Summer Skills
Qualifications Update
As the summer arrives, it’s a great opportunity to see how Open Awards have been spring cleaning qualifications, ready for you in the coming academic year.
During the last year, working with you, we have re-visited over 90 qualifications and given them a good “dusting down”. Validity enables us all to review the function and performance of qualifications, so that they continue to deliver the very best for all learners.
Let’s have a look at the qualifications in more detail.
Extended Qualifications at a glance – The following qualification have been reviewed with you by questionnaire and by validity panels. Thank you for all your input it really makes a big difference to our reviews. A full list of extended qualifications can be seen by clicking here, but the following list is “at a glance” for ease.
|
Qualification(s) Title |
Qualification Length and Level |
Extended to: |
|
Employability and Professional Development |
Award and Certificate Entry 3 Award and Certificate Level 1 |
31 August 2026 |
|
Individual Capital Development |
Award and Certificate Entry 3 Award and Certificate Level 1 |
31 August 2024 |
|
Independent Living Skills Suite |
All qualifications |
31 August 2026 |
|
Personal Progress |
Award and Certificate Entry 1 |
31 August 2022 |
|
Pre-Tenancy Skills |
Award Level 1 |
31 August 2026 |
|
Skills for Travelling in the Community Suite |
Award and Certificate Entry 2 Award and Certificate Entry 3 Award Level 2 Certificate Level 3 |
31 August 2026 |
|
Information, Advice and Guidance Suite |
Certificate L2 Certificate L3 |
31 August 2023 |
|
Education and Training Suite |
Level 3 and Level 4 qualifications |
31 August 2024 |
|
Skills for Business |
Certificate and Diploma L2 |
31 August 2025 |
|
Conservation Skills Suite |
Award and Certificate E3 Award and Certificate L1 |
31 August 2023 |
|
Employment Skills for the Creative and Cultural Industries |
Award and Certificate L1 Award and Certificate L2 |
31 August 2023 |
|
Food Safety |
Award L2 |
31 August 2023 |
|
Horticulture Skills |
Award and Certificate E2 Award and Certificate E3 Award, Certificate and Diploma L1 |
31 August 2024 |
|
Maritime Skills |
Award, Certificate and Diploma L1 Award L2 |
31 August 2025 |
|
Waste Recycling |
Award L1 |
31 August 2026 |
|
Retail Knowledge |
Award and Certificate L1 |
31 August 2023 |
|
Touch Typing |
Awards L1 and L2 |
31 August 2022 |
Qualification Updated. Working closely with our customers and sector experts we have updated the following qualifications.
|
Qualification(s) Title |
Qualification Length and Level |
Updates |
|
Horticulture Skills |
Award, Certificate and Diploma L1 |
New Units Added: · Use a Leafblower · Use a Pedestrian Operated Cylinder Mower (previously Use a Cylinder Mower) · Use a Pedestrian Operated Wheeled Rotary Mower (previously Use a Wheeled Rotary Mower) · Use a Nylon Corded Strimmer
The new units will be available from 1 September 2021. Please check the new Qualification Guide which will appear shortly.
|
|
Skills for Working in Land-Based Industries |
Certificate and Diploma L1 Certificate and Diploma L2 |
Level 1 – all units have been reviewed within this qualification.
Level 2 – changes to minimum age of learners (now 18+). All units have been reviewed to prepare learners for apprenticeships. Look out for some endorsed pathways.
Transition: these changes will come into effect from 1 January 2022.
For September 2021-December 2021 learner starts please use the original qualification guides. |
|
Maritime Skills |
Certificate L3 |
New mandatory unit group with new optional units added from 1 May 2021.
All effected Providers have been informed of the changes. For more information please see the qualification guide. |
|
Peer Mentoring |
Award L2 |
Both units within the qualification have been updated. These will come into effect from 1 September 2021.
All effected Providers have been informed of the changes. For more information please see the qualification guide. |
Withdrawn Qualifications – we withdrew 17 qualifications earlier in the year and contacted all affected Providers at the time. If you would like to check these qualifications please click here.
Next Steps:
We always recommend that you review the qualification guides each year, so please continue to do this and check your curriculum before your teaching year starts.
You will just be able to continue to register your learners in 2021-22 as usual, no changes required from you.
And finally …
A big thank you to all our customers who have contributed in these reviews. We know your learners will love them!
Enjoy your summer time and here’s to another successful year as we #changelivesthroughlearning!
Julie Goodwin
Product Development Manager