These qualifications are not listed on the DfE 16 – 19 performance tables because they are not designed to meet the requirements of the Key Stage 5 performance tables.
- England
- Wales
- Northern Ireland
Vocational qualifications are either work-related qualifications designed to enable students to gain the skills required to perform a particular job, or qualifications that may be taken as part of a wider study programme or an apprenticeship.
Schools and colleges may offer qualifications that are not included in the DfE performance tables, if approved for teaching to 16-19 year olds by the Secretary of State for Education in England under Section 96, where this is in the best interests of individual students.
The aim of these Level 3 qualifications is to help students develop skills within volunteering settings. Students who demonstrate skills at Level 3 will be well placed to progress to relevant sector specific qualifications and national occupational standards, and to pursue employment, higher education, and career goals.
These qualifications are designed for post-16 students and fall under the oversight of the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).
Following its 2012 review of post-19 qualifications the ESFA removed 1,800 qualifications from public funding and a further 1,000 in 2014. In March 2014 the government published a Reform Plan for Vocational Education.
These qualifications have not been subject to the same reforms as Applied General and Tech Level qualifications (which are specifically designed for 16-19 year old students), however the ESFA has implemented a new set of business rules for the approval of qualifications for funding, based on the 2013 Review of Adult Vocational Qualifications in England. These rules recognise that adults may have different needs, aspirations and ambitions to younger people and include that qualifications should be:
- relevant to individuals and employers and affordable for all sizes of business and for individuals
- rigorous and based on a robust future-looking occupational standard designed and assessed by the sector
- recognised as worthy of investment, giving a clear signal of the economically valuable skills, knowledge and understanding required in an occupation now and in the future.
Regulation of vocational qualifications
The regulation of vocational qualifications is the responsibility of the respective regulators in each UK country – Ofqual (England), CCEA Regulation (Northern Ireland) SQA (Scotland) and Qualifications Wales (Wales). The regulatory approach undertaken for vocational qualifications is different from A levels. This is because there are no specific qualification criteria for vocational qualifications, as there currently are for GCSEs, AS and A levels. Vocational qualifications must comply with the regulator’s general rules, as is the case with all regulated qualifications.
- ASDAN
Certificate in Community Volunteering: two mandatory units:
- Understanding volunteering and volunteer involving organisations
- Carrying out own volunteering role.
Plus four optional units from:
- Career exploration
- Co-ordinating activities for an event
- Health and safety for volunteers
- Planning and reviewing learning
- Project management
- Research skills
- Tackling problems
- Team working
- Understanding fundraising in the third sector.
Award in Community Volunteering: two mandatory units:
- Understanding volunteering and volunteer involving organisations
- Carrying out own volunteering role.
Plus one optional unit from:
- Career exploration
- Co-ordinating activities for an event
- Planning and reviewing learning
- Project management
- Research skills
- Tackling problems
- Team working
or two optional units if Health and Safety for volunteers or Understanding fundraising in the third sector are chosen.
- Citizenship
- Employability
- Level 3
Level 3 qualifications are regulated to the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) in England and Northern Ireland and the Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales, though many may be offered primarily on a three-country basis.
Level 3 is broadly aligned to the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) Level 6 / 7.
Pass or Fail.
Portfolio only.
There are no grades; the portfolio is the only assessment component.
The Portfolio may be resubmitted.
These are small qualifications.
ASDAN Award in Community Volunteering
| Grade | Points |
|---|---|
| P | 8 |
ASDAN Certificate in Community Volunteering
| Grade | Points |
|---|---|
| P | 16 |
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There are a number of key considerations for HEPs when reviewing vocational qualifications that are not listed on the DfE 16-19 performance tables for England:
- Some of these qualifications are occupational, and may not be designed specifically for progression to HE.
- Applicants holding these qualifications may be school or college leavers, however, some may be more mature students who are likely to have other relevant experience alongside these qualifications.
- These qualifications may have been taken as part of wider study programme or an apprenticeship.
- If they are presented for admission to HE it is likely to be in conjunction with other qualifications.
The ASDAN Award and Certificate were created in 2008 to replace the Certificate in Community Volunteering. The qualifications aim to help students develop skills within volunteering settings.
- Portfolio moderation can take place at the request of the centre four weeks or more after a candidate entry is confirmed.
- Results are confirmed following portfolio moderation.
These are legacy qualifications, and have now been withdrawn. The last certification was December 2016.
The results of these qualifications are reported to UCAS through Awarding Body Linkage (ABL).
Successful candidates progress to a wide variety of HE courses or to employment destinations.
Contact qualifications@asdan.org.uk.