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 purpose of the OCNLR Level 3 Award in Community Campaigning is to help students engage and contribute to their community, take the initiative in bringing about positive change, and develop transferable skills in the process, especially relating to communication and leadership. Such skills may aid their continued study, for example in higher education, and/or help with employment related skills, whether in a related vocation or more generally.
The qualification was developed in collaboration with, and supported by, Friends of the Earth.
The qualification and the units are not graded. They are achieved or not achieved.
The assessment method for this qualification is by portfolio of evidence.
The assessment process for the OCNLR Level 3 Award in Community Campaigning is as follows:
- The students are assessed through activities that are internally set by tutor assessors
- The activities must be designed to enable students to meet the assessment criteria of the unit
- The portfolios of assessed evidence are externally moderated by an OCN London External Moderator
Assessment activities are indicated on each unit. All the assessment criteria in a unit must be met before the unit is deemed achieved.
There is no additional external assessment for this qualification.
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 qualification provides students with the opportunity to engage in campaigning to bring about positive change in their community, and develop transferable skills for life and work, including leadership, building working relationships, planning, and evaluation. As such, students will be well placed to undertake further or higher study or employment (paid or voluntary) in related or unrelated areas.
First awards of the qualification will be in June 2017.
This is a small qualification and if presented for HE admissions this would have to be in conjunction with other qualifications.
The qualification guide (specification) for the Level 3 Award in Community Campaigning
Further details of OCN London qualifications can be found at: www.ocnlondon.org.uk/qualifications.aspx