Throughout the last year, Ofqual, the Regulator for qualifications within England and vocational qualifications within Northern Ireland, completed their consultation, ‘After the QCF – A New Qualifications Framework’.

This consultation concluded that the Qualification Credit Framework (QCF) used for the regulation of vocational qualifications should be replaced with a new single and simple to use framework, the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF).

The RQF has now replaced the existing framework and all new qualifications will be regulated through the RQF.

So what’s changed?

  • The term QCF will start to disappear from qualifications
  • Two new terms, Total Qualification Time (TQT) and Guided Learning (GL), will replace the current Guided Learning Hours (GLH)
  • The terms Award, Certificate and Diploma stay but will now be allocated by TQT and not credit
  • The need to structure a qualification through units and the allocation of credits is no longer mandatory however it is still an option that Awarding Organisations can use

What won’t change?

You still have access to all of the great qualifications available from SFEDI Awards from Entry Level 3 to Level 7 helping you to support your learners develop that all important enterprise and business and enterprise support knowledge and skills.

The consultation

The removal of the QCF and the introduction of the RQF will cause changes to existing and new qualifications but this will be managed to minimise any disruption to our approved delivery network and your learners.

This consultation is aimed at gathering information to be used in order to inform the decisions made about the implementation of TQT and GL values for all existing qualifications.

Please note that this consultation is open to all people who are users of SFEDI Awards qualifications including, but not limited to, tutors, assessors, IQAs, training managers, governors, learners, third parties involved in funding provision or members of the public who are guardians of those who have undertaken, are currently undertaking or are likely to undertake a SFEDI Awards qualification.

The consultation will close on 5 February 2016, any extensions to this deadline will be posted here.

To access the consultation simply click on the button below

 

Start Consultation

 

Over the coming months we will be releasing further information about changes that will be required to be made including the removal of the term QCF from all electronic and hard copy media that you use.

If you or your colleagues have any questions relating to the changes detailed above or about the consultation please contact a member of our team who will be more than happy to support you.