Apprenticeship as a Qualification

1
Apprenticeship as a Qualification nfec spring
conference
Ian Carnell
2

• Apprenticeship as a qualification, a few
  questions answered

• What are QCAs plans for apprenticeship as a
  qualification a holistic qualification in its
  own right ?
• What is the rationale and implications?
• What are the key issues for engineering?
• Is it an advantage over what is current?
• What is SEMTA doing?

3

• Apprenticeship as a qualification
• On the 31st Jan 2006 QCA asked to provide advice
  on the potential for a qualification for
  apprentices
• Five SSCs Construction, Creative Cultural,
• e-skills, Lantra MSC worked with QCA to
  develop potential models
• A report was produced in July detailing QCAs
  findings

4

• Apprenticeship as a qualification QCAs
  findings
• Awarding bodies were more positive than SSCs
• Providers and employers saw this as a way of
  producing a more valuable work based
  qualification - the benefits being - more appeal
  to learners
• - more rounded qualification
• - more value to employers
• - trying together component
• - increased take up and better completion
  rates

5

Apprenticeship as a qualification
Various models were proposed !
6

Application 1 NVQ competence, with flexible
knowledge chosen from different types of
qualification, and a greater emphasis on
knowledge or off-the-job learning. (e-skills
model) along the lines of a credit framework
approach
7

Application 2 Flexible knowledge, but
greater emphasis on the NVQ units.
8

Application 3 Same structure and rules of
combination, but selection is identical to
current choices under the existing blueprint.

9

Model application 2 (Lantra version)
10

SEMTA PROPOSAL CREATE A WRAPPER
SEMTA Wrapper model
11

Construction Skills - a credit based approach
Apprenticeship Qualification
Competence Units Competence (NVQ) units using
formative and summative assessment. Units credit
rated using credit and qualifications framework.
Knowledge Evidence/Transferable Skills Broad
based knowledge programme (technical certificate)
unitised and credit rated. Key skills embedded in
the knowledge programme and evidenced through a
portfolio and contextualised end testing.
Employment rights and responsibilities to be
covered as a separate mandatory component of
knowledge.
12

SEMTA - a credit based approach
Apprenticeship Qualification
Competence Units Competence (NVQ) units using
formative and summative assessment. Units credit
rated using credit and qualifications framework.
Knowledge Evidence/Transferable Skills Broad
based knowledge programme (technical certificate)
unitised and credit rated. Key skills embedded in
the knowledge programme and evidenced through a
portfolio and contextualised end testing.
Employment rights and responsibilities to be
covered as a separate mandatory component of
knowledge.
13

Apprenticeship as a qualification

• 12.5.07. - At the moment SEMTA cannot agree a
  credit framework model with QCA. Without this
  there can be no credit based apprenticeship
  qualification
• QCA would wish SEMTA to abandon NOS and NVQs and
  convert to just units of credit
• With 2000 National Occupational Standards
  conversion to units of credit under current
  guidelines would means 20,000 units (IT TOOK 5
  YEARS TO ACCREDIT 2000 OCCUPATIONAL STANDARDS
  WITH OUR EMPLOYERS)

14

Apprenticeship as a qualification

• What is SEMTA Contracted to do?
• Accredit a wrapper model
• Evaluate apprenticeship as a qualification with
  our employers
• Credit model ?
• We will keep you updated!!