Opening Doors to Learning: The Open Awards Story

Open Awards has its roots within the Open College Network. The story of the Open College Network is one of innovation shaping national policy, with Open Awards, then OCNNWR, as one of the pioneers. 

The first Open College Network (OCN) emerged in Manchester in 1981 as the Manchester Open College Federation, set up to recognise the learning of adults returning to education in non-traditional ways. It is recognised as the longest-established member of the National Open College Network. The federation brought together: 

• Further education colleges 

• Universities and high education colleges 

• Voluntary and community organisations 

• Employers 

All working collaboratively to design and accredit courses for learners who might not access traditional qualifications. 

From Manchester, the model spread rapidly as regional OCNs were created across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, each serving its local colleges, community organisations and employers.  

OCNs pioneered the use of credit-based qualifications, allowing adults to build up small units of learning over time and at different levels, a ‘common currency’ for lifelong learning that influenced later national credit frameworks.  

In 1991, the National Open College Network (NOCN) was established as a national umbrella body.  

The core principles were: 

• Widening participation in education 

• Valuing learning that happens in community, workplace and voluntary settings 

• Providing accessible assessment and flexible progression into work and higher education 

These ideas helped shape today’s landscape of modular, credit-based qualifications across the UK. 

Over time, OCNs in the region consolidated and Open College Network North West Region was formed through the merger of Greater Manchester OCN and Merseyside OCN, creating a single body serving the wider North West. 

Its role included: 

• Providing credit-bearing units and awards from Entry Level upwards.  

• Accrediting learning in colleges, training providers, community groups and workplaces. 

• Acting as an Access Validating Agency (AVA) for Access to Higher Education Diplomas, licensed by QAA. 

• The organisation’s ethos remained strongly rooted in social justice: recognising achievement wherever it occurs, supporting adults back into learning, and opening up progression into higher education and employment. 

As national qualification policy evolved, OCNNWR decided to become an Ofqual-recognised awarding organisation, moving away from the NOCN umbrella and in 2005, rebranded as Open Awards. 

Open Awards became both: 

• A national awarding organisation, regulated by Ofqual and Qualifications Wales. 

• An Access Validating Agency, licensed by QAA to validate and quality assure Access to HE Diplomas. 

In 2017, Open Awards secured the contract to deliver external quality assurance for all reformed apprenticeship standards overseen by the newly formed IFATE. This work included supporting the development of apprenticeship standards and working closely with End-point Assessment Organisations. When responsibility for external quality assurance transferred to Ofqual in 2022, Open Awards transitioned to become an End-point Assessment Organisation. 

During the pandemic, Open Awards worked closely with regulatory bodies and IFATE to ensure learners and apprentices achieved their qualification and were able to progress in employment or education. 

Open Awards now describes itself as a national Awarding Organisation, Access Validating Agency and Apprenticeship Assessment Organisation, specialising in: 

• Functional Skills 

• Alternative education and enrichment provision 

• Vocational qualifications from Entry Level to Level 7 

• Access to Higher Education Diplomas 

• Unregulated units to support bespoke programmes 

• Micro-credentials 

By continuing to design qualifications around the needs of learners, communities and employers, Open Awards keeps alive the founding principles of the Open College Network: “opening up education to everyone, at every stage of life” and “changing lives through learning”.