Level 2 qualifications enrolment extended until the end of the year

The Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) said this was a temporary measure for 16- to 19-year-olds studying full and relevant Level 2 vocationally related qualifications (VRQs) included in the qualifications list for those delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage.

A new Level 2 Certificate is likely to mirror the revised apprenticeship framework that will become available in the autumn as part of the Government’s 14-19 strategy.

Students will be able to enrol on the following courses until the end of the year:
•    CACHE Level 2 Diploma in Child Care and Education
•    CACHE Level 2 Certificate in Child Care and Education
•    Edexcel Level 2 BTEC First Diploma in Children’s Care, Learning and Development (Subject to approval and inclusion on the Qualifications List for those delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage)

The CWDC’s aspiration remains for all practitioners to be qualified to a Level 3 minimum.

The new Level 2 certificate will include two optional units from Level 3 so that those students who want to go on to gain the Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People’s Workforce can bridge the gap between the qualifications.

The certificate will consist of 35 credits and is a combination of knowledge and competence units. It is designed to be a generic qualification for the wider children’s workforce that reflects the common core and offers progression to the Level 3 Diploma.

Some training providers will be offering the new Level 2 Certificate and the Level 3 Diploma to 16- to 19-year-olds from September 2010.

Pauline Jones, senior programme manager at CWDC, said, ‘We are responding to the needs of 16- to 19-year-old college-based learners by allowing Level 2 full and relevant qualifications included on the Qualifications List for those delivering the EYFS to continue to carry occupational competence.

‘This is a temporary short-term measure to enable us to package the new Level 2 Certificate to meet the needs of 16- to 19-year-old college-based learners in line with the Government’s 14-19 strategy.’

The development of a new Level 2 certificate is linked to the move to have all vocational qualifications in the Qualifications Credit Framework (QCF). The National Qualifications Framework (NQF) for all vocational qualifications closes to new students at the end of December. After this time, all vocational qualifications will need to be in the QCF and approved by sector skills councils.

Further information

http://www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/qualifications-credit-framework