Learning bites

The structure of qualifications are changing and qualifications available for funding are being reviewed but previous qualifications and fundable qualifications are not going to disappear overnight.

Companies in the process and manufacturing sector – which Proskills UK represents – train their people to be effective and safe in the workplace. Much of this training is not recorded or recognised in any formal way. This means that money is wasted by employers in training people on things they already know, there is no trusted standard to rely on, and individuals suffer when they have to move on as they have no formally recognised skills to take with them.

Similarly with complex working environments, the need for multi-skilled, flexible workers means that a one size qualification (NVQ for example) does not necessarily fit all.

“For these reasons employers have encouraged Proskills, through our boards and advisory groups, to embrace the opportunity to build on the existing qualifications framework where they work for the sector, and support plans to reform the qualification system to make it more flexible, simpler to understand and use,” the organisation said.

Work on this has been underway for well over a year as the previous government introduced the Qualifications Credit Framework (QCF) as part of the national strategy to raise skills levels. This is being rolled out across all sectors throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland this year.

However, the changes in the qualifications and the funding available has left many learners and providers confused about the future of current courses, with quite a lot of misleading information put forward through the press.

Qualifications are changing to a new modular ‘bite-sized’ structure, but these changes do not mean that previous qualifications are going to disappear. Previous qualifications are still valid and recognisable.

Anyone currently studying towards or registered for a qualification has a timeframe in which to complete that qualification. For example those on an NVQ level 2 have 2 years to complete and 3 years for an NVQ level 3.

http://qcf.skillsfundingagency.bis.gov.uk/qcf-funding/confirmationfunding