Learning Highway - Definitions
On this page you will find a number of definitions of course qualification names which may help you to understand some of the terms used on the Learning Highway
Access Courses
Are you over 21 and do you want to go to higher education (HE) - without having to take A Levels?? Access courses are specially designed to prepare mature students for entry into HE and provide the knowledge and skills needed to progress to a degree or diploma course. There are some general programmes known as Access to Higher Education. And there are some specialist ones to prepare you for particular courses like Maths or Nursing. You can do an Access course over one year full-time or one or two years part-time, and sometimes over a longer period. You'd study:
- Subject modules or units
- Study skills
- Key Skills in information technology, numeracy, and communication
- And you would get tutorial support
Access programmes are provided by colleges, adult education centres and some higher education institutions.
In Surrey you can do general Access courses at:
- Brooklands College
- Guildford College of Further and Higher Education
- East Surrey College
- NESCOT
- University College for the Creative Arts, Farnham (Art and Design)
AS Levels
Advanced Subsidiary (AS) Levels (general) are offered in single subjects - like history, physics or geography. You can take them on their own, or combine them with A2s to make an A Level. AS Levels are equivalent to half an A Level but are also a qualification in their own right. Full-time school or college students normally take four or five subjects in Year 12, then choose two or three to take to full A Level in year 13. BUT there are many possible combinations. You could take AS Levels along with vocational qualifications or more GCSEs. You'd be assessed through a combination of coursework and exams - plus practical tests in some subjects.
Apprenticeships
You can do an Apprenticeship once you have left full-time education. Most people enter them at 16 or 17 but there is no reason why you couldn't take further qualifications first. Apprenticeships consist of work experience and training for a job. They give you specific skills that employers want since employers are involved in drawing up the programmes. There are over 100 different Apprenticeships, (for example, in animal care, engineering, leisure and recreation, tourism...) although they might not all be available where you live. Most apprentices are counted as employees and are paid a wage - the going rate for the job. Others are linked to a training provider and are paid a minimum allowance. The majority of employers now offer more than the minimum. This means you can earn cash while getting a qualification.
If you do an Apprenticeship you'll achieve National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) at Level 2, Key Skills and a technical certificate. When you complete the programme, you might decide to progress to an Advanced Apprenticeship. There is no set time limit for completing an Apprenticeship but all programmes last at least 12 months.
The Key Skills included in an Apprenticeship are:
- Application of Number
- Communication
- Improving your Learning and Performance
- Information Technology
- Problem Solving
- Working with Others
Higher National Certificate (HNC)
HNC programmes are at the same standard as HNDs but cover less ground since they contain fewer modules. For this reason they are often taken part-time by people already at work who choose the modules that are appropriate to their job. BUT full-time programmes are available.
For more information on HNC programmes check out the Edexcel website.
See the Higher Education in Surrey page to see where you can do these courses in Surrey
Certificate of Higher Education
Some universities and colleges offer one year courses that lead to this qualification. You could follow this by progressing to a Dip.HE or degree course. The certificate is approximately equivalent to the first year of a degree course - but unlike the Dip.HE, is not a freestanding qualification in its own right. But it is a valuable step on the progression ladder.
Entry Level Certificates
These are the first step on the National Qualifications ladder. You can gain a certificate in one of over 100 subjects (from hairdressing to numeracy) to recognise what you have achieved. Most schools offer them in Years 10 and 11 but it's possible to do them later.
You can use your certificate to progress to a Level 2 qualification or to employment or training.
See the Further Education in Surrey page to see where you can do these courses in Surrey
Foundation and Preparatory Courses
One year courses that help you to enter a career or act as conversion courses for degree entry. Examples include:
- Art and design foundation courses that diagnose your abilities and point you to the right degree or HND course
- Pre-entry journalism courses that are approved by the NCTJ - and must be followed by further training on a newspaper
- Courses in science, technology, engineering and some language courses for people without the right combination of A Levels for what they want to do.
NVQs (National Vocational Qualifications)
NVQs are job-related qualifications that have been designed in close co-operation with employers. They are designed to help you show what you can do rather than the exams you can pass. You'd gain NVQs by successfully learning skills and achieving tasks in your place of work. An NVQ assessor would sign that you had completed each one. You'd keep a portfolio of evidence to show what you had achieved. The assessor could be someone in the work place who has taken special training or could be someone from outside.
There are five Levels. Level 1 is at entry Level and Level 5 is above degree Level.
- In a job
- On an Apprenticeship programme
- On a full-time college course.
NVQs are open to everyone at any stage of their careers.
OCR (Oxford, Cambridge and RSA)
Three former examination boards joined to form this organisation. It now awards general qualifications - GCSE, AS and A Levels. It also offers a lot of vocational or job-related qualifications that used to be awarded by the RSA Examinations Board.
OCR offers a full range of specific qualifications in:
- Administration
- Financial Services
- Information Technology
- Languages
- Office Skills
OCR also offers NVQs, GNVQs, Key Skills and Vocational GCSEs.