The “McGCSEs” could become worth more than other vocational qualifications that meant little to employers and had ended up being scrapped, the Conservatives claimed last night.

Nick Gibb, the Tory schools spokesman, said: “These may well be better vocational qualifications than a whole raft accredited in the past, because they relate to the real world of work. Microsoft in the US has its own qualifications which are probably more valuable than our NVQs.”

The certificates to be awarded by McDonald’s, Network Rail and Flybe will be monitored by the QCA, which will work with the companies over the next few months to finalise how the certificates will work. Trials will begin this month.

Employers will follow the Qualifications and Credit Framework, which uses a modular system to recognise learning in the workplace. Staff who complete a course will be awarded credits, which builds up their qualification in a continuous learning process.

So far, it has been decided that trainees will learn on the job and be assessed through a mixture of coursework, being observed by supervisors or taking exams. They will complete modules to earn credits that can be built up to reach specific levels. The amount of time that workers spend training will depend on the level; the McDonald’s basic shift managers course, at Level 3, will take a year.

The companies will design and award the qualifications to candidates. However, the whole process will be scrutinised by the QCA, which will judge whether the certificates meet the designated level. A QCA spokesman said: “The companies will have to prove that their in-house training meets the required standard, and make it clear what pathways trainees are following.”

He added that once the certificates had been finalised, the companies would have to ensure the candidates spent a set number of hours working towards the qualification. The QCA would also check the quality of coursework.

A spokesman for the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas) said that it was conceivable that such certificates could lead to higher education courses. He said: “Such employer-led qualification routes with a specialised vocational background may prove a valuable route into higher education.

“Vocationally focused awards, such as the diploma in fashion retail, are already part of the Ucas tariff. At present Ucas has not been approached to consider these awards as part of the tariff, though this is not unusual at an early stage of a qualification’s design.”

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