What Are Vocational Qualifications?
- Vocational Qualifications are classroom based courses, with practical elements. They can help the learner gain work related knowledge and skills. It can be like having your favourite subject all the time, and so keep you interested.
- They are available at differing levels, depending on your GCSE’s grades:
- To enter a one year Level 1 you need GCSEs at grade E or F.
- To enter a one year Level 2 you need GCSE at grade D, Level 1 or equivalent.
- To enter a two year Level 3 you need 4/5 GCSE’s at grade C and above, Level 2 or equivalent
- Level 3 Technical level qualifications lead to a recognised vocational occupation such as engineering, computing and accountancy. Applied general qualifications are for learners who would like to learn about a vocational area such as Business, Health & Social Care, Sport or Science.
- Level 3 can lead to UCAS points but they can narrow your choices down in University compared to A Levels
- Level 3 can also be taken as a full time course, which is equivalent to 3 A Levels (These are usually offered at college).
- National Vocational Qualifications are taken by learners to prove they have the abilitiy to carry our their job to the required standands. The work could be paid or voluntary. Most apprenticeships have NVQs. Learners usually take an NVQ that reflects their role i.e. someone working in administration may take an NVQ in Business and Admin
