#it user

QuizCity

Well, 3,000 plus qualifications down to 135 Vocational products for schools! The Department of Education have sent out the list of those that hae been accepted for Perfromance Points from 2014 and I am sure many Awarding Organisations will be set to appeal against the decisions.

Good news! City & Guilds have a number of products in ICT accepted (yes I am challenging a couple of others) and here they are;

500/1729/9 City & Guilds Level 2 Diploma for Software Developers

500/6724/2 City & Guilds Level 2 Certificate for IT Users (ITQ) (QCF)

500/6760/6 City & Guilds Level 2 Diploma for IT Users (ITQ) (QCF)

501/1859/6 City & Guilds Level 2 Diploma in ICT Systems and Principles for IT Professionals (QCF)

Who ever said there are no learning materials out there should have visited this exhibition. e-learning galore and not just for ICT!!

Tools for skills assessment, learn and test health & safety in the work place, career planning against learning and, of course, products for learning a wide range of ICT for users and professionals. In amongst this is Towards Maturity (where I sit writing this and drinking coffee) and opposite The National Skills Academy for IT; TM providing guidance on appropriate learning and helping create best practice, while NSA have a wealth of materials and tests for IT novices, professionals and various business roles.

Course, books, online its all here - obviously for a cost.

The new apprenticeship certification online system for England is scheduled to go live from 19th January.

If you have been searching for the official Apprenticeship Framework documents from the Online library (even if you haven't) please note it is moved. To find the documents that have been submited by the Sector Skills Councils and signed off by the National Apprenticeship Service use the link below;

http://www.afo.sscalliance.org/frameworkslibrary/

As they say, a message from our sponsors (well the news you have all been waiting for at least) - fill your boots, as they say. 

Dear All

We have today reached agreement with the Apprenticeship Unit and have now issued the ‘IT Application Specialist’ apprentice framework which replaces the IT User framework. This is downloadable from http://www.apprenticeshipframeworksonline.semta.org.uk/, and shortly from the e-skills UK website. The qualification content is exactly the same (with all AO ITQs now included).

 Regards

 Chris

 Dr Chris Morrow MBCS CEng CITP

Big thanks to Chris Morrow at e-skills (framework issuer) and all centres who sent him and me supporting evidence for maintaining an IT user Apprenticeship.

While it has to be edited and represented, Chris has managed to get the National Apprenticeship Service to understand the need for this vital framework. The only argument now is that the framework must state that those undertaking will make substantial use of ICT as part of their every job.

There will be no change to the original proposal (including the two new units to cover the 10 credit of knowledge and PTLS requirements from SASE) and the costings required by Skills Funding Agency are ready to go. Chris will be making the changes and resubmitting this week (hopefully) and we chould see the Apprenticeship Framework up and running with some swiftness.

The reasons for this were always clear:

Return to work

Upskilling

Unemployed to work

Young people looking to work with ICT software (not hardware or systems or networks as in ICT Professional)

The previous Framework has been used successfully by a wide range of centres across the country in all of the areas.