Unit Delivery
Promoting Progression: Credit Accumulation and Transfer Schemes Projects
As indicated in New Challenges, New Chances (December 2011) the Agency is looking to support collaborative proposals across the sector to increase credit accumulation and transfer opportunities in further and higher education.
Working with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Agency, the Association of Colleges (AoC) is managing a project to support the piloting of collaborative proposals around progression.
AoC are seeking proposals for one-year pilot projects focussed on progression and opening up new, or enhancing existing, vocational progression pathways for learners. The emphasis should be – in line with New Challenges, New Chances - on developing ‘a ladder of opportunity of comprehensive vocational education and training programmes’.
The project specification and application process and application form are available on the AoC website.
Unit Offer for the Unemployed 2011/12
All further education colleges and training organisations registered on the Skills Funding Agency’s Approved College and Training Organisation Register (ACTOR) are eligible to offer Qualification and Credit Framework (QCF) units as part of the Offer for the Unemployed 2011/12. Providers will be able to deliver fully-funded units to unemployed individuals within the new single adult skills budget in accordance with the 2011/12 Learner Eligibility and Contribution rules.
The Offer for the Unemployed is continued from 2010/11. It will run concurrently with the current Unit Delivery Trials. Both programmes will be evaluated by NIACE.
Units on Offer
Approximately 16,000 units have been made available, all within rules of combination of qualifications already confirmed for funding. Most of these units are ‘shared’ and therefore available through a range of awarding organisations (AOs). A small number of units are limited to one AO, or a small group of AOs. The units currently range from Level 1 to Level 5.
From January 2012 a range of Entry Level 3 units will be included in the Offer for the Unemployed. These units will include vocational areas, employability and aspects of personal and social development. They will offer providers the opportunity to build programmes for certain learner groups which combine Entry Level units with Level 1 or 2 units, improving access to learning and vocational skills.
These units are intended to support providers in building and delivering short, coherent programmes for learners who need to gain initial skills and knowledge to enter employment, or to upgrade their skills or retrain for a new employment field. By achieving units individuals will be able to accumulate credit towards either a qualification, or as part of training and up-skilling for the type of job they are interested in. In putting together a programme, we would not expect providers simply to deliver single units.
A full list of all the units currently available under the Offer for the Unemployed can be found on the QCF section of this website.
Awarding Organisations
Awarding Organisations have been informed of the units available under the Offer for the Unemployed via the Federation of Awarding Bodies (FAB). Providers are advised to contact the AOs they are currently 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.
Unit Delivery Trials 2011/12 - Single Adult Skills Budget
A new round of Unit Delivery Trials has been launched for 2011/12. These trials will test further the benefits of delivering unit-based and credit-bearing qualifications.
Providers who successfully applied to take part in the 2011/12 Trials by returning an Expression of Interest (EOI) have been notified.
An extended range of funded units is offered as part of the Trials (see link below). The units will be added to LARA by the end of December 2011.These Trials will take place alongside the continuing Unit Offer for the Unemployed. Both sets of unit delivery trials will be evaluated by NIACE.
- Please note that the list originally published to confirm the units approved for funding and the list confirming the units which are part of the unit delivery trials, have now been consolidated into one list. The units which are only available to providers involved in the unit delivery trials (particularly units at Entry Level 1, Entry Level 2 and Level 5) are indicated in the list.
Qualification_and_Credit_Framework_Units_Confirmed_Funding_Jan 2012- Updated 16 January 2012
Unit Delivery Trials 2011/12 – Additional Briefing
An additional briefing has been produced offering updated information to providers participating in the 2011/12 Unit Delivery Trials supported by the Skills Funding Agency through the single Adult Skills Budget and to coincide with refreshing of the list if units in scope for the trials (see below).
This briefing should be used in conjunction with the guidance accompanying the Expressions of Interest Document published in October 2011 and other appropriate Agency guidance relating to funding and eligibility.
Unit Delivery Trials 2011/12 – Additional Briefing - February 2012
Research & Evaluation – Unit Funding Trials 2010/11
The Skills Funding Agency commissioned Ekosgen, in partnership with Education Relations, to oversee evaluation of the Qualifications and Credit Framework Single Adult Skills budget, Flexible Delivery (Unit Funding) Trials 2010/11.
The evaluation report presents emerging findings across a range of topics including affordability and costs, credit accumulation and transfer and benefits, challenges and impacts. Please see links below:
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
Unit Delivery Trials 2010/11 – Independent Training Organisations
During 2010/11, the Skills Funding Agency took forward unit delivery trials of Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) provision. The purpose of theses trials was to support providers in testing the benefits that a unit-based and credit-bearing qualifications framework might offer to learners and employers.
Initially the focus was on FE colleges but during May 2011, the Agency worked with the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP). An evaluation of this part of the trials was undertaken by AELP, working with the Learning and Skills Improvement Service.
The full AELP evaluation report can be accessed through the AELP website.
