The following is hopefully some simple and straight forward information which our customers may welcome explaining the changeover to the new QCF-type qualifications:
What is the QCF?
The QCF is the new framework for creating and accrediting qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Why are we changing from NVQs to QCF?
Based on feedback from employers and other users for example education and higher level academia there was strong evidence that with all the different types of qualification that individuals can hold it has been too difficult to really understand the parity between the differing types of qualifications, how the levels compared, how long they take to complete and what the content covered.
The new Qualification & Credit Framework [QCF] is intended to present qualifications in a way that is easy to understand and measure.
In the new framework – the level provides guidance to users as to the difficulty i.e. Challenge is and the new framework starts at Entry level rising to Level 8.
Every unit and qualification in the framework will have a credit value one credit represents 10 hours, showing how much time it takes to complete i.e. Size).
There are three sizes of qualification in the QCF making it even easier to understand the size of any qualification:
• Awards (1 to 12 credits)
• Certificates (13 to 36 credits)
• Diplomas (37 credits or more).
Therefore, users will by simply by looking at the title of a qualification be able to see how difficult it is, how long it will take the average learner to complete, and its general content.
Examples of Known Comparisons to QCF
Level 2 equates to: GCSEs (grade A*- C)
Level 3 equates to: GCE A Levels
Level 8 equates to: PhD
What and Who Benefits from QCF?
For Employers the QCF will:
• help them to know and understand more easily the level and size of achievements of prospective employees
• use common terms to describe levels of achievement
• enable employers to use a national database to check the qualifications of prospective employees
For Learners the QCF will:
• give easy and understandable information about the commitment needed to achieve the qualification
• allow them to achieve qualifications by building up credits at their own pace
• enable them to transfer credits between qualifications to avoid having to repeat their learning
• record all their achievements onto an electronic learner record
For Providers (schools, colleges, workplaces) the QCF will:
• enable them to design more flexible programmes suitable to the individual needs of learners and/or tailor programmes for employers/sectors
• track all learners' achievements through the use of a unique learner number (ULN) and an individual's electronic learner record, giving providers standard information about each learner's past achievements
• help them describe achievements to employers and learners in a language that is easy to understand
When will QCF be Introduced?
QCF qualifications are already available; indeed MPQC has already been accredited to offer the new type qualifications and we have qualifications with candidates registered and working towards these.
All existing NVQs will need to be ‘converted’ into the new QCF qualifications by end of 2010. It is expected that the funding agencies will only fund the new QCF qualifications from August 2010.
Here you will find down loadable leaflets, video clips and animated publications.