New Introductory Qualification For Newcomers To Market And Social Research

Date: 18 October 2004

The Market Research Society (MRS) and City & Guilds have today announced the launch of the first introductory qualification of its kind in market and social research.

Devised specifically for non-market research professionals, the MRS/City & Guilds Level 2 Certificate in Market and Social Research aims to provide a basic grounding in the core skills of the profession and broaden awareness and understanding of the research process.

In particular, the Level 2 Certificate is relevant for commissioners of market and social research and market research field workers. It is also targeted at business studies students as an introduction to a potential career as well as at small business owners who are interested in undertaking small-scale research themselves.

With increasing numbers of businesses and organisations using market and social research as a guide to future strategy, demand for greater knowledge about the fundamentals of the research process is growing. The Level 2 Certificate has been developed to address this requirement and enable research users as well as practitioners to achieve a qualification that will enhance their professional capabilities.

Flexibility is integral to the Level 2 Certificate and candidates are able to study for the qualification via two routes. Either they are able to attend full-time or part-time courses at City & Guilds approved centres or, alternatively, they can study online through the MRS distance learning programme - MRS Market Research - An Introduction, which is available at www.mrs.org.uk. It is anticipated that completion of the Level 2 Certificate will require 60 hours of study and assessment is conducted via one examination containing 40 multiple choice questions.

There are three core units within the Level 2 Certificate:

Introduction to Market Research
Designing a research project - learning the tools of the trade
Completing a research project

Within these three units, candidates will acquire a range of knowledge and skills, including defining the objectives of a research project; learning about various research methodologies; identifying the different techniques used for quantitative and qualitative research; designing questionnaires and understanding how to turn data into findings.

Karen Adams, Professional Development Manager, The MRS, commented, "This partnership means the Level 2 Certificate can be studied at City & Guilds centres throughout the UK, significantly opening up the opportunity for greater numbers of people than ever before to obtain a qualification in market research. City & Guilds is a very prestigious awarding body for vocational qualifications so the opportunity to provide a qualification in market and social research through the assessment centres of such a major organisation offers a significant boon for the industry."

According to Ben Knight, Head of ICT and Business at City & Guilds, the new qualification meets a gap in the marketplace. 'As market and social research becomes more integral to business planning, forecasting and product development, there is a growing need for an introductory qualification of this nature. Managers, if not familiar with the correct research processes as well as the pitfalls, can easily fall into the trap of using incorrect data and information which in turn could lead to unsuitable business decisions.'

For more information on the Level 2 Certificate in Market and Social Research, visit www.mrs.org.uk or email profdevelopment@mrs.org.uk

Note for editors

The MRS is the world's largest international membership organisation for professional researchers and others involved or interested in market, social or opinion research.
For more information on The MRS, its activities, events and training programme, please visit its website at www.mrs.org.uk.
City & Guilds (http://www.city-and-guilds.co.uk) is the UK's leading awarding body for work-based qualifications. In total, the organisation awards over a million certificates to learners each year on over 500 subjects ranging from IT skills to catering, management skills to manufacturing.

Back to Press Releases

What's New - Membership - Company Partner Service - Members' Area - Code/Guidelines - Qualifications - Training - Awards
Events - Networking - Publications - Media Info - Market Research - Search - Site Map - A-Z Directory - Contact Us - Home