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 Pearson LCCI Level 3 Certificate in Business Statistics enables students to apply statistical techniques to business data, to plan and control business operations, evaluate and manage risk, and support the decision-making process. Students will gain an understanding of the basic concepts of statistical problem solving in business situations, develop knowledge, understanding, and skills of statistical methods and concepts and in probability, including an awareness of the potential and limitations of data and methods.
The Level 3 Certificate in Financial Accounting enables students to produce financial records, summarising an organisation's financial transactions over a specific accounting period, and its current financial position in terms of assets, liabilities and capital.
The Level 3 Certificate in Cost and Management Accounting provides students with the skills, knowledge and understanding of cost and management accounting which reflects the key skills required in business or short and long-term decision-making, inventory control, accounting for overheads, working capital management, standard costing and the preparation and control of budgets.
Distinction, Merit, Pass.
Each qualification has one examination paper of three hours duration, with a total of 100 marks.
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 a wider study programme or an apprenticeship.
- If they are presented for admission to HE it is likely to be in conjunction with other qualifications.
In respect of these qualifications
- The three qualifications can be taken together to achieve the Pearson LCCI Level 3 Diploma in Accounting and Finance. Alternatively, they can be taken as single qualifications alongside other qualifications e.g. A Levels.
- Holders of these qualifications will have had experience of external examination assessment.