Unit Delivery
Arrangements for Unit Delivery in 2012/13
Unit Offer for the Unemployed
All further education colleges and training organisations on the Skills Funding Agency’s Register of Training Organisations and with an active contract (either as a prime or sub-contractor) are eligible to offer units as part of the Offer for the Unemployed 2012/13. Providers will be able to deliver fully-funded units to unemployed individuals within the new single adult skills budget in accordance with the 2012/13 Funding Rules.
Unit delivery within OLASS
All further education colleges and training organisations delivering OLASS 4 in 2012/13 are eligible to offer QCF units as part of the OLASS 4 offer. This must be in accordance with funding and eligibility rules for OLASS 4 in 2012/13.
Further information on Unit Delivery in 2012/13
For both OLASS 4 and the Offer for the Unemployed, units must be within a rule of combination of a QCF qualification approved for funding. There are some exceptions; for further details on this, along with information on funding arrangements, timescales and information on delivering units as part of a coherent programme, please see Guidance on Unit Delivery Arrangements 2012/13.
Awarding Organisations
Awarding Organisations have been informed of arrangements for unit delivery within OLASS 4 and the Offer for the Unemployed via the Federation of Awarding Bodies (FAB). Providers are advised to contact the awarding organisations they are working with to confirm the unit’s operational availability and learner registration, assessment and certification arrangements.
Personal Learner Record
It is important that providers understand learners’ needs and aspirations and are able to offer information, advice and guidance on the most suitable units for learners to undertake. The Personal Learner Record (PLR) is a free service to help providers and learners to understand what different combinations of units can lead to and also to view their achievement record so far, on-line and in one place. Providers can use the PLR as a guide in forming a coherent programme towards credit accumulation and qualification achievement.
Learners do not have immediate access to the PLR but this can be arranged via a provider who is registered as a Learning Registration Body (LRB) with the Learning Record Service (LRS). The LRB will verify the learner’s identity with the LRS and arrange access to the PLR for the learner.
Full details about the LRS found on the Learning Records Service website. The LRS Customer Helpdesk can be contacted by telephone on 0845 602 2589 or by email at lrssupport@learningrecordsservice.org.uk.
Research & Evaluation of previous Unit Delivery Trials
The Skills Funding Agency trialled unit delivery in 2010/11 and 2011/12. Each of these trials were evaluated, and you can access these evaluation reports below:
2011/12 Evaluation
NIACE Unit Delivery 2011/12 Final (April 2012) Report
2010/11 Evaluation
Evaluation of Flexible Delivery – Unit Funding Trials (Interim Report) March 2011
Evaluation of Flexible Delivery – Unit Delivery Trials (2nd Interim Report) June 2011
QCF Unit Delivery Trials 2010/11 (Final Evaluation Report) September 2011
