Between 1990 and 2003 the Electricity Training Association (ETA) was part of the Electricity Association and was the recognised National Training Organisation for the power sector. The professional open learning programmes of the ETA were acquired by AFAQ-EAQA Ltd in December 2003. AFAQ-EAQA is part of the AFNOR Group of companies, the headquarters of which is based in Paris.

The Electricity Training Association's other NTO functions, such as standards development and Modern Apprenticeship frameworks, were subsumed into Energy and Utility Skills, the Sector Skills Council for the UK electricity, gas, water and waste industries.

The AFNOR Group is one of the world's largest standards certification bodies offering companies the opportunity to achieve certification to international standards such as ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001.The AFNOR Group has certified more than 25,000 companies in 60 countries, representing over 1.5 million people and 30,000 sites.

The AFNOR Group has been created by the recent merger between AFAQ (French Quality Assurance Association) and AFNOR (the French Standards Organisation) to form a world class standardisation, certification and training body. The formation of this new Group presents very real opportunities for synergies and expansion. Our range of products and services will be considerably broader and more varied. It consolidates our existing worldwide network and enables us to offer a truly international service to all our clients.

AFAQ-ETA supports the professional training needs of electricity utility companies anywhere in the world. The open learning courses are supported by expert tutors and are relevant to any aspect of the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity.

In October 2004 AFAQ-ETA acquired business excellence training programmes, offering quality, environmental and general management system development, process improvement and auditing.

These programmes are practical, hands-on courses, using concrete examples and case studies to develop staff skills. Our instructors have led successful training in both small and large companies in the public and private sector. They are accredited lead auditors, with wide international experience in developing and delivering training courses.