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VQ Reform for FE providers

How will the reforms benefit providers?

Further education (FE) sector providers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have welcomed the reform programme's introduction of a number of benefits:

  • Unit-based qualifications and the more flexible Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) will enable providers to design programmes of study which are more suitable to the needs of learners.
  • Retention and progression rates will be improved thanks to the ability to recognise smaller steps of achievement more frequently.
  • Learners' achievements will be tracked through the use of a unique learner number (ULN) and an individual's learner record, giving providers standard information about each learner's past achievements.
  • The QCF will help learning providers describe achievements to employers and learners in a language that is easy to understand.

The changes will impact on a wide range of the FE workforce in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, from senior managers, to tutors, Information, Advice and Guidance workers, and those co-ordinating Management Information Systems.

In England, FE providers are being supported to help them start to deliver QCF VQs. The Quality Improvement Agency (QIA) has commissioned the Learning & Skills Network (LSN) to deliver a detailed support programme to a range of staff within FE providers. Full details of the programme of activities and latest resources are available on http://www.qrsp.org.uk

In Northern Ireland the Learning and Skills Development Agency NI and Lifelong Learning UK NI have been commissioned by the Department for Employment and Learning to develop a support programme for staff in the further education and Work Based Learning Sectors.