October 2009

1. October 2009 The Qualifications and Credit Framework Workshop forInformation, Advice and Guidance Conference

2. Purpose To raise awareness of the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) and address some of the frequently asked questions.

3. What is the QCF? • A new framework for recognising and accrediting qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland • The framework is at the heart of a major reform of the vocational qualifications system designed to make the whole system simpler to understand and use and more inclusive • The intention is to make both the system and the qualifications offered far more relevant to the needs of employers and more flexible and accessible for learners

4. When is it happening? • Now! • The QCF has been tested and trialled for the past two years. The process of bringing all vocational qualifications into the new framework is now well under way, with growing numbers of learners taking units and qualifications through the system. • 9436 units in the databank • 1668 qualifications (17 July) • By 2010, it's expected that all vocational qualifications (approx 6000) will need to be accredited to the QCF and by that point, the QCF will have replaced the current National Qualifications Framework (NQF) for vocational qualifications.

5. Benefits for learners • Offers more freedom, choice and flexibility • Gives easy access to information about the commitment needed for different routes to achievement, letting learners balance that commitment with family, work and other responsibilities • Allows them to build up credits at their own pace and combine them in a way that will help them get where they want to be • Enables them to transfer credits between qualifications to avoid having to repeat their learning

6. Benefits for learning providers • Enables them to design more flexible programmes, suitable to the individual needs of learners • Helps them improve retention and progression rates by recognising smaller steps of achievement more frequently • Find all learners' achievements through the use of a Unique Learner Number (ULN) • Helps them describe achievements to employers and learners in a language that is easy to understand

7. Benefits for employers • Helps them to measure quickly the level and size of achievements of prospective employees • Enables them to get in-house training recognised within a national framework • Describes levels of achievement in terms everyone can understand • Makes training options and pathways clear, helping employees and employers find the right training for their learning and business needs

8. Creating a demand-led system that responds to the needs of employers, learners and society as a whole Raising the skills levels of adults in and outside the workforce Context for reform In the Leitch implementation plan the Government has committed itself to the ambition of becoming a world leader in skills by 2020. Equipping young people with the skills they need for life and work Creating a more flexible, innovative and inclusive qualifications system Creating a more flexible, innovative and inclusive qualifications system

9. Implementation • QCA, Ofqual, LSC and UKCES have remits for implementing the QCF. Devolved administrations also announced implementation in Wales and NI • QCA, working with partner organisations, will be responsible for communicating and developing the capacity of employers, SSC/Bs, practitioners, including awarding bodies and learning providers, and learners. • LSC responsible for delivering the QCF service layer and planning, funding and performance systems to support QCF • Ofqual will be responsible for ensuring systems for recognition of AOs and accreditation of qualifications meet requirements of QCF

10. The simple architecture of the Qualifications and Credit Framework

11. Size and level • Every unit and qualification in the framework will have a credit value and a level • Three sizes of qualifications • Award / Certificate / Diploma • Nine levels • The level of a unit of qualification shows you how difficult it is • To help understand the levels it is useful to know: GCSEs (A*-C) are level 2, A levels are level 3 and a PhD degree is level 8 • Credits • 1 credit = 10 hours of learning time (the amount of time and effort it takes to complete)

12. QCF Units • A unit (unit of assessment) is defined as a coherent set of learning outcomes and related assessment criteria, with a title, credit value and level • Each unit must be capable of being individually assessed • Each unit must be capable of contributing towards at least one qualification • Information on delivery, content/coverage, assessment methods or learning modes are not included • There are no restrictions on the size of units • Units can be generic and applicable to a range of contexts and qualifications • Units can be shared or restricted

13. TITLE: Should be clear, unambiguous and reflect achievements specified in learning outcomes and assessment criteria LEVEL: Indicates relative demand, complexity and depth of learning and degree of learner autonomy. CREDIT VALUE:Arrived at by estimating the learning time and dividing by ten. Process focuses on the learning outcomes and assessment criteria not the mode of delivery. LEARNING OUTCOMES:When identifying ask the question ‘what do learners need to know, understand or be able to do as a result of this learning experience?’. The answer should take the form of a series of broad statements that describe the result of the learning process. ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:Should relate to a specific learning outcome: at least one criterion to each outcome. They should be observable, measurable and indicate the standard expected when the learner is assessed. Example from OCR Level 3 Award in Business Enterprise (QCF)

14. Rules of combination • Rules of combination specify the credits that need to be achieved, through particular units, for a qualification to be awarded • All qualifications within the framework have rules of combination • They are the mechanism through which sets of achievements are grouped together into a qualification. In this respect they serve a similar purpose to existing qualification structures in the NQF • The other purpose of RoC is the structure through which credits are transferable between qualifications and awarding bodies. This second purpose is not present in the NQF • The scope of opportunities for Credit Accumulation and Transfer (CAT) will vary between different qualifications

15. Rules of Combinations

16. Elements of a rule of combination

17. SSC/Bs develop National Occupational Standards (NOS) and Sector Qualifications Strategies QCF Vocational Qualifications Development Process Recognised organisations develop and submit QCF units Recognised organisations develop Rules of Combination (RoC) for qualifications SSCs/SSBs endorse/ approve qualifications that meet priorities set in Sector Qualifications Strategies Awarding Organisations submit qualifications for accreditation Qualifications Regulators accredit qualifications Qualifications uploaded on National Database of Accredited Qualifications website (NDAQ) Delivered by Learning Providers Learners achieve units and qualifications

18. What is the difference between the NQF and the QCF? • The main difference is that the QCF builds qualifications up from units, and the units have credit. • How do QCF units and credit help the learner? • For example: a qualification that is offered in the NQF and the QCF. • If a learner drops out of an NQF qualification before completing it they will not have any achievement recognised and if they want to complete the qualification at another time, they will need to relearn from the beginning. • In the QCF, learners achieve units that build up to the qualification. • If they decide to stop studying for a period of time the units they have achieved are recorded and they can pick up where they left off with out having to re learn. • Learners with QCF units can build up credit towards qualifications and then transfer the credit to different qualifications if they want to do more study or change the direction of their career.

19. Recognition of prior learning • The QCF aims to be responsive to the needs of individual learners. One important principle that reflects this aim is that learners should not be required to 're-learn' something that they already know, understand or can do. • The purpose of RPL is to allow individuals to claim credit for achievements that have not been previously certificated. • This focus on 'previously un-certificated' learning is central to the definition of RPL in the QCF. • Where previous achievements have been certificated then this same principle operates either through credit transfer (for achievements certificated in the QCF) or through exemption (for certificated achievements outside the QCF).

20. Recognition of Prior Learning in the QCF • The QCF enables learners to avoid duplication of learning and assessment. Within the QCF there are three ways to achieve this: • For achievements in the QCF it will be possible to transfer credits. • For individuals with certificated achievements outside the QCF it will be possible to claim exemption to achieve credits for designated units. • For individuals with learning or achievements that have not been certificated, it will be possible to assess and validate these through an RPL process.

21. Recognition of Prior Learning in the QCF • Regulatory arrangements for the QCF (Ofqual) definition: • 'A method of assessment [leading to the award of credit] that considers whether a learner can demonstrate that they can meet the assessment requirements for a unit through knowledge, understanding or skills they already possess and do not need to develop through a course of learning.‘ • RPL is an alternative route to recognition and not a shortcut. • Claims for RPL must be made against a whole unit or whole units within a qualification. AOs cannot award credit via RPL for the partial completion of a unit. The credits awarded are identical regardless of the route taken to achieve them.

22. Exemption • Exemptions play an important part in supporting learner progression within the QCF. Although many are familiar with the principles of exemption in the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), there needs to be a clear understanding of how this function operates in the QCF, and of how it differs from other key functions such as RPL and the identification of equivalent units. • The requirements and expectations for exemption in the QCF are based on the following definition of exemption: • The facility for a learner to claim exemption from some of the achievement requirements of a QCF qualification, using evidence of certificated, non-QCF achievement deemed to be of equivalent value. • This means that learners who have certificated achievements outside of the QCF can claim exemption from units within QCF qualifications that are deemed to be of equal value.

23. Exemption • Time limits on exemptions • Time limits can be set for exemptions in the QCF and should be specified when a rule of combination is submitted. • The length of time after an award is gained by a learner that it may still count towards the qualification should be set out for each QCF unit or exemption. • The time limit for each exemption will be considered and agreed by the awarding organisation. The awarding organisation may want to discuss time limits with the relevant sector skills council.

24. Where do I find QCF units and qualifications? • National database of accredited qualifications (NDAQ) • http://www.accreditedqualifications.org.uk/index.aspx

28. Frequently asked questions • Q. How do other qualifications map to the new QCF qualifications? Will the new QCF qualifications diminish the value of other qualifications? • A. Completed qualifications, accredited on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), will remain valuable to both learners and employers. Just as an O level is still understood by employers today, qualifications completed on the NQF will not diminish in value. • Awarding organisations tell us that there will be few learners who start on an NQF qualification and then finish on a QCF qualification because the NQF qualifications will still be offered for a number of years. The NQF is winding down and the QCF is winding up and awarding organisations are taking this into consideration when offering the awards. • There are mechanisms for recognising certified and non certified learning outside the QCF so in these few cases every effort will be made so that the learner is not disadvantaged.

29. Frequently asked questions • Q. Can learners be assured that employers will recognise QCF qualifications? • Yes. All units and qualifications on the QCF are approved by the appropriate sector skills council, on behalf of employers. This means that individuals can be assured that any learning they undertake through the QCF will be relevant to the specific industry. By December 2010, all new vocational qualifications will be accredited to the QCF. • Q. Can individuals use skills they have already gained towards a QCF qualification? • A. Yes. One of the benefits of the QCF is that learners don't have to relearn anything they know, understand or can do already. Their skills will still be valuable. Learning aand achievements that have not been certificated can be assessed and validated through recognition of prior learning (RPL). • Once a learner has got recognition for the skills through RPL and is on the way to completing a full qualification, they may also want to look at the NDAQ website at www.accreditedqualifications.org.uk. NDAQ lists all of the QCF units and qualifications. If the learner has completed some units and then wants to change direction, this website can be used to see what other qualifications those units are a part of. This will enable the learner to use the units to contribute to another qualification.

30. Frequently asked questions • Q. How will the QCF help learners who are thinking about a change in career? • A. The QCF can help people learn the skills they need to progress in their current career or move into a new one. By getting skills assessed against QCF qualifications or units, learners can see how their current skills can contribute towards other qualifications or units in a different sector. This will enable them to see where they need to build these skills to help them progress towards their chosen career. • Q. How can the QCF benefit learners who want to change their path of learning? • A. RPL will allow learners to transfer the learning they have already achieved and put it towards a qualification within the framework. The QCF consists of 9 levels, Entry level to level 8, so progression to higher levels remains a possibility.

31. More information • For more information on the QCF visit the QCA web page: • www.qca.org.uk/qcf • To subscribe to a QCF monthly e-update visit the QCA web page: • www.qca.org.uk/subscribe • For QCF Readiness support materials visit: • www.qca.org.uk/qcfreadiness • To obtain copies of the QCF Support Pack Version 3 • Phone: 08700 60 60 15 • Quote: QCA/08/3989