Download - Qualification Handbook BIIAB Workplace Core Skills · PDF fileQualification Handbook. BIIAB Workplace Core Skills ... website and in the SQA Accreditation ‘Core Skills catalogue

Version 1 © BIIAB December 2016 www.biiab.org

Qualification Handbook

BIIAB Workplace Core Skills Levels 3, 4, 5 & 6

Version 1

http://www.biiab.org/

BIIAB Workplace Core Skills Handbook

Version 1 © BIIAB December 2016 www.biiab.org

Version and date Change, alteration or addition Section Version 1 16-12-2016



Version 1 © BIIAB December 2016 1 www.biiab.org

Table of Contents 1. About BIIAB Workplace Core Skills ................................................................................ 2 2. Objective and Purpose of the Workplace Core Skills units ............................................. 3 3. About this Handbook .................................................................................................... 4 4. BIIAB Customer Service ................................................................................................. 4 7. Age Restriction ............................................................................................................. 5 8. Entry Requirements and Progression ............................................................................ 6 9. Assessment .................................................................................................................. 7 10. Initial Assessment and Induction ............................................................................... 12 11. Resources ................................................................................................................. 13 12. Design and Delivery .................................................................................................. 14 13. Format of Units ......................................................................................................... 15 14. Initial Registration .................................................................................................... 16 15. Qualification Review and Feedback ........................................................................... 17




1. About BIIAB Workplace Core Skills BIIAB is accredited to deliver Workplace Core Skills units by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). The units have unique Accreditation Numbers which are shown below. The Accreditation Number code will be displayed on the final certificate.

Unit Title Accreditation Number (QN)

BIIAB Core Skills Level 3 Communication HH59 04

BIIAB Core Skills Level 4 Communication HH5A 04

BIIAB Core Skills Level 5 Communication HH5C 04

BIIAB Core Skills Level 6 Communication HH5D 04

BIIAB Core Skills Level 3 Numeracy HH5J 04

BIIAB Core Skills Level 4 Numeracy HH5K 04

BIIAB Core Skills Level 5 Numeracy HH5P 04

BIIAB Core Skills Level 6 Numeracy HH5R 04

BIIAB Core Skills Level 3 ICT HH5E 04

BIIAB Core Skills Level 4 ICT HH5F 04

BIIAB Core Skills Level 5 ICT HH5G 04

BIIAB Core Skills Level 6 ICT HH5H 04

BIIAB Core Skills Level 3 Problem Solving HH5T 04

BIIAB Core Skills Level 4 Problem Solving HH5V 04

BIIAB Core Skills Level 5 Problem Solving HH5W 04

BIIAB Core Skills Level 6 Problem Solving HH5X 04

BIIAB Core Skills Level 3 Working with Others HH5Y 04

BIIAB Core Skills Level 4 Working with Others HH60 04






2. Objective and Purpose of the Workplace Core Skills units Workplace Core Skills are skills and abilities that have been identified as being essential for everyone in their work. They contain broad, transferable skills that help to develop the main capabilities people need to be full, active and responsible members of society. The Core Skills are:

• Communication • Numeracy • Information and Communication Technology • Problem Solving • Working with Others.

Employers look for Core Skills when they are appointing new staff. They also expect their existing staff to have these skills. Workplace Core Skills are important because they help you work effectively in your present job and also prepare you for jobs which you will do in future. Developing your Core Skills help you deal with today’s rapidly changing World and improve your career prospects. Core Skills are also a component of Modern Apprenticeships in Scotland. While recognised in other nations Workplace Core Skills are designed for, and to be delivered in, Scotland. Learners predominantly based in nations other than Scotland within the United Kingdom should not as a first choice, choose Core Skills (unless they plan to work or undertake an Apprenticeship in Scotland or wish to take a Core Skill for which a comparable unit is not available within their nation). The following comparable alternative qualifications should in most instances be chosen by learners in other nations:

• England – Functional Skills • Wales – Essential Skills Wales • Northern Ireland – Essential Skills Northern Ireland.

Due to constant regulatory, policy and funding changes users are advised to check the Workplace Core Skills requirements associated with the Modern Apprenticeship(s) that they are planning to offer and the relevant funding that is available for individual learners before making registrations. If you are unsure about the status of the different Workplace Core Skills and the Modern Apprenticeships and other qualifications that they may be used alongside, please contact BIIAB head office.




3. About this Handbook This support pack has been developed to provide guidance for learners, assessors and verifiers/quality assurers undertaking, delivering, or quality assuring the Core Skills units. The purpose of the support pack is to provide the majority of the key information that may be needed to prepare for, and help support, the successful delivery and assessments of the units, in one place. If this pack is updated, centres will be notified via the BIIAB monthly newsletter which goes to approved centres.

4. BIIAB Customer Service BIIAB is committed to giving the highest possible levels of customer service. The BIIAB’s Service Level Agreement is available via www.biiab.org. Our Customer Service team can be contacted between the hours of 0900 and 1700 Monday to Friday by using the contact details below, or outside those hours, by leaving a message on our voicemail service. Customer Service Contact Details: 01276 684449 Email: [email protected] Our Customer Service team will be happy to assist with any administration related enquiries you may have. For example:

• registration and certification enquiries • re-certification issues • centres available in the local area • appeals • whistleblowing.



mailto:[email protected]



6. BIIAB Workplace Core Skills structure The Workplace Core Skills units are split across four levels and five different areas of skills. These are as follows:

• Communication – SCQF levels 3, 4, 5 & 6

• Numeracy – SCQF levels 3, 4, 5 & 6

• Information, Communication Technology – SCQF levels 3, 4, 5 & 6

• Problem Solving – SCQF levels 3, 4, 5 & 6

• Working with others – SCQF levels 3, 4, 5 & 6 Each of the units has its own unit specification and ‘Assessment Support Pack’. These documents have been developed and published by SQA and have been adopted with their agreement by BIIAB. All of these documents are available to centres on the BIIAB Website in the Core Skills section. There is an overarching SQA Guide to Assessing Workplace Core Skills to help assessors and verifiers/quality assurers which is available to centres on the BIIAB Website in the Core Skills section. Each unit requires the learner to complete tasks which demonstrate that they have applied the relevant Core Skill in a work based situation. For example, in Core Skill level 3 in Communication, the learner is required to read a document and explain to an assessor the key points to demonstrate that they understand the content. Likewise, for Numeracy, the learner may be required to complete some simple calculation relating to a price or measurements related to a task.

7. Age Restriction The Workplace Core Skills units outlined in this handbook are appropriate for use in the following age ranges:

• Pre-16 • 16-18 • 19+.

However, in many instances learners in younger age groups may have insufficient opportunities to demonstrate the requirements for Workplace Core Skills using workplace evidence from their job role especially at the higher levels.




8. Entry Requirements and Progression There are no entry requirements for the Workplace Core Skills units. However, learners must be assessed to ensure they have a reasonable chance of achievement and will be able to generate the required evidence. When using Workplace Core Skills as part of a Modern Apprenticeship programme, trainers/tutors/assessors should check the minimum achievement requirements prior to registration. Before registering learners on Workplace Core Skills, care should be taken to ensure that they have not already achieved an equivalent (or higher) qualification that acts as a proxy (such as via Standard Grades at school). Where achievement is not equivalent to a complete Workplace Core Skill at the level they need or want to undertake, there may still be evidence from prior achievement that can be built upon. Further guidance on comparative qualifications that act as proxies for Workplace Core Skills is available in the SQA Guide to Assessing Workplace Core Skills available from the BIIAB website and in the SQA Accreditation ‘Core Skills catalogue for the Automatic Certification of Core Skills in National Qualifications’. If a learner is not ready to achieve a Workplace Core Skill unit, they may benefit from undertaking the level below in the same subject area beforehand, even if it is not a requirement of their Modern Apprenticeship. If the learner wants or needs to achieve a Workplace Core Skill unit at SCQF level 3, but is not yet ready to do so, they may benefit from undertaking a National Core Skills Unit in Communication at SCQF level 2 or an equivalent qualification which would provide good preparation for this Unit. Alternatively, Functional Skills, and Essential Skills qualifications in Wales and Northern Ireland at lower equivalent levels may provide a good basis for undertaking Core Skills where learners move from another nation to Scotland. In most instances learners are likely to be undertaking Core Skills alongside a specific occupational qualification, usually within a Modern Apprenticeship. Where the qualification is predominantly assessed in the workplace (such as an SVQ or equivalent occupational qualification) it is possible and desirable to assess the qualification and the Core Skills simultaneously to avoid unnecessary duplication of assessment and over assessment. BIIAB can provide further guidance on when this is appropriate, any mapping that has been undertaken and the mapping process.




9. Assessment Overview of Assessment Strategy Workplace Core Skills units are designed for the workplace and the content should involve an activity and/or activities that are suited to the requirements of the learners working environment. These skills should be useful to learners in their current and future jobs, as well as in their social and personal lives The focus of the Units reflects essential skills which underpin the individuals’ ability to carry out work-based tasks. To achieve this, learners are required to carry out a series of ‘tasks’ which by being successfully completed produce evidence to demonstrate that the Workplace Core Skill requirements can be achieved. Learners are not required to complete any formal examination type assessments. The design of the units enables tutors/assessors to design and plan work related activities that will meet the requirements of the units. This flexibility should be utilised as much as is possible to enable the learner to demonstrate that they can meet the various unit requirements using evidence from work activities that they carry out on a regular basis. It is recognised that in most cases, learners will be required to complete more than one of the Core Skills and may also cover different units at different levels. In these situations, assessors/tutors are encouraged to explore how work based activities may be used by learners to provide evidence for more than one Core Skill unit. When planning assessment activities, assessors/tutors should ensure they fully understand and comply with the unit and assessment requirements to ensure that evidence generated completely meets all of the ‘what the learner needs to do’ requirements. The role of assessors in the assessment process Assessment is the process used to judge the competence, of a learner, against set standards, in this case, the Core Skills unit standards. The assessor is the person who is responsible for determining learners’ competence. The assessor may be a work place supervisor or an external person who is trained and qualified, or working towards a qualification relevant to the assessor role. Assessors base their judgements on performance and decide how it compares to the Core Skills national standards. The assessor may also ask learners questions related to the various ‘Tasks’ however any outcomes from these questions should be recorded as additional evidence. When the required Core Skills units have been completed and the assessor is satisfied that the learners work has met the required standard, a recommendation for certification will be made. An Internal Quality Assurer (IQA) is responsible for the quality assurance of the achievement of the Core Skills units within the training organisation and will provide advice, guidance and support to the assessors. IQAs also ensure that the assessors apply the standards consistently and fairly. The IQA will review the portfolio of evidence during the assessment process.




An External Quality Assurer (EQA), who is appointed by BIIAB, will verify/quality assure the assessment and internal verification decisions involved in the development of the portfolio. The EQA will quality assure the process, which ensures that certification of the qualification is reliable, consistent and to the national standard, by checking the consistency of assessments made by the training provider, and across training providers. Assessment Strategy The Assessment Strategy has been designed by SQA and is outlined in the ‘Assessment Support Packs’ which accompany each of the individual Workplace Core Skills. While BIIAB has not itself designed the strategy, it agrees with the principles and their suitability as an Assessment Strategy for the units and it has agreed that this strategy will be applied for all of the Workplace Core Skills units. BIIAB has also agreed that it will monitor the compliance of centres offering the units against the criteria. As such all centres and assessments must implement, and adhere to, the current SQA Workplace Core Skills assessment strategy. Assessors and Verifiers/Quality Assurers must ensure they have read and comply with SQA’s guide to assessing Workplace Core Skills Requirements of Assessors, External and Internal Verifiers/Quality Assurers Learners may be assessed, moderated, quality assured and/or verified at work either by one or several appointed individuals. Assessors - The primary responsibility of an assessor is to assess learners’ performance in a range of tasks and to ensure the evidence submitted by the learner meets the requirements of the assessment criteria. It is important that an assessor can recognise the competencies as specified within the Workplace Core Skills units. Assessors therefore need to have a thorough understanding of assessment and quality assurance practices, as well as have in-depth technical understanding related to the Workplace Core Skills for which they are assessing learners. To be able to assess learners, assessors must:

• hold an appropriate qualification, as specified by the appropriate regulatory authority, confirming their competence to assess learners undertaking competence-based units and qualifications. Assessors holding older qualifications must be able to demonstrate that they are assessing to the current standards;

OR

• be working toward an appropriate qualification, as specified by the appropriate regulatory authority. Any assessors working towards an appropriate qualification must ensure their decisions are countersigned by a suitably-qualified assessor/verifier and should be supported by a qualified assessor throughout their training period.

• be ‘occupationally competent’. Assessors must provide current evidence of competence, knowledge and understanding in the areas to be assessed. This will normally be achieved through demonstrating competence in the roles which are to be assessed, or demonstrated by relevant experience and continuing professional development (CPD) which may include the achievement of qualifications relevant to the areas being assessed.




• have a full and current understanding of the Core Skills units, including the quality of assessment and the assessment process. It is the responsibility of approved centres to select and appoint assessors.

Internal Verifier (IV)/Internal Quality Assurer (IQA) - A primary responsibility of IVs/IQAs is to assure the quality and consistency of assessments by the assessors for whom they are responsible. IQAs therefore need to have a thorough understanding of quality assurance and assessment practices, as well as sufficient technical understanding related to the qualifications that they are internally verifying/quality assuring. It will be the responsibility of the approved centre to select and appoint IVs/IQAs. IVs/IQAs must:

• hold an appropriate qualification, as specified by the appropriate regulatory authority, confirming their competence to internally verify/quality assure competence-based assessments and learners. IVs/IQAs holding older qualifications must be able to demonstrate that they are verifying/quality assuring to the current standards.

OR

• be working toward an appropriate qualification, as specified by the appropriate regulatory authority. If an IV/IQA is working towards an appropriate qualification, his/her decisions must be countersigned by a suitably qualified IQA and should be supported by a qualified IV/IQA throughout the training period.

• be ‘occupationally competent’. IVs/IQAs must demonstrate sufficient and current understanding of the qualifications to be internally verified/quality assured, and know how they are applied in the workplace.

• demonstrate competent practice in internal verification of assessment, and demonstrate understanding of the principles and practices of internal verification/quality assuring of assessment, including the quality of assessment and the assessment process.




External Verifier (EV)/External Quality Assurer (EQA) - The primary responsibility of EVs/EQAs is to assure quality of internal verification and assessments across the centres for which they are responsible. EVs/EQAs must have a thorough understanding of verification/quality assurance and assessment practices, as well as in-depth technical knowledge related to the qualifications and Core Skills units that they are externally verifying/quality assuring. EVs/EQAs must:

• hold an appropriate qualification as specified by the appropriate regulatory authority, confirming their competence to verify/quality assure competence-based assessments. EVs/EQAs holding older qualifications must be able to demonstrate that they are verifying/quality assuring to the current standards;

OR

• be working toward an appropriate qualification, as specified by the appropriate regulatory authority. If EVs/EQAs are working towards an appropriate qualification, their decisions must be countersigned by a suitably qualified EV/EQA and should be supported by a qualified EV/EQA throughout their training period.

• be ‘occupationally competent’. EVs/EQAs must demonstrate sufficient and current understanding of the qualifications to be verified, and know how they are applied in business.

• demonstrate competent practice in external verification of assessment, and demonstrate understanding of the principles and practices of external verification of assessment, including the quality of assessment and the assessment process. It is the responsibility of the awarding organisation to select and appoint EQAs.

Evidence from Workplace Performance

• Evidence produced for Workplace Core Skills unit requirements at any level, must be based on evidence from the learners workplace

• Specially-set assignment tasks may fill gaps where evidence fall outside normal work activities

• Please refer to SQA’s guide to assessing Workplace Core Skills for full information and guidance.

Simulation

• Simulation may be used in exceptional circumstances. Within Core Skills it is most likely to be used within the Problem Solving units where some naturally occurring evidence may be unlikely to occur

• Please refer to SQA’s guide to assessing Workplace Core Skills for full information and guidance.




Appeals If learners are dissatisfied with an assessment outcome they have the right to appeal. The main reasons for an appeal are likely to be:

• Learners do not understand why they have not achieved or demonstrated the required standard, because of unsatisfactory feedback from the assessor

• Learners believe they are competent and that the assessor has misjudged them, or has failed to utilise some vital evidence

BIIAB expects most appeals from learners to be resolved within the centre. BIIAB will only consider a learners appeal after the centre’s internal appeals procedure has been fully exhausted. For full details of the BIIAB’s appeals procedure please refer to www.biiab.org





10. Initial Assessment and Induction Prior to the start of any programme it is recommended that centres should make an initial assessment of each learner. This is to ensure that the learners are entered for an appropriate type and level of Core Skill. The initial assessment should identify the specific training needs that the learner has, and the support and guidance that they may require when working towards the Core Skills that they are required to achieve. The centre must also identify any units the learner has already completed, or credits they have accumulated, relevant to the qualification. BIIAB suggests that centres provide an induction programme to ensure the learner fully understands the requirements of the Core Skills they will work towards, their responsibilities as a learner, and the responsibilities of the centre.




11. Resources BIIAB provides access to the following additional resources for this qualification:

• SQA Core Skills Unit Specifications – 1 per Core Skill unit • SQA Core Skills Assessment Support pack – 1 per Core Skill unit • SQA Guide to Assessing Workplace Core Skills.

All of these resources are available for download via the Core Skills section on www.biiab.org and The Hub on centrezone.bii.org. The Hub is a secure area within CentreZone which centres approved for the delivery of Core Skills can access.

Both the BIIAB website and The Hub contains documents relevant to the units. Centres will find The Hub on the list of tabs in CentreZone.

Access to the Units Units form the standard that must be achieved in order to be awarded each Core Skills unit. This is covered within the learning outcomes, assessment criteria and the indicative content that form part of the delivery. All of the units have been written by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) in conjunction with key stakeholders. BIIAB makes all of the Core Skills units available via centrezone.bii.org



http://centrezone.bii.org/




12. Design and Delivery Centres must refer to the Workplace Core Skills unit content and, where relevant, the units that are relevant to the occupational qualifications that they are delivering in tandem. Workplace Core Skills unit content is covered within each of the unit specifications, described in the form of ‘Tasks’. Details regarding the Workplace Core Skills requirements of Modern Apprenticeships will be provided within the apprenticeship framework specification. BIIAB will not prescribe how the Workplace Core Skills are delivered, but centres must ensure the delivery chosen meets the qualification requirements and their learners’ needs.




13. Format of Units All of the Workplace Core Skills units are presented in a standard format. The format gives tutors and learners guidance as to the requirements for successful completion. Each unit within this specification is presented in the format described below: Unit Title This will be shown as it appears on the Register of Regulated Qualifications (http://register.ofqual.gov.uk). Level This identifies the level of demand for the unit. This level may on occasions be a different level to occupational qualifications and Modern Apprenticeships that the Workplace Core Skills are used to support. Levels reflect those used within the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF). Tasks Each Workplace Core Skill unit is divided into a series of ‘tasks’, usually 3 or 4 per unit. These tasks specify what the learner is required to produce to meet the requirements. Unit Guidance Each Workplace Core Skill unit contains guidance for both the learner and the assessor. This includes details in regards to the format in which evidence should be produced and information related to support needs that can be provided for learners with disabilities or learning difficulties.


http://register.ofqual.gov.uk/



14. Initial Registration Registration and Certification Learners should be registered and certificated via BIIAB’s On-line Registration and Certification Service (ORCS) www.orcs.biiab.org. Please refer to BIIAB’s Centre Guidance for using ORCS. Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy BIIAB has in place an equal opportunities policy, a copy can be found at http://centrezone.bii.org BIIAB is committed to ensuring that:

• approved centres operate an equal opportunities policy • approved centres communicate the policy to staff and learners • approved centres have an effective complaints and appeals procedure of which both staff

and learners are made aware • approved centres are aware of their responsibilities in providing equality of opportunity,

particularly with regard to provision for learners with particular assessment requirements. Reasonable Adjustment Policy Learners who require reasonable adjustments for their assessments must inform their assessor at the beginning of their course of their requirements. BIIAB has a reasonable adjustment policy in place, a copy of which is provided to all BIIAB approved centres and can be found at http://centrezone.bii.org .


http://www.orcs.biiab.org/





15. Qualification Review and Feedback BIIAB is committed to working with SQA Accreditation and other stakeholders on the ongoing review of these units to ensure that they remain fit for purpose. This review approach involves the collation of evidence in the form of any information, comments and complaints received from users of this qualification in relation to its development, delivery and award. BIIAB will give due regard to any credible evidence received which suggests that a change in approach to the development, delivery and award of this qualification is required in order to ensure that no adverse effects will result. BIIAB will provide SQA with any relevant feedback on an ongoing basis and as and when the units are to be revised.




Notices

This book does not purport to contain an authoritative or definitive statement of the law or practice on any subject and the publishers supply the information on the strict understanding that no legal or other liability attaches to them in respect of it. References to sources of further guidance or information have been made where appropriate. © BIIAB December 2016 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, whether electronic, mechanical, photocopying, scanning, recording or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Applications for written permission to reproduce any part of the publication should be addressed in writing to the publisher. Any unauthorised or restricted act in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.




Infor House 1 Lakeside Road Farnborough Hampshire GU14 6XP


Download - Qualification Handbook BIIAB Workplace Core Skills · PDF fileQualification Handbook. BIIAB Workplace Core Skills ... website and in the SQA Accreditation ‘Core Skills catalogue

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