ISO 9001 in Training Organisations

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neil sheardown

I have worked for over 30 years in the Manufacturing Industry and have written and implemented ISO 9001 quality systems for many years. I now find myself within the training industry and would like to here from any of you who have been through the process, what are ISO 9001 inspectors looking for when auditing Training Organisations. I do not want to have my first visit and find i have missed something glaringly obvious. I am sure i have covered everything but if there are any training professional who have been down this route, i would love to hear from you.
many thanks, neil sheardown, england, uk.
 

AndyN

Moved On
Re: ISO9001 in Training Organisations

I have worked for over 30 years in the Manufacturing Industry and have written and implemented ISO 9001 quality systems for many years. I now find myself within the training industry and would like to here from any of you who have been through the process, what are ISO 9001 inspectors looking for when auditing Training Organisations. I do not want to have my first visit and find i have missed something glaringly obvious. I am sure i have covered everything but if there are any training professional who have been down this route, i would love to hear from you.
many thanks, neil sheardown, england, uk.

Hello Neil - went through this process myself. But, you've asked a rather 'open' question and it would be better to narrow down on specifics. We can't answer for all "ISO inspectors" (don't they call them auditors or assessors in the UK?)

What areas of the standard are you most concerned about or getting a nc in? BTW - you know they conduct a 'stage 1' audit to make sure you haven't missed anything glaringly obvious...
 
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neil sheardown

Re: ISO9001 in Training Organisations

Thanks for reply,

My first query is around the use of Insternational Standards as part of training delivery. We refer to ISO and other standards during the training we deliver, and i am unsure as to whether I need to purchase copies of the standard or not. When in manufacturing it was different because we made and tested products that complied with specific standards and i purchased them.
 

AndyN

Moved On
Re: ISO9001 in Training Organisations

Thanks for reply,

My first query is around the use of International Standards as part of training delivery. We refer to ISO and other standards during the training we deliver, and i am unsure as to whether I need to purchase copies of the standard or not. When in manufacturing it was different because we made and tested products that complied with specific standards and i purchased them.

I suppose it depends on what you charge for the course! My company supplied copies of the standards we referenced, and covered it in the price. It's your choice, really, but if they're needed for reference during the training and the type of people who take the training can't be certain to obtain the document, you should probably supply it - this isn't any call of any ISO auditor, BTW.
 

Jen Kirley

Quality and Auditing Expert
Leader
Admin
Re: ISO9001 in Training Organisations

Good day Neil, welcome to the Cove!

This question is interesting to me because of my entry into auditing for UL-DQS and the fact that I would be auditing training providers, whether they be government-run or private enterprises.

Let me start by directing you to another Elsmar thread titled Implementing ISO 9001 in a school (Education). When opening that thread you will also see links at the bottom of the page that direct to other related threads.

There is more guidance available in ANSI/ASQ Z1.11-2011 Quality management system standards-Requirements for education organizations, for $30 US.

There is a general expectation that an organization certifying to ISO will purchase a copy of the standard for use in developing and maintaining its management system.

If these sources do not provide you with the insights you seek, then please return with specific questions - this is a very broad subject.

I hope this helps!
 

Randy

Super Moderator
Been down the route...Yep I personally know of one....It was originally called CEEM and became BSI-CEEM, and I believe the CB was NQI.
 
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pldey42

"don't they call them auditors or assessors in the UK?"

We got several names for 'em, Andy, as no doubt you recall.

Two answers to the question:

1. When I delivered classes in ISO 9001 we either included a "free" copy of the standard with the course materials, paid for it and loaded it into the price, or we lent delegates loan copies, for which we had paid. (So if I delivered a class to ten delegates five times, I paid for ten copies and used them five times, and again if the course ran again. You pay for paper or electronic copies no matter how many times you use them.)

2. If I were a training org getting certified to ISO 9001 I'd expect the usual things like doc and record control, training, and so forth. But also I'd proactively interpret the design clauses to help instructional design. For each course there would be a requirements spec (learning objectives, delegate profile), the course itself (slides and workshops and a reconciliation of course content with the requirements) and V&V with subject matter experts and trial delegates (either from within the training organization or from sympathetic customers). Measurement instruments would include exams (which measure delegate, tutor and course design performance, albeit crudely) and they would be calibrated in the pilot trial by examining delegate performance and feedback. There would also be a "train the trainer" process coupled with regular tutor reviews to assure that the message was consistent.

Hope this helps,
Pat
 
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