No. The Department for Education (DfE) in England and their counterparts in Northern Ireland, and Wales each have their own strict qualification and technical criteria regarding vocational qualifications that can be offered to 14-19 year olds in schools, in some cases including lists of approved qualifications.
England: 14-16 offer, and 16-19 offer, (previously known as Section 96). Further information can be found on the UK Gov website.
Wales: Qualifications Wales
Northern Ireland: Entitlement Framework
Normally, only qualifications accredited by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) in England, Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) in Northern Ireland and Qualification Wales in Wales, in the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF), or on the Qualifications in Wales (QiW) database, are eligible for these schemes.
Most NEBOSH qualifications are accredited by Qualification Scotland Accreditation, and listed in the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF).
NEBOSH qualifications are primarily intended for adult (post-19) learners operating in the workplace and have not been designed to meet national technical, funding and other criteria for vocational qualifications that can be offered to 14-19 learners in UK schools.
NB: Based on latest information available (as of October 2025), only two NEBOSH qualifications are approved under the 16-19 funding offer in England for learners aged 18+ only (NEBOSH level 6 National Diploma for Occupational Health and Safety Management Professionals, and NEBOSH level 6 International Diploma for Occupational Health and Safety Management Professionals).
With most NEBOSH qualifications not being eligible for, or funded for use, in maintained schools or academies, our understanding is that any activity related to the qualification including tuition, private study or examinations may not normally take place on school premises, during school time or as part of any other school-sponsored activities.
Information provided is offered in good faith and should not be taken to imply eligibility, recognition or acceptance of NEBOSH qualifications to be offered to learners aged under 19 or to be accepted for a pre-19 funding scheme.
Eligibility and funding is normally assessed on a case-by-case basis and may vary according to individual, provider, local and national circumstances and scheme-specific eligibility criteria. Please contact the relevant Learning Partner and/or government agency for the latest information regarding eligibility criteria, which are subject to change.
It is the responsibility of maintained schools and academies to check the suitability and eligibility of qualifications offered on school premises or during school time or school-funded activities with the relevant local authority and/or national education department (England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland).
No liability is accepted by NEBOSH for information provided by external websites or for any decisions made on the basis of information given here.
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