Gateway Qualifications Level 1 Extended Certificate in Vocational Studies

Key Facts

Level:
Level 1
Subject Sector:
14.1 Foundations for Learning and Life
Credits:
25
Qualification No:
601/0025/4
GLH:
175 hours
Total qualification time:
250 hours
Price:
View price list
Age Range:
Pre 16, 16-18, 19+

Whilst some of our qualifications are regulated for pre 16 learners our minimum age is 14.

Qualification purpose

Prepare for further learning or training and/or develop knowledge and/or skills in a subject area

Qualification Grading Type

Pass

Assessment Methods

  • Portfolio of Evidence

    • Why choose this qualification?

    These qualifications have been developed to enable learners who are vocationally undecided to have their achievements recognised across a number of different vocational sectors.

    These qualifications are linked to the Gateway Qualifications Suite of Skillsqualifications, available in the vocational sectors at Entry 3, Level 1 and Level 2 which are progression routes from the Vocational Studies suite.

    The employability skills units are common across the suite and also appear within Gateway Qualifications qualifications in Employability Skills. Some of the employability skills units also make up the Gateway Qualifications Personal, Learning and Thinking Skills qualifications and the Entry 3 employability skills units also feature in the Entry 3 Preparation for Employment qualifications.

    Rules of Combination

    Learners must complete 25 credits with at least 13 credits achieved at Level 1. 18 credits must come from Group O1 (Optional Units: Sector Specific Skills) and a maximum of 7 may come from Group O2 (Optional Units: Employability Skills, English and Maths). Learners may not take units from more than 4 sectors in Group O1. Learners cannot include more than one unit with the same or similar title.

    Due to the large number of units contained within this qualification we are unable to display them here. Please check the qualification specification for a full unit listing and then search for the unit title in the unit search to find more information about each unit.

    Download

    Recognised Centres can also find full unit information in Prism.

    What is the purpose of this qualification?

    This qualification is for learners, young people and adults, who would benefit from exploring different possible career options, while building up a set of employability skills useful across sectors, usually prior to progressing to more specialised vocational learning in a specific sector at a higher level. It is likely to be of particular relevance to:

    • Learners on study programmes who do not know which vocational area to specialise in young people leaving school or returning to education following a period of being NEET, without clear career aspirations or unable to make up their minds between several different options and who are in need of a comprehensive programme to prepare them for learning at the next level.
    • adults who have been long-term unemployed who need to identify sectors and job roles within them where they have the potential to contribute, and who require an extensive learning programme before they will be ready to progress to sector specific vocational learning.

    What skills, knowledge, or understanding does this qualification develop?

    The qualification includes units covering introductory knowledge and skills from a range of different sectors:

    - Business and Administration
    - Engineering
    - Health, Social Care and Childcare
    - Hospitality & Catering
    - Information and Technology
    - Performing Arts, Music and Music Technology
    - Public Services
    - Retail
    - Applied Science
    - Sport & Active Leisure
    - Travel & Tourism

    It also includes the option to incorporate the development of more generic employability skills (eg team work, time management, problem-solving). There are no mandatory units, enabling learners to combine units in areas of potential interest to them. Learners must, however, include units from at least two vocational sectors.

    What are the progression options?

    The qualification is not intended to lead directly to employment, although some learners may progress to entry-level jobs in their chosen sector.

    What are the higher education progression options?

    There are a number of optional units which support the development of maths and English skills. These can be embedded in the delivery of the vocational units.

    Progression & entry requirements

    There are no specific requirements for prior learning or attainment.

    Funding information

    There are now two main sources for funding information, a straightforward ESFA Qualification Search and the more detailed Find a Learning Aim website.

    The new Find a learning aim (FALA) service provides a search tool that you can use to check the funding status of any qualification, framework, unit, standard or T Level:

    View this qualification on the ESFA’s Find a learning aim website

    The Education and Skills Funding Agency search provides funding information on qualifications. It does not provide funding information for units, non-regulated activity and work placements, for this information please use Find a learning aim (FALA).

    View this qualification on the ESFA Qualification Funding Search

    How to find a learning aim

    If you’re not sure how to use the new find a learning aim website, we’ve created a handy walkthrough to help you:

    How to Use: Find a learning Aim

    We have done our best to collate and summarise the key information, and wherever possible we alert our providers to changes in funding policy.

    This funding information is provided in good faith and it is always advisable to check directly with the funding agencies before committing to delivery.

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