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.
Qualification purpose
These qualifications provide students with a structured and challenging individualised learning programme that supports their development and progression in line with their future career plans.
They are the substantial qualification component of the study programme and provide students with an in-depth understanding of the principles of the uniformed services sector, and to allow them to explore the various avenues of work within it. They also allow students to gain transferable skills that can be applied to the workplace or further study.
These qualifications:
- focus on the study of the uniformed services in the public services sector
- offer breadth and depth of study, incorporating a key core of knowledge
- provide opportunities to acquire a number of practical and technical work-related skills.
Qualification objectives
The objectives of these qualifications are to:
- allow students to progress to employment or further study, and towards the entry qualifications and requirements of a specific uniformed service
- provide informed and prepared potential recruits
These qualifications aim to provide students with:
- an understanding of the uniformed public services sector
- the opportunity to investigate career opportunities in the uniformed services
- the ability to prepare for a recruitment interview
- an understanding of the personal commitment and fitness requirements needed to be employed in a uniformed service role
- an understanding of the external organisations that impact on and influence the work of the uniformed services
- an understanding of how uniformed services respond in emergency situations
- the opportunity to understand and develop the skills and qualities needed to work in a range of uniformed services, e.g. leadership skills, coaching skills, conflict management, personal protection, teamwork, communication, navigation, and drill.
All units are graded.
Each unit of the qualifications is graded using a structure of Not Yet Achieved, Pass, Merit, and Distinction.
The final grade for the qualifications is based on a structure of Not Yet Achieved, Pass, Merit, Distinction, and Distinction*.
The final grade is calculated by combining the UMS scores for each unit. The total UMS will then be converted into a grade based on fixed thresholds.
Please refer to the qualification specification for further information on grading.
Grades in descending order
- Distinction *
- Distinction
- Merit
- Pass
- Not Yet Achieved
100% of the qualification is internally assessed. The internal assessment is internally assessed and externally quality assured via a portfolio of evidence.
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.
This suite of qualifications has been developed in partnership with employers, universities and other subject experts to ensure the content is current and relevant. Level 3 criteria require students to analyse, draw conclusions, interpret, or justify, which are all examples of higher level skills. This means that evidence provided for the portfolio also demonstrates the development and use of higher level learning skills.
Students may combine the Level 3 Certificates/Diplomas for Entry to the Uniformed Services in with other qualifications e.g. A levels or other vocational qualifications.
Please refer to the relevant qualification specification on the NCFE website for further information about these qualifications:
The Uniformed Services qualification had an operational end date of 31 January 2019, therefore the specification is no longer available and we are no longer accepting learner registrations.