Briefing
City and Guilds Qualifications
and Schools
Mary Hurlstone, 14-19 Strategy Adviser, HCC
Emma Tingley, Business Development Manager, City and Guilds
November/December 2010
The story so far ….
The background
• City and Guilds – traditional market has been
FE, work-based learning providers and
employers, not schools.
• “City and Guilds have over 99% recognition
with employers for vocational qualifications
and without doubt are the only awarding
organisation who offers occupational
currency.”
A driver for change
• Introduction of Foundation Learning (Entry
Level/Level 1 provision) with 3 components
– Personal and Social Development
– Functional Skills (Maths, English and ICT)
– Vocational/Subject Learning
• Emphasis on destination-led programmes for
learners, with accredited outcomes and
progression pathways
• Introduction of Qualifications and Credit
Framework (QCF) and bite-size units making up
awards, certificates and diplomas
Encompassing existing
programmes
•
•
•
•
Practical learning opportunities at FE Colleges
KS4 Engagement programmes e.g. Princes’ Trust
Alternative provision (as found in the Herts Directory)
Vocational provision at Level 1 e.g. child development and
well-being, digital applications
• Work-related and life skills programmes e.g. extended work
experience
• Personal development and volunteering programmes
• Programmes running in special schools egg independent
living, entry level qualifications in core subjects
7546
Employability and Personal Development –
covering all aspects of economic and
personal well-being
From an Entry 2 award - Level 2
Diploma and beyond
An example:
At Level 1, 2 mandatory units:
Planning for Progression and Effective skills, qualities and
attributes for learning and work
Plus a myriad of others to choose from. They include:
Community action, Candidate’s project, Environmental
awareness
Valuing equality and diversity, Dealing with problems in
daily life
Managing personal finance, Work-based experience
Enterprise activity: producing products or services
To achieve the Award – 2 mandatory units + one
other with a credit value of 3
7546: a cost effective
approach
• At least 250 units to choose from (some
shared units i.e. written by other awarding
organisations and purchased by City and
Guilds) – a ‘logistic nightmare’
• Suggest a bank of appropriate units to ensure
that the offer is:
– Cost effective
and
– Protects achievement and funding
post-16
Finding the detail
Go to:
www.cityandguilds.com/employability
Or
www.cityandguilds.com/24758.html
Handbooks for each level, with information on
each unit, credit value, guided learning hours and
assessment
Themed booklets e.g. enterprise, independent
living to help group the units
A real bonus
• City and Guilds accredit skills; skills that employers are
seeking so schools are likely to engage more employers
in supporting delivery pre-16
• You can apply many different learning situations and
activities as evidence for unit accreditation
• As with many qualifications assessment is not by a test
portfolio including testimonials, photographs, video clips,
observational sheets, artefacts etc
• Do not require occupational competency to run this
qualification - ‘If you are a teacher you are competent!’
• Free training and consultancy from City and
Guilds
Involvement in a groundbreaking national pilot
• HCC will act as the hub and save each school having to
pay a registration fee of £1,500. Approval given by us
for each school to be a registered centre.
• No qualification fee for Functional Skills or the
Employability and Personal Development Qualification
(7546) at all levels
• Schools will pay a learner registration fee and for each
unit.
• Introduction of other qualifications across providers
would incur just one fee (£200) – savings in excess of
£20,000 per qualification
• Access to Smartscreen for on fee (£270) instead
of per institution
Roles and Responsibilities
The school’s commitment:
• A named Curriculum leader and course leader
i.e. a link person
• Register your own learners
• Enter results
• Pay invoices
• Issue the certificates
• Deal with claims
• Send sample work from learners for
moderation
• Honest feedback on what has worked
well, even better if …
A commitment from 14-19 Teams in HCC
• Act as the centre and formal contract holder
• Named link person i.e. Mary Hurlstone
• People with a background in assessment, administration
and quality assurance
• Issue a statement that ‘approves’ each school
• Plan with City and Guilds the programme of monitoring
and verification
• Communicate this to schools, together with a
programme of training and support
• Link quality assurance to the quality assurance process
in place
• Keep records of activity e.g. models of best
practice
City and Guilds’ commitment
• Provide the criteria for approved centres
• Monitor first-hand the centres (particularly
through cohort 1)
• Remote sample the learners work
• Receive and answer direct queries from
school contacts
• Liaise with the link person in HCC
• Visit schools and offer consultancy
• Provide free trainers
(and venue – St Ives)
Frequently asked questions
Your questions answered
• How long does the registration last?
• What is the deadline for registering?
• How ‘active’ do we need to be to apply to be a
registered centre?
• What vocational qualifications can we offer, if
any?
• What level does the qualification have to offered
at?
• Can independent alternative providers become
centres?
• Anything else?
Contacts
• Emma Tingley, Business Development
Manager, City and Guilds
emma.tingley@cityandguilds.com
01480 308300 or 07977 265102
• Mary Hurlstone, 14-19 Strategy Adviser
mary.hurlstone@hertscc.gov.uk
07785 594701