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Employability

Q

What is it?

The Employability qualifications provide a framework for developing and recognising general employability skills at Entry 2 to Level 2. They are suitable for use with pre-16 and post-16 learners.

ASDAN was given full endorsement for the Employability qualifications by Asset Skills, the Sector Skills Council which had responsibility for Employability skills and qualifications. ASDAN featured in a report commissioned by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and UKES which reviewed the impact of generic Employability qualifications. The full report can be downloaded here.

For centres delivering in Wales

Please note for centres in Wales wishing to deliver the Level 1 and 2 qualifications, the last date for candidate registrations was 31 August 2019 and the last date for certification is 31 August 2021.

Read the full specifications for the Awards and Certificates in Employability:

Who is it for?

  • At Key Stages 3 and 4, schools, academies, alternative education providers and training organisations can use the qualifications to accredit preparation for employment training, career education, enterprise education, work-related learning and work experience. 
  • It is ideal for Post-16 training organisations and colleges delivering study programmes, traineeships and provision as part of youth contracts and the DWP Work Programme. 

Facts and figures

  • Employability is a nationally recognised qualification, fully approved by Ofqual in England and by the relevant regulatory bodies for use in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. 
  • Following amendments to the school and college performance tables in England, qualifications that do not rely on a written examination for assessment purposes, such as ASDAN qualifications, do not, themselves, contribute to the tables. There is however strong evidence that ASDAN qualifications improve performance in English and Mathematics, which have a double weighting in school performance measures such as Progress 8.
  • In Wales and Northern Ireland, ASDAN qualifications can contribute towards school/college performance measures. Download this information sheet for details.

Structure

All qualifications require centres and learners to complete a specific number of core and additional units to reach the number of credits for a particular size of qualification. At all levels, 6 credits are required for an Award, and 15 credits are required for a Certificate. Each credit is around 10 hours of learning time.

  • To achieve an Award, at least one core unit must be completed
  • To achieve a Certificate, at least two core units must be completed

Download a table of Employability units at all 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.

Units and standards

Download the Employability Entry 2-3 standards only and Employability Levels 1-2 standards only.

Please note that centres registered to deliver Employability will be able to access a full copy of the standards with guidance, which provides key information on how to interpret and implement the unit standards. Download sample units from the Employability Entry 2-3 standards with guidance and sample units from the Employability Levels 1-2 standards with guidance.

Resources for registered centres

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

Unit activities can be downloaded from the members 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 members area of the website. They are not mandatory but are highly recommended.

Getting started

For centres new to ASDAN, your first step is to complete the Centre Registration Form.

Once your registration has been processed, you must upload specified policies and procedures as part of the ASDAN centre approval process. Once these have been accepted you will be able to access candidate registration for ASDAN qualifications.

Current ASDAN centres need to ensure that Employability is added to their centre's registration.

Following registration, you will be able to purchase candidate registrations and access additional resources and guidance via the members area.

Training and support

All centres running Employability must have an ASDAN-trained co-ordinator; ASDAN provides introductory training workshops and can arrange in-house training.

Free regional support meetings are held throughout the year and are open to any staff involved in delivering Employability.

Assessment

After students' work has been internally moderated, centres must register candidates for external moderation, which is carried out by post. ASDAN will issue certificates following successful external moderation.

Costs

All prices shown below are per learner, unless otherwise stated.


Item Price
Entry 2 to Level 2 Award or Certificate candidate registration (includes certification) £29.95
Employability Entry level 2 and 3 standards with guidance £8.40
Employability Levels 1 and 2 standards with guidance £8.40
Employability Level 3 standards with guidance £7.25

 

All prices valid from 1 September 2020 until 31 August 2021. Prices are shown exclusive of VAT. 

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