpinning knowledge units relevant to their role to increase their understanding of the business they work in. The wide and flexible choice of units makes it easy for learners to achieve new skills and knowledge to help them improve their workplace performance.

Some units are common to more than one IPQ, so credit can be accumulated and transferred from one qualification to another.  The IPQs are flexible enough to be as relevant to small craft based companies as they are to large scale automated production companies.

All of the IPQs are designed in consultation with employers to ensure they cover the best current sector practices. IPQs are key to raising skills and knowledge in the industry, enabling staff to improve their performance and increase productivity.
There are a wide range of IPQs available at different levels, from level 2 to level 4 of the QCF. Check the list below and follow the link to the National Register of Accredited Qualifications to see the content of the qualifications and the Awarding Organisations that offer them.