ASDAN | Employability

ASDAN Employability Qualifications

at Entry 2, Entry 3, Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3
(including General, Careers Education and Enterprise Education Pathways)

The Employability qualifications provide a framework for developing and recognising general employability skills. They are fully approved at Entry 2, Entry 3, Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3.

The ASDAN Employability qualifications are suitable for use with pre-16 and post-16 learners:

At Key Stages 3 and 4, schools, academies, alternative education providers and training organisations can use the qualifications to accredit Access to Apprenticeship programmes, Career Education; Enterprise Education; and Work-related Learning and Work Experience.
Download the Employability flyer for Schools and KS3/KS4 providers for further information.

It is ideal for Post-16 training organisations and colleges delivering contracts as part of the DWP Work Programme, Foundation Learning and Access to Apprenticeship programmes.
Download the Employability flyer for FE and training organisations for further information.
Unit funding is available for ASDAN QCF qualifications, including Employability, for unemployed learners on active benefits: Download the list of eligible units

General Information

All Employability qualifications have had their approval extended by Ofqual to 2014, with certification available to 2016.

Asset Skills Endorsement of ASDAN Employability qualifications

Asset Skills is the Sector Skills Council (SSC) with responsibility for Employability skills and qualifications. They have given full endorsement for ASDAN Employability qualifications at all levels, and have recently completed a report of case studies, commissioned by BIS and UKCES. This report reviews the impact of generic Employability qualifications in a number of setting from a learner, provider and awarding organisation perspective.

ASDAN provides one of the main case studies, featured in the main body of the report (pp.22-25), and is referred to frequently throughout the report.

The report can be viewed on the Asset Skills website.

Education and Business Endorsements of ASDAN Employability Qualifications

Sir Tim Brighouse (former London Commissioner for Schools):

"For many years now ASDAN learning and employability qualifications and support programmes have assisted young people to develop exactly the sort of skills sought by employers and also by higher education selectors in Universities. They are also the self-same general and employability skills recently highlighted by Alison Wolf in her Review of Vocational Education to whose agenda ASDAN is especially fit to assist."

Reed in Partnership:

Reed in Partnership uses the excellent accredited packages ASDAN provides for Welfare to Work clients. In a pilot in 2010, all 30 learners successfully completed the Employability Qualifications; 60% went straight into work. Reed in Partnership is now rolling out the ASDAN Employability Qualifications nationally, with 40 trainers facilitating the course.”

Global Vision International:

"At GVI & The Academy of Internships Abroad, we are always looking for new and exciting ways to develop the personal and professional abilities of all those that participate in our programs. We feel the core structure and focused key skills set of ASDAN’s Employability Qualifications enable individuals to gain skills to become more employable than those with just pure academic achievements.

The Employability Qualifications have are the fundamental focus of The Academy and GVI’s International Internship programs, transforming a work experience placement into a more structured training position, benefiting both the individual and host organisations. We have also seen the benefits internally as the Employability Qualification is now used as a training package for all current and future staff, to hone current skills and develop those who have little employment experience."

Levels

The Entry 2, Entry 3 and Level 1 qualifications are intended for young people and adults who are not yet ready for employment but for whom a job is a realistic aim within a reasonable timescale. They are fully approved for Foundation Learning.

The Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications aim to help learners develop employability skills within occupational settings, allowing them to build on their employability skills and acquire transferable skills that will help them progress in their current situation and in the wider world of work.

Structure of the qualifications

Download the full table of Employability pathways and units

Employability Pathways

At Entry 3, Level 1 and Level 2, ASDAN has created units and qualification pathways to provide a greater choice to learners and centres to accredit their Work Related Learning activities and experiences.

There are three Employability pathways available:

General Employability pathway
Career Education pathway - a pathway and units to support the Information, Advice and Guidance and Career education Standards Report (DCSF 2009) and the 7-19 Careers Education Framework.
Enterprise Education pathway - based on three units to support and accredit Enterprise Education. Please visit the Enterprise page for more information about ASDAN's Enterprise provision.

Overview

All qualifications and pathways require centres and learners to complete a specific number of Mandatory and Optional units to reach the number of credits for a particular size qualification. At all levels, 8 credits are required for an Award, and 13 credits are required for a Certificate. Each credit is around 10 hours of learning time.

At Entry 2, Entry 3 and Level 1 there are 3 Mandatory units with the remaining units being Optional
At Level 2 and Level 3 there are 2 Mandatory units with the remaining units being Optional.

To gain full qualifications at any level or size, learners must complete all the required Mandatory units as shown in bold in the table above. Unit certification is available for learners who complete full units.

Click on the links below to download the standards for each level, which include details of credit ratings and which units are mandatory:

Please note that centres registering to deliver Employability will receive a printed copy of the Standards with Guidance, which provides key information on how to interpret and implement the standards. Download sample units from the Standards with Guidance.

Assessment

To achieve an ASDAN Employability qualification, learners must produce a portfolio of evidence. The evidence is internally assessed and moderated, and then externally moderated by an ASDAN External Moderator. It is expected that most external moderation will take place by post. If requested, ASDAN can provide a pre-moderation check before first submissions – we highly recommend this support to all new centres.

Resources for registered centres

Standards with guidance for each level that can be downloaded from the secure area of the website

Resource sheets to help candidates provide good quality evidence. These are available in PDF and Microsoft Word formats and can be downloaded from the secure area of the website. They are not mandatory but are highly recommended.

Student books have been developed for Entry 2, Entry 3 and Level 1. These books support the development of employability skills and knowledge, and link to the standards and resource sheets. A copy of the student book at the relevant level can be requested for each candidate as part of the candidate registration process. These books are optional resources.

Download sample pages:


Level 1	Entry 3	Entry 2

Status

The qualifications have been accredited by Ofqual, DCELLS and CCEA within the Qualifications and Credit Framework. They have also been credit rated onto the SCQF by SQA in Scotland - at Levels 2-6.

Qualification

Code

Point score

Contribution to threshold
at each level

Certificate in Employability
Entry Level E2 (QCF)

500/4231/2

No Entry Level threshold

Award in Employability
Entry Level E2 (QCF)

500/4256/7

Certificate in Employability
Entry Level E3 (QCF)

500/3723/7

Award in Employability
Entry Level E3 (QCF)

500/1728/7

Certificate in Employability
Level 1 (QCF)

500/3722/5

20% at Level 1

Award in Employability
Level 1 (QCF)

500/1727/5

12.5

10% at Level 1

Certificate in Employability
Level 2 (QCF)

500/3921/0

20% at Level 2

Award in Employability
Level 2 (QCF)

500/3920/9

10% at Level 2

Certificate in Employability
Level 3 (QCF)

500/3923/4

15% at Level 3

Award in Employability
Level 3 (QCF)

500/3922/2

10% at Level 3

Foundation Learning

This qualification is eligible for use in Foundation Learning provision. For further information, see the Foundation Learning section of this website or download the Foundation Learning information booklet.

Training

Details of forthcoming Employability Information Seminars (for the new units and Pathways only) and Training Workshops (compulsory for new centres) can be found on the Employability Training and Events page. INSET/in-house training can be arranged and tailored to meet the needs of staff teams.

Further information

For more details about the Employability qualifications, contact Simon Lawrence at ASDAN.

FAQ

How are the Employability qualifications normally delivered?

They will normally be delivered through a combination of training centre/classroom-based activities and work placement learning. They are also being used by some centres to practise literacy and numeracy skills alongside employability skills (e.g. within the National Employability Skills Programme for adults in England).

How much do Employability qualifications cost?

The Costs page features information about registration costs for the Employability qualifications. Please also take into account the annual centre registration fee if you are not yet registered with ASDAN.

What is the value of the Employability qualifications?

Learners should be in a better position to ‘sell themselves’ to potential employers by demonstrating and owning a range of skills and qualities that employers look for. The qualifications have national approval in the UK, and have been endorsed by Sector Skills Council with responsibility for Employability, ASSET Skills in meeting the SSC Alliance Employability Matrix – 2010.

How can my centre start running the Employability qualifications?

If you are not yet registered with ASDAN, your first step is to complete an Application for Centre Registration form. See the Centre Registration section for more information.

Following registration, you will be able to access materials and guidance on the secure area of the website. Your centre will be allocated an ASDAN External Moderator, who will provide advice and support. Centres must complete Centre Approval before registering candidates for moderation.

ASDAN provides introductory training workshops and can arrange in-house training.

Current ASDAN centres need to ensure Employability is added to their centre's registration. To do this, please go to the Add to your Registration section and complete the additional programmes/qualifications form.

What progression routes are available from Employability?

The Employability qualifications provide a baseline of employability skills from which learners can progress to a range of options, including vocational education, training, employment and CPD. Credits from Employability (Entry 2 or Entry 3) can be transferred to the Diplomas in Life Skills. Find out more by downloading an information sheet.

Secure Area for registered centres

Once your centre is registered with ASDAN for the Employability qualifications, you can access further information and resources via the website's Secure Area.

It contains all relevant updates, essential documents, meeting information and resources, and enables you to:

Download Standards with Guidance, Evidence Resource Sheets, Candidate Achievement Records, and the Mandatory Assessment Checklists
Purchase candidate registrations and submit their details for moderation
Purchase materials from ASDAN’s Online Catalogue
Check the list of candidates you have registered from your centre

There is no limit to the number of people from a centre who can register to use the Secure Area. You can register for a password online, by using the password request form.

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