Recognising Achievement

Qualifications in the Learning Age should meet the needs of people and uphold standards. They must value both academic and vocational achievement, and be easily understood, flexible, and widely recognised.

46. The Green Paper asked for views on:

• qualifications for adults;
• records of achievement;
• key skills for adults; and
• credit accumulation systems.

47. Typical comments from respondents included:

'NTOs strongly support the stated aims for qualifications and the priorities for early action.' (NTO)

'To ensure that the qualifications system is genuinely able to meet the needs of learners at all ages, and allows individuals to transfer or progress from one type of learning to another without difficulty, [it] must be coherent at all levels.' (employer organisation)

'A framework designed around unitisation and credit accumulation principles will provide the flexibility of learning required by lifelong learning.' (professional body)

'Credit accumulation is a sensible goal but there needs to be standardised quality.' (local authority)

'Basic skills include literacy, numeracy, speaking and listening skills. There must be a clear progression pathway from basic skills into key skills.' (Government agency)

'There is a general consensus that IT should be recognised as a skill that is central to both future learning capability and to future employability. However in the context of the workplace of the future the current distinction between key skills and basic skills is seen to be increasingly arbitrary and inappropriate.' (TEC)

'There are numerous surveys suggesting that "soft" or people skills, including interpersonal communications, are the most required, but also the most deficient of all skills in recruits entering the workplace.' (employer)

48. The Government's aim of developing an easily understood, valued and relevant qualifications system was welcomed on all sides.

• Many respondents recognised the potential of NVQs and supported moves to improve their accessibility and maintain standards.
• The development of the Progress File was well received. It should clearly meet the needs of students and employers and be readily accessible.

49. Credit accumulation and transfer systems generated much interest.

• All those who commented strongly endorsed the proposal to develop such a system in higher education. Indeed there was considerable support for this kind of system in lifelong learning more generally. Many noted that CATS would be powerful tools for widening access and developing parity of esteem between academic and vocational qualifications.
• All argued that such a system must be based on a clearly understood and universally accepted qualifications framework.
• Many respondents pointed out the difficulties of creating such a system/framework. Key issues identified included: defining what and how to accredit; the 'equivalency' of different learning/qualifications, the 'shelf life' of a unit of credit (particularly in the rapidly changing world of technology); and the implications for existing qualifications. However, most argued that the advantages outweighed the problems.
• There was support for the idea of sub-degrees being offered by higher education institutions.

50. The underpinning importance of key skills and basic skills was recognised by all.

• There was some support for the idea of IT as a basic skill, though it was pointed out that it should not detract from the importance of literacy and numeracy.
• There was support for drawing a distinction between basic skills below level 2 and key skills at level 2 and beyond, although the need to avoid artificial distinctions and barriers between the various levels was understood.