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Review of National Occupational Standards (NOS)

Enginuity is dedicated to ensuring that National Occupational Standards (NOS) remain relevant and effective in driving high-quality vocational training and apprenticeship programs across the UK. As the foundational benchmarks for competent performance in various industries, NOS are vital for supporting the skills needs of the workforce.

Students working on an engineering project.

Project details

Why are we doing this?

The current suites of National Occupational Standards (NOS) and qualifications were developed in partnership with employers and other appropriate organisations across the UK. NOS set out the skills, knowledge and understanding required by employers to undertake a particular task or job role to a nationally recognised level of competence, helping formalise training requirements for employers and employees across the UK. They also form the basis of vocational qualifications including those used in Apprenticeship Frameworks.

About the project

Enginuity’s Technical Solutions Team are leading a UK-wide review of the following National Occupational Standards (NOS):

Aeronautical Engineering Suite 2
Mechanical Manufacturing Engineering Suite 2
Engineering Technical Support Suite 2
Engineering Maintenance and Installation Suite 2
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Suite 3.

Project lead

Elinor Wallace

Technical Solutions & Research Manager

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Project status

The review of these National Occupational Standards (NOS) runs from August 2025 and is scheduled to complete by February 2026, including a UK wide employer and stakeholder consultation.

As part of our philosophy of continuous improvement, Enginuity are now requesting feedback from relevant stakeholders to ascertain whether the current National Occupational Standards (NOS) are still fit for purpose and if not, what changes are required?

The key areas that the review will focus on include assessing whether the current occupational pathways remain relevant within the existing structures. Where they are not, consideration will be given to what changes are required, such as the potential addition of more optional units.

The review will also examine whether any NOS are missing and should be developed for inclusion. Each NOS will be checked to ensure its content is technically correct and that the scope, performance, and knowledge statements are complete. Any elements that are redundant—such as unnecessary procedures, processes, or equipment—will be identified and addressed.

Clarity will be a further focus, ensuring it is clear what must be completed to achieve the NOS. Finally, the review will determine whether the outcomes specified in each NOS can be realistically achieved in the workplace.

October 2025

Consultation commences

January 2026

Draft NOS submission

February 2026

Consultation closes

March 2026

Final NOS submission

Project outputs

Draft NOS

A revised draft addressing issues raised by industry stakeholders to improve content relevance.

Final NOS

The agreed-upon standards, validated by industry stakeholders and approved by representatives from all four nations.

Download our flyers

Download our flyers for a copy of the full details of the review, the suites of NOS involved, and how you can take part, available in both English and Welsh.

Download English flyer Download Welsh flyer

Take part in the review

If you would like to take part in the review of the NOS, please email us at [email protected] to contact the Enginuity Technical Solutions Team.

We look forward to hearing from you!

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