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Open Awards is a registered charity, and we seek to use our skills, experience and qualifications to promote learning to individuals. In 2019, we decided to change the way we offer Bursaries as we would like them to form a legacy within our providers and create real impact. In offering bursaries, we are seeking to […]

The Open Awards Year in Review 2024 is here! This year has been an incredible journey for Open Awards, filled with achievements, collaborations, and innovations that truly make a difference in education and skills development. From celebrating learner success and launching new qualifications, to driving accessibility and inclusion, we’re proud to share the highlights of […]

8.6 million working age adults have low basic skills – we break down the Survey of Adult Skills Yesterday, the release of the Survey of Adult Skills highlighted the clear need for adult functional skills in the UK. According to the report, approximately 8.6 million working-age adults are currently performing below level 1 in literacy and numeracy. […]

Let’s make education more accessible – key takeaways from the Liverpool AI in Education Summit  AI in education is often a testy subject. The conversation for the past few years has largely surrounded the negative impact AI could have on education – we’ve all heard the incessant fearmongering: “students will use it to cheat”; “original work is dead”; “AI ruins learning.” But we don’t think the future is quite so bleak… and neither […]

Open Awards is delighted to announce our co-hosting of an AI in Education Summit, in conjunction with Disrupt HR. The Liverpool AI in Education Summit invites education leaders, tech enthusiasts and innovators to explore the transformative power of AI.  With a focus on how generative AI technologies impact education and professional development, attendees will gain […]

The theme for this year’s ‘World Mental Health Day’ is ‘It Is Time to Prioritise Mental Health in the Workplace’, underscoring the critical importance of mental health in professional settings. The campaign is dedicated to advocating for mental health within the workplace, with the aim to highlight the essential role of mental health in professional […]

The Adult Education Budget (AEB) was replaced by the Adult Skills Fund (ASF) no 1st August 2024. Funding rates for individual qualifications are now determined by multiplying the relevant hourly rate for the sector subject areas (SSA) of the qualification by the number of guided learning hours (GLH) as assigned by the Awarding Organisation and recorded […]

We are delighted to confirm that we have signed a new contract to deliver Functional Skills assessments on behalf of the NHS in England. NHS England has awarded a contract to Open Awards to provide Functional Skills assessments for health and social care staff where the employer is delivering an NHS-commissioned service. Functional Skills assessments ensure […]

As the 2024/25 academic year starts, we are taking the opportunity to highlight three key changes to apprenticeship funding rules from 1st August 2024. At Open Awards, we have reviewed our End-point Assessment Gateway procedures to make sure we are ready to respond to these changes. If you have any questions about how these changes […]

Our External Quality Assurance Officer, Kay Taylor provides an insight into the benefits of Entry Level Functional Skills. As someone who used to teach entry level Functional Skills, I see them as providing an accessible route for learners to improve their knowledge in Maths and English. Each level is like a stepping stone to the […]