The Open College Network (OCN) is the commonly used term to describe one or more of the 11 regional bodies that together comprise the National Open College Network (NOCN). NOCN is one of the United Kingdom Awarding Bodies that include Edexcel and City and Guilds.
NOCN provides national coordination for the 10 regional OCNs which cover England and Northern Ireland. Each individual OCN operates semi-autonomously in its region.
The OCN began as a movement in Manchester 1982 to recognize informal learning achieved by adults. Typically, OCN recognition was enthusiastically taken up by adult and community education as well as a range of further education colleges seeking alternative routes to promote adult access into higher education. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the movement accelerated and the National Open College Network was formed to coordinate the many OCNs that formed.
Integral to the OCN mission is a commitment to providing flexible routes to recognition for those whose achievements are made outside a traditional classroom context. Many of those who have earned OCN recognition are those who would not otherwise have been able to access formal educational credentials.
The OCNs were the first accreditation bodies to use credit as the basis of the award system. Credit was established as the common currency for all members of the NOCN as well as establishing consistent definitions for four levels of achievement. In the early 90s, the British vocational qualifications system was revolutionised by the introduction of National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ). NOCN moved quickly to re-align its four levels with this emerging national level system. These levels now form the backbone of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). NOCN became a licensed Awarding Body in 2000 enabling it to offer qualifications in addition to the standard accreditation available locally through the regional OCNs.
During 2007, the OCN awarded 800,000 certificates of credit. There are 2500 centres across England and Northern Ireland that offer credit-bearing courses and work-based learning programs, many leading to NOCN qualifications. These include schools, colleges, hospitals, community centres, residential retreats, trades unions, prisons and corporations.
The Open College Network (OCN) has been established for 25 years. It awards qualifications from Entry Level up to Level Three of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF)and Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF).