|
WHAT ARE THESE QUALIFICATIONS?
Some skills are vital for getting on at work, in life and in learning. These are called Key Skills. They are required at work to allow for flexibility in whatever kind of work a person may do. Employers look for certain “key skills” when they are recruiting and promoting people. Key skills are required in personal life to help people organise themselves, overcome problems and get on with other people. Finally, Key Skills are needed in learning as they help a person to focus on what they are learning and how they are learning in order to get better results.
Each Key Skill qualification represents an essential skill that is highly sought after by employers and educational establishments and is key to individual development. There are six Key Skill areas:
Key Skills are available at Levels 1 to 4 and as candidates move up through the levels they are expected to:
- draw on a wider range and more complex techniques in tackling activities
- take increasing responsibility for deciding how they will apply their skills to suit different tasks, problems and situations
- be more aware of factors that affect their performance when working within progressively more challenging contexts
Level 1 helps candidates to develop the basic skills and recognise their ability to apply these skills in meeting given purposes within routine situations.
Level 2 requires candidates to extend their basic skills. It recognises their ability to take responsibility for some decisions about how they select and apply these skills to meet the demands of largely straightforward tasks.
Level 3 makes a shift from straightforward tasks to being capable of responding to the demands of more complex activities. Candidates need to demonstrate more explicit reasoning ability and personal responsibility in making decisions about how tasks are organised.
Level 4 requires candidates to have substantial autonomy and responsibility for managing activities and for identifying how the Key Skills relate to their situation. It recognises ability to develop a strategy for using Key Skills over an extended period of time, monitor and critically reflect on progress and adapt strategy, as necessary, to achieve the quality of outcomes required.
QUALIFICATION FRAMEWORKS
OCR awards the Key Skills qualifications offered by Qualtech. All Key Skills are completed through assessment of competence and production of evidence portfolios only. A test is no longer a requirement for candidates in Wales.
Candidates undertaking a Vocational Training Scheme, e.g. Advanced Modern Apprenticeship or Foundation Modern Apprenticeship, are required to gain Key Skills in order to complete their frameworks. Qualtech offers a series of training workshops to help candidates training through these schemes to gain their Key Skills. These workshops are FREE OF CHARGE for candidates undertaking a Vocational, Funded training scheme.
COMMUNICATION
The aim of this Key Skill unit is to encourage candidates to develop and demonstrate speaking, listening, reading and writing skills, including use of images, for different purposes.
At Level 1 candidates must be able to:
- take part in discussions about straightforward subjects
- read and identify the main points and ideas from documents about straightforward subjects
- write about straightforward subjects
At Level 2 candidates must be able to:
- help move discussions forward
- give a short talk using an image to illustrate their main points
- read and summarise information from extended documents
- use a suitable structure and style when writing extended documents
At Level 3 candidates must be able to:
- create opportunities for others to contribute to group discussions about complex subjects
- make a presentation using a range of techniques to engage the audience
- read and synthesise information from extended documents about a complex subject
- organise information coherently, selecting a form and style of writing appropriate to complex subject matter
At Level 4 candidates must be able to produce at least one extended example that requires them to:
- develop a strategy for using communication skills over an extended period of time
- monitor progress and adapt their strategy as necessary, to achieve the quality of outcomes required in work involving a group discussion and an extended written communication about complex subjects
- evaluate their overall strategy and present outcomes from their work, using a formal oral presentation, including images
APPLICATION OF NUMBER
The Application of Number Key Skill is designed to encourage candidates to develop and demonstrate their skills in interpreting information involving numbers, carrying out calculations, interpreting results and presenting findings.
At Level 1 candidates must be able to:
- interpret straightforward information
- carry out calculations using whole numbers, simple decimals, fractions and percentages to given levels of accuracy
- interpret the results of calculations and present findings, using a chart and diagram
At Level 2 candidates must be able to:
- select information and methods to get the results they need
- carry out calculations involving two or more steps and numbers of any size, including use of formulae, and check their methods and levels of accuracy
- select ways to present findings, including use of a graph, describe methods and explain results
At Level 3 candidates must be able to plan and carry through a substantial and complex activity that requires them to:
- plan their approach to obtaining and using information, choose appropriate methods for obtaining results needed and justify their choice
- carry out multi-stage calculations including use of a large data set (over 50 items) and re-arrangement made of formulae
- justify their choice of presentation methods and explain the results of their calculations
At Level 4 candidates must be able to produce at least one extended example, including formulating and testing hypotheses and drawing conclusions, which require them to:
- develop a strategy for using application of number skills over an extended period of time
- monitor progress and adapt their strategy, as necessary, to achieve the quality of outcomes required in their work involving deductive and inferential reasoning and algebraic manipulation
- evaluate their overall strategy and present outcomes from their work, including use of charts, diagrams and graphs to illustrate complex data
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
The aim of the Information Technology qualification is to encourage candidates to develop and demonstrate their skills in using IT for finding, exploring and developing and presenting information (text, images and numbers).
At Level 1 candidates must be able to:
- find, enter, explore and develop relevant information
- present information, including text, images and numbers, using appropriate layouts and save information
- show purposeful use of e-mail
At Level 2 candidates must be able to:
- identify suitable sources, carry out effective searches and select relevant information
- bring together, explore and develop information, and derive new information
- present combined information, including text, images and numbers, in a consistent way
- show purposeful use of e-mail
At Level 3 candidates must be able to:
- plan and use different sources and appropriate techniques to search for and select information based on judgements of relevance and quality
- create and use appropriate methods to explore, develop and exchange information, using automated routines where appropriate
- develop the structure and content of their presentation, using others’ views to guide refinements, and information from different sources
- show purposeful use of e-mail , including a related attachment
At Level 4 candidates must be able to produce at least one extended example that requires them to:
- develop a strategy for using IT skills over an extended period of time
- monitor progress and adapt their strategy, as necessary, to achieve the quality of outcomes required in work involving the use of IT for two different complex purposes
- evaluate their overall strategy and present outcomes from their work using a presentation showing integration of text, images and numbers
WORKING WITH OTHERS
The Key Skill of Working with Others is about how candidates work with others when planning and carrying out activities to get things done and achieve shared objectives.
At Level 1 candidates must be able to:
- understand what needs to be done to achieve the given objectives
- carry out tasks to meet their responsibilities
- say how they have got on and suggest ways of improving work with others
At Level 2 candidates must be able to:
- plan what needs to be done to achieve given objectives and clarify responsibilities
- organise tasks to meet their responsibilities and work co-operatively with others
- check progress, seeking advice when needed
- exchange information on progress and agree ways of improving work with others
At Level 3 candidates must be able to:
- plan work and agree responsibilities and working arrangements
- seek to establish and maintain co-operative working relationships, agreeing way to overcome difficulties and conflicts
- review work with others, including factors that influenced the outcome
- agree ways of improving your work, including interpersonal skills
At Level 4 candidates must be able to:
- develop a strategy for using skills in working with others over an extended period of time
- monitor progress and adapt their strategy as necessary, to achieve the quality of outcomes required in taking a leading role in managing at least one complex group activity
- evaluate their overall strategy and present the outcomes from their work in at least one group situation
IMPROVING OWN LEARNING AND PERFORMANCE
The content of this qualification is about how candidates manage their personal learning and career development
At Level 1 candidates must be able to:
- understand the short-term targets they have been given
- follow their plan to meet targets and improve their performance
- review their progress and achievements
At Level 2 candidates must be able to:
- help set short-term targets and plan how these will be met
- use their plan to meet targets, identifying when they need support from others
- identify evidence of their achievements when reviewing their progress
At Level 3 candidates must be able to:
- agree targets and plan how these will be met over an extended period of time
- use their plan, seeking feedback and support from relevant sources, to help meet targets
- adapt your approach to meet new demands
- seek information from relevant sources to establish evidence of their achievements, when reviewing their progress and ways to further improve performance
At Level 4 candidates must be able to:
- develop a strategy for using skills in improving own learning and performance over an extended period of time
- monitor progress and adapt their strategy as necessary, to achieve the quality of outcomes required in at least two different complex learning activities
- evaluate their overall strategy and present the outcomes from their work including a synthesis of what they have learnt from two different complex learning activities
PROBLEM SOLVING
The Key Skill of Problem Solving is about how candidates recognise problems and do something about them.
At Level 1 candidates must be able to:
- confirm with someone that you understand a given problem, identify ways of solving it
- try out options, using support and advice given by others
- follow given step-by-step methods to check if the problem has been solved and describe the results
At Level 2 candidates must be able to:
- identify the problem , with help and come up with options for solving it
- plan and try out options, obtaining support and making changes when needed
- apply methods to check if the problem has been solved and explain your approach to problem solving
At Level 3 candidates must be able to:
- explore the problem, compare options and justify the option selected to take forward
- plan and implement the selected option, review progress and review their approach as necessary
- apply agreed methods to check if the problem has been solved, and review different approaches to problem solving
At Level 4 candidates must be able to:
- develop a strategy for using skills in problem solving over an extended period of time
- monitor progress and adapt their strategy, as necessary, to achieve the quality of outcomes required when tackling one complex problem with at least three options
- evaluate their overall strategy and present the outcomes from their work using a variety of methods
Please feel free to contact our marketing department for further information.
Click here for more information
These qualifications are part financed by the European Social Fund through the Welsh Assembly Government, when undertaken as part of a Modern Apprenticeship programme.
|
