

	Using new qualifications to support careers education in schools and colleges
	Careers education and guidance
	Using new qualifications to support careers education in schools and colleges

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Using new qualifications to support careers education in schools and colleges


		11-16 schools

		6th form schools

		Colleges

Purposes of the guidance

This guidance aims to inform schools and colleges of the new opportunities to accredit young people’s learning through careers education and guidance (CEG) and work-related learning programmes. It is intended to help schools and colleges assess how these accreditation schemes can improve the quality of teaching and learning, and raise the levels of young people’s achievement.

The guidance is structured under the following questions:

Why have the new qualifications been developed?

What are the main features of the various schemes?

What opportunities do these new specifications and qualifications offer schools and colleges? Why would schools and colleges want to offer them to their students?

What challenges and/or difficulties could these qualifications present? Why might some schools and colleges not wish to use them?

What are the curriculum and management implications for schools and colleges?

What are the teaching and learning implications?

What are the staffing implications? Will there be staff development needs?

Who do I contact for further information?

Why have the new qualifications been developed?

The new qualifications give young people the opportunity to be assessed and gain accreditation in careers education and work-related learning programmes.

CEG and preparation for working life through work-related learning are components of the 14-19 curriculum and the training of post-16 students. There is a statutory requirement for a programme of careers education in years 9, 10 and 11 (Section 43, 1997 Education Act) and a further requirement that the curriculum in a school ‘prepares pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life’ (Section 351, 1996 Education Act).

Schools and colleges have responded to these requirements by developing a wide range of learning activities, including work experience and work shadowing, visits to places of work, work simulations, enterprise activities and industry days. As a result of these activities and the learning that has come from them, schools and colleges have shown a growing interest in how to recognise achievement and accredit young peoples’ learning.

QCA’s publication Learning outcomes from careers education and guidance (1999) encourages schools to develop a learning outcomes approach, which will allow greater assessment and evaluation of student learning. The emphasis is on clarity of learning through CEG, and the publication challenges schools and colleges to look at issues of progression, individual record keeping and monitoring. One strategy open to colleges and schools in meeting this challenge is to use an approved qualification.

The Secretary of State for Education and Employment has stated the government’s commitment to further improving the preparation of young people for working life through the curriculum and qualifications. This commitment is being taken forward through:

the aims of the revised national curriculum from September 2000, which encourage schools to promote learning across the curriculum through the development of thinking skills, key skills, work-related learning, financial capability, enterprise and entrepreneurial skills, and sustainable development
the establishment of the Connexions Service to offer access to advice, guidance and support for all 13- to 19-year-olds. Its central aim is to provide all young people with the help and support they need to prepare for the transition to work and adult life
the national framework for personal, social and health education (PSHE) and the new programme of study for citizenship for key stages 3 and 4, from September 2002
the approval by QCA and the DfES of a wider range of vocational qualifications for use at key stage 4
changes to the criteria and arrangements for disapplication to enable programmes focusing on work-related learning at key stage 4
availability of Progress File materials
commitment to change statutory requirements for 2004 to enable a more flexible key stage 4 curriculum meeting the need of all learners
the new non-statutory framework for careers education and guidance issued spring 2003
introduction of Entry to Employment (E2E) programmes from 2003.

What are the main features of the various schemes?

You should contact the appropriate awarding body for details of the specifications and costs for each of the new qualifications. Features of the schemes include:

all the schemes cover the aims of careers education (eg self-awareness, self-development, career exploration and career management)
no prior attainment requirement for any of the qualifications and they can be taken at school, FE colleges and in training situations
some schemes do not specify the time required to complete the qualifications, but around 30 hours of guided learning is a realistic minimum
all the schemes are unit-based and in a format similar to GNVQ or the key skills units
all awards identify mandatory units with equal weighting for each
the units are assessed as a pass or fail; there are no grades
all the schemes require candidates to complete a portfolio of evidence, which is assessed and verified internally
some of the qualifications, especially some of the entry-level awards, require candidates to provide a logbook or record of achievement, which includes evidence of performance assessed by teachers or others
all the qualifications have an element of external assessment, which can include unit tests, externally set and marked assignments or assignments devised by centres but approved and moderated by awarding bodies
the units include a mix of taught elements and guided learning activities
they all have a strong element of independent learning and supported self-study
they all encourage the use of labour market intelligence (LMI)
all the qualifications include the opportunity to develop key skills for employability.

What opportunities do these new specifications and qualifications offer schools and colleges? Why would schools and colleges want to offer them to their students?

Schools and colleges might find these new specifications and qualifications helpful for a variety of reasons:

the specifications provide teachers with a learning programme for careers education
they can be used by schools to monitor the success of the work-related learning and careers education aspects of their curriculum
the qualifications provide an opportunity to raise the profile of work-related learning and careers education to parents, students and the wider community
some of the qualifications include a unit that enables young people to be assessed on the learning that has resulted from their work experience and other experiences of the world of work
the assessment requirements for each qualification provide teachers with a clear framework for identifying the learning outcomes that have been achieved
they provide an opportunity for formal assessment of students’ progress and achievement
they will help with the acquisition of key skills within the curriculum
they complement the processes outlined in Progress File, the new national record of achievement
they support a portfolio approach to lifelong learning
they can help to ensure that each student has the skills to tackle transitions successfully and be prepared for future challenges
the specifications provide students with standards against which to assess themselves
the feedback that students receive from unit-based assessment frequently motivates them to work to a higher standard of attainment.

Students might benefit from the new specifications even if they are not entered for the associated examinations. Schools and colleges could choose to use the specifications as the basis of non-accredited teaching programmes.

What challenges and/or difficulties could these qualifications present? Why might some schools and colleges not wish to use them?

Learning programmes in this area of the curriculum might present teachers and students with a welcome opportunity to learn without the requirements and demands of a qualification. Schools and colleges that do not use accredited qualifications for this aspect of their curriculum might doubt whether the schemes would serve to improve the quality of teaching and learning and the levels of young people’s achievement.

To provide opportunities for accreditation, schools and colleges might need to set aside resources, in terms of money and staff time. In addition, meeting the requirements of the specifications and the internal assessment would add to the existing workload of staff. Awarding bodies have used existing careers education and work-related programmes as the basis for the new qualifications. However, staff will need to plan for the introduction of the course and those involved will need some extra time in the first year. Schools and colleges could consider introducing the qualification with a select group of students in the first instance to avoid overloading staff.

Some teachers might be concerned that adding to the assessment demands across the full range of subjects could be too much for some students. Failure to achieve the standard required by the qualification could have a negative effect upon students’ motivation and self-esteem. However, qualifications are available at levels 1 and 2 and also at entry level, which vary in terms of content and assessment procedures. It is important to choose the appropriate level of qualification for the individual student, as well as the specification that suits the school or college.

In some schools and colleges, careers education and work-related activities are contexts for learning and practising key skills and there is a belief that any accreditation should be focused on the key skills units. The learning required for the units in the new qualifications does link with the specifications for the key skills units, but it goes beyond them, offering a broad range of knowledge and skills.

Many schools and colleges have a single teaching programme that encompasses PSHE, citizenship, CEG and preparation for working life. Awarding bodies have also submitted specifications for qualifications that recognise achievement through PSHE and citizenship. Some of these submissions are similar in content to the specifications referred to in this guidance. Likewise, some of the units for the qualifications referred to in this guidance include themes from PSHE and/or citizenship. Schools and colleges will need to consider what is the best qualification to offer from those available.

What are the curriculum and management implications for schools and colleges?

Management

The introduction of a qualification for careers education and work-related learning will raise issues similar to those raised by any new scheme. An audit of current provision will be needed and decisions will need to be taken about who will manage the scheme, which members of staff will be involved, and what the resourcing needs are (staffing, physical and financial). The existing careers programme might need more resources to cover the extra costs of staff training and preparation time.

Funding

The introduction of qualifications for careers education and work-related learning involves a financial commitment. Funding will be needed to cover:

registration of students for the qualification
materials and resources for the course
insurance to cover students and teachers when involved in out-of-school activities.

In some cases, funding will be needed to provide for specialist clothing, meals and travel to visit places of work.

Specific funding for work-related learning schemes can be obtained through:

Standards Funding (ie school improvement and pupil retention funds)
funding for Increased Flexibility Programme and Excellence in Cities
local Learning and Skills Councils, education business link organisations and the Connexions Service
training providers and employers
business and educational trusts and charities.

Curriculum planning

The planning for the introduction of the new qualification will be made easier if all aspects of careers education and guidance and work-related learning are part of a coordinated framework. This will enable more effective decisions to be made about time allocation and structure of the programme. Guidance on managing a coordinated approach to work-related learning at key stage 4 is available in the QCA publication Preparation for working life (QCA, 1999).

Who will the qualification be offered to?

Will formal accreditation be offered to everyone in the cohort? It would be possible for all students in the year group to follow the processes and schemes of work for the qualification, and perhaps only some students work towards accreditation.

Use of time

To prepare students for the qualifications, teachers will need to plan for the most effective use of the time available within the curriculum. In particular, they will need to consider:

whether to provide for discrete timetabled lessons
if extra curriculum time is needed what other subject or activity will be reduced or lost
what aspects of the course are covered by learning in other areas of the curriculum, and through preparation for other qualifications such as GCSEs or NVQs
the use of pastoral or tutorial time to enable students to clarify their learning across the curriculum
the use of time allocated for recording achievement, developing key skills and other activities related to the qualification
occasionally collapsing the timetable for special events, such as industry days or activities arranged on employers’ premises
the contribution of a work-experience placement, either a block of 1, 2 or 3 weeks, or a regular day or half-day placement over the length of the course
the contribution of students’ involvement in enterprise activities.

It will also be important to consider how the timings of the tests and assessments will affect the school calendar.

What are the teaching and learning implications?

The qualifications are based on existing careers education programmes. The teaching and learning implications will not be major for some institutions, where it will be a case of adapting existing lesson plans and resources to meet the criteria of the specific qualification chosen. However, consideration should be given to the following:

students will need active learning opportunities, often off-site, to practise and demonstrate their skills
time will need to be set aside for the recording of achievements and attainment. Students might need help in building a portfolio of evidence
students need to take ownership of their learning and will need to develop skills to enable them to do so
teaching will have to take into account the different levels of ability and achievement, so that students are assessed on the units when they are ready, and at an appropriate level
extracurricular or out-of-school activities and achievements could be encouraged and recognised through accreditation
where adults other than teachers are involved, such as staff from the Connexions Service, their work will need to be coordinated
up-to-date information about the local and national labour market will be required, and the careers library and ICT resources need to be comprehensive and well maintained.

What are the staffing implications? Will there be staff development needs?

The qualifications have been written with existing practices in mind, and are designed to allow for different contexts (school, college, training provider) and staffing models. However, the introduction of a new qualification does have staffing implications and a number of issues will need to be addressed.

Management

A member of the senior management team should be designated to oversee the introduction of the new qualification. Consideration should be given to the roles taken by the head of year, the assessment coordinator, PSHE coordinator and careers adviser.

Coordinator

In preparing for the introduction of the qualification there is a significant role for a coordinator, who will need time to develop schemes of work and an appropriate infrastructure. The coordinator needs to have the knowledge and skills to introduce the qualification, so their own personal training needs must be met. The awarding bodies responsible for the qualifications provide training programmes that relate to their specifications and assessment requirements. The local Connexions Service, education business link organisations or LEA should also be able to give appropriate advice, support or development funding.

Teaching staff

All teaching staff need to be informed about the new qualification and, depending on the curriculum model, many will have a part to play in its delivery. In recent years there has been a noticeable trend towards having a dedicated team of staff responsible for careers education. This team will need to have up-to-date knowledge of developments in CEG, and know how to tackle assessment and recording in line with the specifications. Staff might need training in developing and assessing key skills if the specifications and qualifications are also to be used to cover this aspect of the curriculum.

Other staff

The role of the careers adviser or personal adviser will be affected and it is advisable to involve this person at an early stage in the planning for the qualification. Extra administrative assistance and clerical support might also be needed. It is important to work with local and national employers to ensure all the teaching and learning involved in the courses is set in an effective vocational context.

Staff experience and development needs

To prepare students for the qualifications, teaching staff will need a knowledge and understanding of CEG and of the changing nature of work and employment. Teachers can access in-service training through Careers/Connexions Services, and can obtain funding through education business link organisations to spend time in the workplace as part of their professional development.

Careers coordinators or staff implementing the scheme might also need training in NVQ or GNVQ methods of assessment and obtaining evidence for portfolios. The awarding bodies responsible for the qualifications provide training programmes that relate to their specifications and assessment requirements.

Who do I contact for further details?

Full details of the qualifications can be obtained from the relevant awarding body as listed below. More qualifications are likely to be accredited in the future and the list will be updated accordingly.



	Awarding body		Qualification

	AQA		Level 1 Certificate in Preparation for Working Life Level 2 Certificate in Preparation for Working Life

	ASDAN		Level 1 Certificate in Career Planning Level 2 Certificate in Career Planning

	City & Guilds		Entry level Certificate in Preparing for Employment

	Edexcel		Entry level Certificate in Skills for Working Life

	NCFE		Level 1 Certificate in Employment Skills Level 2 Certificate in Employment Skills

	NOCN		Level 1 Award for Careers Education and Preparation for Working Life Level 2 Award for Careers Education and Preparation for Working Life

	OCR		Entry level Certificate in Preparation for Employment Entry level Certificate in Job Seeking Skills Level 1 Certificate in Preparation for Employment Level 2 Certificate in Preparation for Employment Level 1 Certificate in Career Planning Level 2 Certificate in Career Planning

QCA publications (Online shop)

> Keys skills for developing employability, QCA (2001) QCA/001/752
> Developing skills for career management, QCA (2001) QCA/001/751
> Learning through work-related contexts - a guide to successful practice, QCA (1998) QCA/98/310
> Preparation for working life, QCA (1999) QCA/99/384
> Wider opportunities for work-related learning at key stage 4, QCA (1999) QCA/99/471

DfES publications

> Careers Education in the New Curriculum: its relationship to PSHE and citizenship at key stages 3 and 4, DfES (2000) DfES/0039/2000

Other publications

> Better Practice: Practical Strategies for Developing Excellence in Careers Education, NACGT/The Careers Forum/AICE (2000)

QCA web links

> PSHE