Qualifications
What’s on offer?
There are lots of different vocational courses and qualifications to choose from. Here's your guide to just some of the ones that may be on offer in your local area.
For information about the full range of courses on offer, talk to your careers co-ordinator, teacher, tutor or Connexions Personal Adviser. Alternatively, you can check out your local online prospectus to find a specific course in your area.
Check out possible qualification routes
To find out more about specific qualifications, select them from the list below.
Vocational GCSEs
As well as traditional school subjects like Maths, French and History, GCSEs are also offered in a number of vocational subjects. Vocational GCSEs are graded A*-G, but most are Double Awards - a bit like Dual Science. That means they're worth the same as two single GCSE subjects.
Unlike traditional subjects, vocational GCSEs often include group projects, practical activities and visits to employers. They are usually assessed through coursework and provide a valuable insight into the world of work.
For information about the range of courses and vocational subjects you can study, check out your area prospectus site.
NVQs
If you want to get a recognised qualification related to a particular industry or sector, an NVQ may be for you. NVQs, or National Vocational Qualifications, are available in lots of vocational subjects, including Catering, Hairdressing and Engineering.
You can take an NVQ if you already have skills and want to improve them, or if you are starting from scratch. NVQs can be studied from Level 1 (equivalent to a GCSE at grade D–G) up to NVQ Level 5 (manager/supervisor level), depending how far you want to take your qualifications and the range of subjects you choose to study.
On the whole, NVQs are more practical than traditional GCSEs and A levels, but they do contain some theory. To get a full NVQ qualification you have to have some real-life experience in the workplace, so most NVQs include practical work experience.
Many schools offer NVQs alongside GCSEs, or you may prefer to study NVQs at work, college or as part of an Apprenticeship.
Young Apprenticeships
If you have the opportunity to take an extended work placement while at school, you could use this as a springboard to a Young Apprenticeship.
With a Young Apprenticeship, you get high-quality, extended work experience, as well as a Level 2 qualification that is nationally recognised by employers, colleges and universities.
Apprenticeships and Advanced Apprenticeships
On an Apprenticeship or Advanced Apprenticeship, you are based with an employer while you study for qualifications through a training provider. In many cases you have a 'real job' where you get:
- a nationally recognised qualification (generally at Level 2, or Level 3 for Advanced Apprenticeships), eg an NVQ
- Key skills qualifications
- Technical certificates
- a wage (this varies but it should be at least £80 a week)
Advanced Apprenticeships generally require 4 GCSEs at grades A-C or equivalent, but entry requirements can vary depending on the employer or training provider.
BTECs and OCR Nationals
Interested in learning more about a specific sector or industry? How about taking a BTEC or an OCR National?
BTECs and OCR Nationals are practical, work-related qualifications. They are available in a wide range of subjects and many are designed with the help of employers to equip you with the skills and knowledge they are looking for.
They offer a mix of theory and practice and can include an element of work experience. BTECs and OCR Nationals can take the form of, or be part of, a technical certificate, which is one of the key components of an Apprenticeship.
What subjects can I study?
BTECs and OCR Nationals are available in a variety of subjects including:
Art and Design
Business
Health and Social Care
Information Technology
Media
Public Services
Science
Sport.
BTECs and OCR Nationals are usually studied full-time at college but sometimes at school or with another learning provider. You can also study a BTEC or OCR National part-time at college.
Who can take them?
These qualifications are mainly taken by learners over 16, although some schools offer them to 14 to 16-year-olds alongside other qualifications like GCSEs or key skills.
Vocational A levels
A levels are the equivalent of Level 3 qualifications on the National Qualifications Framework and are usually studied as two-year courses by students who are over 16.
A number of vocational A levels were introduced in September 2005, replacing Vocational Certificates of Education (VCEs). Each A level focuses on a specific sector, for example travel and tourism or engineering.
What subjects can I study?
Vocational A levels are available in around 80 different subjects including:
Applied Art and Design
Applied Business
Applied ICT
Applied Science
Engineering
Health and Social Care
Leisure Studies
Media: Communication and Production
Performing Arts
Travel and Tourism.
Diplomas
From September 2008, young people in Sheffield, Barnsley and Rotherham will be able to study a new Diploma qualification.
Diplomas are part of a national government programme to widen the choice of courses for young people. The Diplomas will give young people a fully rounded qualification, which combines academic study with practical experience of employment sectors and includes functional English, Maths and ICT.
The new qualifications are the most important changes to the country's education system since the introduction of GCSEs. They will offer excellent preparation into further and higher education or for young people whose preferred pathway to a successful career is through an Apprenticeship.
Diplomas will be available in schools and colleges as a national entitlement from 2013 but in some areas of South Yorkshire students will be able to have the option of taking Diplomas in some subjects from 2008:
Another five subjects will be launched in September 2009. These will be Environmental and Land Based Studies, Business Administration and Finance, Manufacturing and Product Design, Hospitality and Catering and Hair and Beauty.
A further four subjects will be available in 2010. These subject areas will be Travel and Tourism, Public Services, Sport and Leisure and Retail.
Levels of Diploma
There are three levels of Diploma. Starting in years 10 or 12:
- The Foundation Diploma takes broadly the same time to do as four or five GCSEs.
- The Higher Diploma takes broadly the same time to do as five or six GCSEs.
Starting in Year 12 or above (around the age of 16):
- The Advanced Diploma takes broadly the same time to do as three A levels. A Progression Diploma will also be available, which takes broadly the same time as two A levels. This will suit you if you decide that you can't complete a whole Advanced Diploma.
Foundation and Higher Diploma students can continue with education or take their new skills into employment. They can also study for the next level of Diploma, or take a different type of qualification such as GCSEs, A levels, an Advanced Apprenticeship, a BTEC or an NVQ.
What you study
All Diploma students study the same core elements but in more or less detail depending on the level.
Along with core elements, you'll also learn how to work with other people and express yourself confidently in a work environment. And at the end, you'll complete a final Student Project to show that you can apply the skills you've learnt in a work context.
Diploma students also develop a good standard of functional English, maths and ICT. This broad mix of knowledge, understanding and skills will equip you for college and university or employment.
For more detail about Diplomas visit http://yp.direct.gov.uk/diplomas/
Information Technology
Students taking a Diploma in IT will complete a series of compulsory and optional elements, all designed to give you valuable knowledge, skills and experience.
Compulsory elements
In line with the demands of the modern IT profession, the Diploma in Information Technology focuses on three main themes: Business, People and Technology.
- Business: how organisations work and the role technology can play.
- People: how to work well with other people.
- Technology: how to create technology solutions.
Levels of Diploma
Students with a Foundation Diploma in Information Technology will have a basic knowledge of technology as it is used in the work environment, and related practical skills.
Students with a Higher Diploma in Information Technology will develop deeper understanding and skills, exploring the potential of technology and developing systems to meet a specific need.
An Advanced Diploma in Information Technology provides an excellent grounding in technology, including how to analyse business problems and how to design and run technology systems that help organisations and individuals. There is a particular emphasis on learning how to communicate and operate professionally in a modern work environment.
Find out where Diplomas are available in your area
Construction and the Built Environment
Students taking a Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment will complete a series of compulsory and optional elements, all designed to give you knowledge, skills and experience.
Compulsory elements
- Design the Built Environment explores the nature of the built environment, factors that influence its design and construction and its impact on people and communities. It also examines how history, politics and economics affect our built environment.
- Create the Built Environment looks at what different people in the industry do, and helps you to develop a range of skills and knowledge needed to create the built environment.
- Value and Use of the Built Environment analyses maintenance and management requirements and how built structures affect the community that uses them.
Levels of Diploma
Find out where Diplomas are available in your area
Creative and Media
Students taking a Diploma in Creative and Media will complete a series of compulsory and optional courses, all designed to give you valuable knowledge, skills and experience.
Compulsory Elements
All the Creative and Media Diploma courses teach students to be aware of their surroundings and how this can affect what they create. The course encourages you to think and work creatively, giving you the practical skills to bring their ideas to life.
A focus on Creative Businesses and Enterprise places creative work within a business context and teaches you the skills to succeed at work.
Levels of Diploma
Find out where Diplomas are available in your area
Engineering
Students taking a Diploma in Engineering will complete a series of compulsory and optional elements, all designed to give you knowledge, skills and experience.
Compulsory elements
Compulsory elements in engineering include:
- The Engineered World looks at the importance of engineering in the modern world and the impact engineering has on the way we live our lives.
- Discovering Engineering Technology introduces basic engineering principles such as design, materials, electronics systems, maintenance and manufacturing.
- Engineering the Future looks at what makes innovations succeed, how new materials contribute to design and how to develop and launch new ideas. This part of the course gives you the chance to explore your own creative approaches.
You will also be asked to tackle a wide variety of different projects, such as:
- What part could engineering play in reducing energy bills?
- Engineering advances in telecommunications.
- Changing peoples' lives for the better.
- How can engineering improve the lives of people with disabilities?
Levels of Diploma
Find out where Diplomas are available in your area
Society, Health & Development
Students taking a Diploma in Society, Health and Development will complete a series of compulsory and optional elements, all designed to give you knowledge, skills and experience.
Compulsory elements
At Foundation level, you will study eight topics to give you a broad understanding of the sector and the way it works. Examples include the health, wellbeing and lifestyle of individuals and an introduction to partnership working, which looks at the ways in which agencies work together to provide services.
Higher-level students are introduced to the work of the different professions in more detail. For example, you may look at patient care or patterns of offending behavior, and the factors that can lead to this.
Levels of Diploma
Find out where Diplomas are available in your area
Other Vocationally Related Qualifications (VRQs)
You can also study a wide range of practical, work-related Certificates and Awards in subjects such as Animal Care, Construction, Motor Vehicle Repair and Catering.
Key/functional skills
Basic numeracy and literacy, including computer literacy and good communication skills are amongst the key transferable skills required by employers. Wider key skills include improving your own learning and performance, working with others and problem solving.
Entry level qualifications
These are the first recognised qualifications on the National Qualifications Framework. They cover a variety of areas, including academic and vocational subjects and life skills. Entry level qualifications provide an ideal grounding for GCSE, BTEC and NVQ qualifications. For some students they will be the most appropriate starting point to access other qualifications.
Foundation Degrees
Foundation Degrees are designed to give you the specialist technical knowledge and skills needed at associate professional and higher technician level.
What next?
Use one of our online prospectuses to find a course in your area or check with your school's careers co-ordinator, your teacher, tutor or Connexions Personal Adviser to find out which vocational courses are available to you.
And if you've got any more questions about vocational qualifications, visit the QCA website or the Learning and Skills Network's vocational learning website for further information.
