Celebrating 15 years of service

UK NARIC is celebrating 15 years of service. The service has come a long way since 1997 and below are a number of the highlights:

1997 – ECCTIS Ltd took over the management of the UK NARIC operated under the contract to the Department for Education and Skills (DfES)

1997 – New telephone / postal enquiry service goes live – expected annual enquiries 6,000; actual received 12,000! First UK NARIC Conference

1998 – First release of International Comparisons on CD-ROM (and Global Qualifications, for businesses)

2000 – Management of the UK NARIC contract re-awarded to ECCTIS Ltd by the DfES

2000 – Web-based version of International Comparisons created

2000/1 – Award of UK National Reference Point for Vocational Qualifications (UK NRP) Contract

2001 – First UK NARIC training session conducted

2002 – Large year-long Data Gathering exercise for the Prime Minister’s Initiative (initiative aimed at increasing numbers of international students in the UK)

2002 – Release of InterSkills (now Vocational Comparisons)

2002 – First large government project, reviewing international teaching qualifications (leading to what is now Teaching Comparsions)

2002 – Learning Tools Catalogue created – Documentary Requirements (now Degrees of Deception), English Language Tests and International Secondary Qualifications (all now books)

2004 – Award of UK National Europass Centre (UK NEC) contract for coordination, management and promotion of all UK activities related to Europass and its documents.

2005 – Last CD-ROM of International Comparisons produced

2006 – First data provision contract with the Home Office / Immigration & Nationality Directorate

2007 – Department for Education and Skills re-awarded in the management of the UK NARIC contract to ECCTIS Ltd for a further 6 years

2007 – Awarded contract to administer the Certificate of Experience (CertEx) scheme

2007 – First meetings of our external review groups

2008 – Department for Education and Skills and Department of Work and Pensions re-award ECCTIS Ltd the contract to manage and run the UK’s National Europass Centre until 2013

2008 – UK National Contact Point for Professional Qualifications (UK NCP) established, operating under contract to the Department of Innovation Universities and Skills (DIUS)

2009 – Annual Conference becomes two day event

2009 – Receive a total on more than 50,000 enquiries from individuals and member organisations

2010 – Number of UK NARIC organisational members reaches 1,000

2011 – ECCTIS awarded contract to run the ECVET (European Credit system for Vocational Education and Training) Centre for England

2011 – Contract to run UK ReferNet service awarded to ECCTIS

We try to ensure that we get things right, but if we can improve the service further please let us know!