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CATS PILOT 2012-13Building on Competence in the workplace

AOC ANNUAL COLLEGE HE CONFERENCE6 MARCH 2013HOTEL RUSSELLLONDON

Breakout 1.1Structure: CATS – The international context and BIS funded CATS projects

Developing a sub-regional CATS schemeHugh Joslin and Lindsay Perrin

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Reasons for undertaking project

Partner colleges recently validated by the University of Greenwich to run flexible work-based programmes: Applied Professional Studies and Higher Apprenticeship in Business

To explore how to clarify the HE offer and promote credit transfer across HE types

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Aims of project

To publish a Regional Higher Vocational Education prospectus

To agree a statement about credit

To trial the ‘Building on Competence’ course as an asset model of bridging

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Outcomes of project

Greater clarity of the regional higher vocational education offer

Making credit transfer more transparent

Enhanced flexibility of delivery for work-based learners

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WHAT IS CREDIT

CREDIT COMMITMENT

THIS WEB PROSPECTUS

HIGHER LEVEL COURSES by subject

COURSE FEES AND PART-TIME STUDENT LOANS

This website is designed to provide for work-based learners information about higher level programmes in all the colleges listed above and the University of Greenwich’s Centre for Work-Based Learning

It shows how you can transfer any existing credit you have into the Applied Professional Studies Foundation Degree

It also shows what are the financial benefits of credit transfer

It provides details about fees and the new loans for part-time students

Click on any of the boxes on the left for more information

HIGHER VOCATIONAL EDUCATION FOR PEOPLE IN WORK

REGIONAL PART-TIME HE PROSPECTUS SOUTH EAST LONDON AND NORTH WEST KENT

Bexley College, Bromley College, Greenwich Community College, Hadlow College, North West Kent College, University of Greenwich’s Centre for Work-Based Learning

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Credit is way of recognising learning that has already been achieved. Most higher education programmes consist of a number of individual modules (or units). Some programmes (normally those which consist of more than one year of study) span a number of levels. Credit can be assigned to individual modules and/or to whole programmes.

Credit is awarded once you have successfully completed a module in recognition of the amount and depth of learning which you have achieved. Credits are then accumulated towards the total credit required for a programme of study and a qualification (for example, a Level 4 NVQ Diploma, a Certificate in Management, HNC, Foundation Degree or BA Honours Degree). Eight credit levels are used in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Of these, levels 4 to 8 represent the types of learning undertaken in higher education

Credit level Qualifications typical at each level 8 Doctorate (PhD) 7 Level 7 Certificate or Diploma; Level 5 NVQ; Master’s Degree 6 Level 6 Certificate or Diploma; BA/BSc Degree, Professional Apprenticeship 5 Level 5 Certificate or Diploma; Level 4 NVQ; HND; Foundation Degree, Dip HE, Higher Apprenticeship 4 Level 4 Certificate or Diploma; HNC; Cert HE, Higher Apprenticeship 3 Level 3 Certificate or Diploma; Level 3 NVQ; GCE AS and A Level, Advanced Level Apprenticeship 2 Level 2 Certificate or Diploma; Level 2 NVQ; GCSE at Grades A* - C, Intermediate Apprenticeship 1 Level 1 Certificate or Diploma; Level 1 NVQ; GCSE at grades D-G

WHAT IS CREDIT?

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The recognition of existing higher level learning is more important than ever before given the increasing costs of higher education qualifications. With the Applied Professional Studies programmes you do not have to repeat but can have higher level credit subtracted from total number of credits that make up your qualification. If for example you already have a level 4 qualification like an AAT level 4, this will count towards your Foundation Degree.

OUR COMMITMENT TO YOUThe colleges and the Centre for Work-Based learning have jointly agreed to provide applicants to either the Foundation Degree in Applied Professional Practice or the Higher Apprenticeship in Business and Professional Administration with:

Clear information about entry requirements and recognition of higher level credit acquired with other colleges Clear information about costs for each stage of these qualifications Clear information about government loans for part-time higher education learners A clear process for recognising previous higher level credit you have already earned and advice on the cost

savings of having it taken into account Access to a high level of information, advice and guidance to help work-based learners navigate their way to

the most appropriate higher education course A clear and timely application process

We have put together in this prospectus a listing of part-time higher education qualifications offered by the colleges, giving their credit value and showing how they can be combined within an overall progression pathway through the Foundation degree at the college to an Honours degree in Applied Professional Studies at the University of Greenwich.

VALUING EXISTING HIGHER LEVEL STUDY

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IN WORK ? Options for part-time and work-based higher level study at college

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS AND NVQs, HNC/HNDs, FOUNDATION DEGREES and HONOURS DEGREES

FOUNDATION DEGREE IN APPLIED PROFESSIONAL STUDIES

HIGHER APPRENTICESHIP IN BUSINESS

HONOURS DEGREE IN APPLIED PROFESSIONAL STUDIES ONE YEAR TOP-UP

MASTERS DEGREE IN APPLIED PROFESSIONAL STUDIES

Exi

sting

Lev

el 3

Qua

lifica

tions

Existing Level 4/5 Qualifications

Level 6

COLLEGE BASED PART-TIME HIGHER VOCATIONAL EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE IN WORK

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These include professional qualifications like the AAT Level 4 Diploma in Accounting and CMI Level 5 Diploma Management and Leadership or NVQs like NVQ 4 Diploma in Management. These courses are funded through the Skills Funding Agency and are known as “non-prescribed higher education”. For learners aged 24+, course fees can attract advanced learning loans.

They also include HNCs, HNDs, Foundation Degrees and Degrees which are validated by Universities and known as “prescribed higher education”. These are funded through higher education student loans.

All the higher vocational education courses that are offered part-time in the colleges for people in work are listed under the links below:

BUSINESS & ACCOUNTING

MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP

HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE

ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING

CHILD CARE COUNSELLING

TEACHING

PART-TIME HIGHER VOCATIONAL EDUCATION COURSES OFFERED BY THE COLLEGES

CONSTRUCTION & BUILT ENVIRONMENT

LAW & LEGAL PRACTICE

SCIENCELAND-BASED & ENVIRONMENTAL

FOUNDATION DEGREE IN APPLIED PROFESSIONAL STUDIES

HIGHER APPRENTICESHIP IN BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL ADMINISTRATION

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WHAT IS APPLIED PROFESSIONAL STUDIES? A work-based Foundation Degree that allows you to create a personalised programme of learning entirely relevant to your current and future

career goals It combines academic recognition for previous learning with work-based projects and, if desired, taught courses from across the College It is made up of negotiated work-based study which means that the contents are agreed in a learning contract between you and your tutor You will gain credits through projects and research based on your current or past work practice, or on topics related to your career development It can be studied at your own pace, with limited attendance at the College It involves investigating the practical application of theories in a professional context and researching ways to contribute to new working practices

to developing the workplace knowledge base

WHAT ABOUT PROGRESSION?A foundation degree is the equivalent of the first two years of an Honours degree. It may be studied as a stand-alone qualification or you may choose to progress to top-up to an Honours degree. The Master’s degree is for graduates in senior roles and professionals seeking a framework for their continuing professional development.

Case Study – Stella Stella left college with a BTEC qualification in Business in 2003 and in a previous job had been persuaded to a NVQ level 4 in Management. Since then she has worked in a variety of administrative jobs and now feels it is time for her to improve her career prospects and get a higher education qualification that will help her to progress into a more senior management role. In her current job, she would not be able to get time off, so she was looking for a course she could study flexibly. A friend had just completed the APS and had told her how it had been completely focused on his workplace, didn’t require day release, and it had led him to do projects that had raised his profile with his manager contributing to his recent promotion. Stella has just enrolled on the Foundation Degree in Applied Professional Studies, taking out a loan to pay the fees. The overall fee was much less than she had thought because her NVQ 4 was given credit and this saved her £1,500.

COLLEGES OFFERING THE FOUNDATION DEGREE IN APPLIED PROFESSIONAL STUDIES IN 2013Bexley College Bromley College Greenwich Community College Hadlow College North West Kent College The Colleges all have reputations for delivering high quality business skills to local companies. The University of Greenwich has accredited the Foundation Degree and will work with the colleges, employers and learners to maintain high levels of quality assurance and academic rigour.

FOUNDATION DEGREE IN APPLIED PROFESSIONAL STUDIES

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WHAT IS THE HIGHER APPRENTICESHIP?The Higher Apprenticeship is a locally delivered work-based Foundation Degree in Business and Professional Administration which is mapped to the NVQ4. It is a mix of work-based units which are based on real life projects in your work-place and taught units. It is: An approved Higher Apprenticeship Framework (Council for Administration) A unique new combination of a Foundation Degree and NVQ4 Available locally in SE London and North West Kent Part-time and achievable in under 3 years Designed with the ability to top up to a full honours degree

Case Study – Barnard HousingThis is a large housing association with a construction and maintenance workforce based on projects across South London and Kent. At head office, about 35 administrative and financial staff are employed. The head of Human Resources started a business apprenticeship scheme 5 years. Sharon successfully finished her advanced apprenticeship 2 years ago, has now been given new responsibility and she is very ambitious. She talked to her manager about the Higher Apprenticeship and the company agreed to support her. For her manager it was a no brainer as it meant she would be able to retain Sharon for at least three more years, more if she went on to top up to an Honours degree, and she would be increasingly effective at her job as she studied. The deal they struck meant Sharon took out a part-time student loan for half the fee and the company paid the rest which for Sharon was a win-win.

COLLEGES OFFERING THE HIGHER APPRENTICESHIP IN 2013Bexley College Bromley CollegeGreenwich Community College Lewisham College North West Kent College

The Colleges all have reputations for delivering high quality business skills to local companies. The University of Greenwich has accredited the Foundation Degree and will work with the colleges, employers and learners to maintain high levels of quality assurance and academic rigour.

HIGHER APPRENTICESHIP IN BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL ADMINISTRATION

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Course TitleCredit Level

Credit Value

Funding Type

Offered by Further Details

FD Business and Management

5 240 Prescribed Bromley Collegehttp://www.bromley.ac.uk/Course_list/Course_details/Coursedetails.html?course=720000010919691&code=12L4APTTL2012-13&subtype=0

 HNC Construction Management and Building Surveying

4 150 Prescribed Bromley College  

Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care and Children and Young People’s Services (Level 5)

5 80Non-prescribed

Greenwich Community College 

http://www.gcc.ac.uk/course/2638/diploma-in-leadership-for-health-and-social-care-children-and-young-people-s-services-city-guilds-level-5/?csl=3035194&entrant=1

 North West Kent College http://www.nwkcollege.ac.uk/services-for-

businesses/short-courses/1127/level-5-diploma-in-leadership-for-health-and-social-care-and-children-and-young-peoples-services/ 

CMI Diploma in Management and Leadership (Level 5)

5 62Non-prescribed

Bromley College http://www.bromley.ac.uk/Course_list/Course_details/Coursedetails.html?course=720000010834954&code=12L5DMANL2012-13&subtype=0 CMI Diploma in

Strategic Management and Leadership (Level 7)

7 66Non-prescribed

Bromley Collegehttp://www.bromley.ac.uk/Course_list/Course_details/Coursedetails.html?course=720000010839856&code=12SFCSTML2012-13&subtype=0

 FD Venue, Events and Hospitality Management

5 240 PrescribedGreenwich Community College

http://www.gcc.ac.uk/course/2484/foundation-degree-in-venue-events-and-hospitality-management-level-4-5/?browse_subject_area_id=41&entrant=1 

MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP

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On successful completion of an HND or Foundation Degree it is possible to progress onto a third year top up to an honours degree in Applied Professional Studies at the University of Greenwich. Details can be found here: http://www2.gre.ac.uk/study/courses/aps

Many graduates enter the labour market and find themselves in jobs where it is difficult to make the regular commitment on a weekly basis to attend university to study for an Masters degree. The MA/MSc in Applied Professional Studies provides the same flexibility of the undergraduate programmes and allows learners to get a postgraduate qualification through work-based learning. Details can be found here: http://www2.gre.ac.uk/study/courses/aps

HONOURS DEGREE IN APPLIED PROFESSIONAL STUDIES

MASTERS DEGREE IN APPLIED PROFESSIONAL STUDIES

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COURSE FEESThe fees for 2013 are shown against the courses listed in this prospectus. Also alongside each course is an indication of whether the course is prescribed or non-prescribed. This refers to the fact that different types of higher education qualifications have different funding arrangements. Higher Education Student Loans (Prescribed Courses)From 2013 learners studying part-time in the work-place for a Foundation Degree are eligible for a student loan to cover the higher education fees as long as they have not studied at this level before. The following link has further information: http://www.sfengland.slc.co.uk/part-time-study/new-students.aspx.

24+ Advanced Learning Loans (Non-Prescribed Courses)From 2013, for learners under 24 at the start of their course there will be some government funding to cover part of the course fee as long as they have not studied at this level before. For those aged 24+, student loans will be available to cover the course fees for those who have not previously had a loan for study at this level. Students wishing to apply for loans to cover the fees can apply from March 2013 and should contact the college for advice. Further information is available at: http://www.practitioners.slc.co.uk/further-education.aspx

COURSE FEES AND PART-TIME STUDENT LOANS