Information for Employers

In Wales, through CQFW, it is possible to have all learning activity accredited, including the learning that takes place in the community, through volunteering and through employer’s in-house training and continuous professional development (CPD) programmes.

Credit based qualifications have three common principles:

• expression of achievement as ‘learning outcomes’
• how complex or demanding the learning is as the ‘level’
• the volume of learning achievements as ‘credit’.

To find out more about CQFW download the Employers Guide below.

Vocational and work related qualifications in Wales have changed to better meet employers’ and learners’ needs. Industry, commerce and Sector Skills Councils have been involved in developing new qualifications to make sure that they are fit for their intended purpose. Some qualifications are based on national occupational standards.

Benefits for employers:

• have more say about the design of qualifications
• have a workforce trained in appropriate skills that meet the needs of the modern workplace
• attract and keep employees by being able to offer nationally recognised qualifications
• benefit from a more flexible qualifications system, with training aimed at meeting business needs
• easier to understand what the learner has achieved and can do
• in–house training and continuous professional development (CPD) can be accredited
• the ability to ‘fast track’ some learners.

If you would like to know more about how CPD and in-house training can be accredited you can visit our Quality Assured Lifelong Learning (QALL) page in this section.

Introducing the Unique Learner Number:

• the Unique Learner Number (or ULN) allows all learning achievement to be electronically stored in an individuals’ Personal Learning Record (PLR) which will build into a lifelong record of achievement
• the PLR can be shared with employers, careers advisers and other education providers, so that qualifications can be quickly verified
• further Education Colleges and Work Based Learning providers have issued ULNs to their learners since September 2010
• from September 2011 schools will issue ULNs to learners aged 14+.

Other organisations (external links)

• National Training Federation of Wales
• Careers Wales -all age careers information and guidance
• Federation of Awarding Bodies Wales
• Federation of Small Businesses Wales
• National Occupational Standards - free public resource
• Alliance of Sector Skills Councils - Wales