Dublin-based international certification solutions provider Q-Validus is teaming up with the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) on two Q-Validus programmes worldwide.
The two Q-Validus computer programmes that have achieved SQA endorsement, and which will now be showcased around the SQA’s international networks, are Spreadsheet Safe and Computer Wings.
The Spreadsheet Safe (www.spreadsheetsafe.com) programme has been designed to assist businesses in reducing the risks associated with poor spreadsheet design, while Computer Wings (www.computerwings.com) is a computer skills training and certification programme.
Formed in 2007, Q-Validus is based at NovaUCD, the Innovation and Technology Transfer Centre based at University College Dublin. It is already being recognised as an innovative player in the certification solutions sector.
The SQA is an executive, non-departmental public body sponsored by the Scottish Government. It is the national accreditation and awarding body in Scotland, while it also operates within the rest of the UK and globally, providing Scottish qualification expertise to clients.
David Carpenter, chief executive, Q-Validus, explained: “This recognition by SQA is a significant endorsement for the programmes and ensures they meet with best-practice standards, while also ensuring they map to relevant national and international qualification frameworks. This is a key element in our international strategy, and we look forward to working closely with SQA to promote the programmes globally.”
SQA chief executive, Dr Janet Brown, added: “We welcome these awards as they support the productive use of ICT in the global economy and they address specific issues around the use and integrity of spreadsheets – improved productivity and effective audits are real issues around the world.”
The agreement between the two organisations was facilitated by Enterprise Ireland (EI), as Q-Validus is supported by EI and is part of its high-potential start-up programme.
EI’s Scottish country manager, Christine Esson, added: “Q-Validus is great example of a company developing world-beating technology-enabling skills programmes in Ireland at the moment. Being adopted by a national body like the SQA is real endorsement, and will prove a great shop window to demonstrate to a worldwide market the productivity improvements these two programmes can deliver.”
By Carmel Doyle
