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 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 core objective of this qualification is to give students personal growth and engagement in learning.
Key purposes include:
- prepare for further learning, or training, and/or develop knowledge and/or skills in a subject area
- develop knowledge and/or skills in a subject area
To ensure this qualification is fit for purpose, it has been developed in partnership with the Institute of Administrative Management (IAM).
All assessment criteria must be met to achieve the qualification. This qualification is not graded successful students achieve a pass.
This qualification is assessed through four written assignments. Each unit is assessed by its own individual assignment. These are externally set, internally marked, and quality assured by postal moderation. Each assignment is non-compensatory, meaning all assessment criteria are assessed and must be met.
Assignment briefs and mark schemes for the above referenced assignments are provided by Industry Qualifications (IQ) to the training provider.
An additional recorded student interview/viva is conducted by the assessor on completion of the assignments. Identification is reconfirmed at this stage of assessment and on completion, the oral responses are transcribed by the assessor within the marking form. The student interview does not contribute to the overall grade, rather it is a quality assurance requirement to finalise the awarding of the written assignment, through confirmation of candidate authenticity of achievement.
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 apprenticeship.
- if they are presented for admission to HE, it is likely to be in conjunction with other qualifications.
The qualification content is sector generic, so it is suitable for individuals working, or intending to work in a broad scope of business administrative and managerial roles. It aims to improve a student's ability to operate in a broad range of business critical areas. Examples include multidisciplinary working (colleagues, managers, stakeholders, customers, etc.), business innovation, performance monitoring, finance, marketing, and market research.
Moreover, through completing the four assignments, students will demonstrate the ability to work and research independently, for a prolonged time period, to meet the qualification demands. Self-motivation, commitment, research skills, and the ability to write in a structured and concise manner, are essential components of both employment and higher education. As such, the range of skills developed through taking this qualification can be seen as relevant to those seeking access to further education and career progression alike.
This qualification can be taken as a standalone, and it is not necessary to offer it in conjunction with any other qualifications.
All information pertaining to the delivery/assessment of this qualification, in addition to the qualification specification, can be accessed via the company website: www.industryqualifications.org.uk/qualifications/database/vQualsCurrent…
All documents are available for download at the bottom of the page.