A NEW company, the Mineral Products Qualifications Council (MPQC), has been launched this month to replace the two separate organizations EPIC Training & Consulting Services Ltd and EMP Awarding Body Ltd.

The MPQC, which has the full support of industry and its other key stakeholders, will have two operating divisions: the Mineral Products Awarding Body; and the Mineral Products Skills Centre.

The Awarding Body has significantly increased its resources to be able to offer a wider range of qualifications and accreditation services to the extractive and mineral-processing industries. Alongside the current N/SVQs and vocationally related qualifications, there are now newer industry-assured qualifications coming on stream via the Qualifications & Credit Framework.

In partnership with the National Skills Academy - Materials, Production and Supply, the Awarding Body will provide accreditation services and quality assurance for all types of training delivered across the sector, ensuring that provision is of the highest quality and meets the current and future needs of employers.

New general manager Roseanne Hayward, who has recently returned from a secondment with Proskills and has also been a director and acting managing director of EPIC, will oversee the operations of the division.

Meanwhile, the Skills Centre will provide industry with a gateway to public funding and assessment services, either directly or by working in partnership with other training providers, as well as offering a general organizational service for accredited training provision. The new business manager of this division is Martin Cox.

A new board of directors, comprising representatives from the major employers across the sector, together with trade associations and professional institutions, will oversee the strategic direction and operations of the MPQC.

As a result we will be updating this website over the next few weeks. However, it is very much business as usual in the meantime.

MPQC a nationally recognised awarding body for National and Scottish Vocational Qualifications (NVQs/SVQs) for the extractive and mineral processing, mining, and waste processing industries.  We also provide Training Course Accreditation, with or without certification services.

These qualifications have helped the extractives industry to address a number of health and safety issues over the whole industry, and to reduce the number of accidents and incidents considerably over the past 5 years.

Our Mission is to become the UK's leading Awarding Body particularly for the extractive and mineral processing industries by accrediting and awarding qualifications to the highest possible standard, whilst adding value to business and promoting a lifelong learning culture.