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A guide to the types of qualifications available

A City and Guilds guide to help individuals choose which type of qualification best suits.

What qualification is right for you will depend on what you want to achieve in your career.  Think about what you want to be doing in five, ten or fifteen years from now and then take a cool hard look at what qualifications you need in order to get there.  Relevant work experience counts for a lot and beyond a certain point, sometimes becomes more important than the formal qualifications taken. However you may not be able to get the experience if you haven’t first obtained the qualifications which will act as a springboard to enable you to get into your chosen career.  You may feel that you don’t know exactly how you want your career to develop in the future, in which case the better the qualification, the more choices you are likely to have in the future.

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships are mainly for 16 and 17 year old school and college leavers with the ability to gain high levels of skills and qualifications. They are available at two levels: Apprenticeship for apprentices and Advanced Apprenticeship. The training leads to work-based nationally recognised qualifications at National Qualification Framework (NQF) level 2 or 3, and trainees also get a wide range of broader work skills.

View all apprenticeships currently on offer from City & guilds.

'Apprenticeships' apply in England only. Similar programmes called 'Modern Apprenticeships' operate elsewhere in the UK.

NVQs and SVQs

National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) and Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) are designed to meet the standards set by industry in particular occupational areas. They are designed to cover various aspects of a job or area of work, assessing the skills actually used in the workplace. They can be completed unit by unit, enabling an individual to build up to a qualification as conveniently as possible. A mix of mandatory and optional units can enable you to tailor the qualification to your particular role.

City and Guilds qualifications explained 

Key skills and core skills

No matter where you’re headed, everyone needs to be able to communicate well, work with numbers and know a bit about IT to get on in life. City and Guilds six Key Skills (communication, application of number, information technology, working with others, improving own learning and problem solving) are all-round tickets that can help you use your skills to make more flexible moves – not only are these awards part of Apprenticeships but if you’re thinking of entering higher education you can gain UCAS points for completed Key Skills units. (In Scotland we offer five Core Skills instead of Key Skills.)

Basic skills

Sometimes the most difficult part about trying to get somewhere is knowing where to start. Basic Skills courses can help you get the literacy and numerical skills you need for employment. They cover reading, writing and speaking in English as well as using mathematics. If you need to improve your Basic Skills or just need to increase your confidence in these areas then these entry-level qualifications are an ideal first step.

City & Guilds general qualifications

Traditional City & Guilds vocational qualifications usually follow a course structure with more conventional methods of learning. These awards retain the emphasis on developing practical skills and knowledge, but they tend to be classroom-based with assessment by written and practical examinations. These qualifications are usually recognised by certificates and diplomas.

City & Guilds is the UK’s leading provider of vocational qualifications, awarding over one million certificates every year. It offers over 500 qualifications spanning 22 occupational sectors and at all levels from Basic Skills and pre-entry qualifications to awards that recognise professional achievement at the highest levels. These qualifications are practical subjects taught in a practical, hands on way.

The Engineering Council examinations

City and Guilds conduct this worldwide exam on behalf of the Engineering Council (UK). If your circumstances are preventing you from doing an accredited degree course or if you have a non-accredited degree and want to take a further qualification then this award can help you build bridges into the profession. The exam is made up of three progressive parts and has been designed so that you can meet the enhanced academic standard for Chartered Engineer registration (as required under SARTOR 1997) in a flexible way. There’s no time limit for completion – you can study at your own pace and do as many papers as you want in a year.

Administration and business support

Sometimes it’s hard to imagine going somewhere when you’re stuck behind a desk. Administration and business support courses are available through City &Guilds, offering a range of specialist qualifications in office technology, information processing and office administration that can help you move forward. They have a wide selection of awards that cover secretarial procedures, business studies, shorthand and typewriting, numeracy and accounts as well as a range of certificates for speakers of other languages.

ILM qualifications and membership

If you’re a natural pathfinder then the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) has a range of leadership and management qualifications that could interest you. It also offers membership services. You can find out more about ILM qualifications by phoning 020 7294 3053, or if you want to find out about ILM membership you can phone 01543 251 346.

City & Guilds international qualifications

City and Guilds want their qualifications to help take you wherever you want to go, regardless of national borders. City & Guilds International operates in around 100 countries worldwide, and is working to make our internationally recognised qualifications and our UK awards truly global.

City & Guilds International qualifications explained.

Progression awards

These are new vocational qualifications that do not rely on workplace assessment though they retain explicit links to the nationally recognised standards. As such they can be an appealing option both for employees in small and medium sized businesses and for job seekers.

Higher level qualifications

These qualifications are designed to recognise expertise at higher levels and offer a clear and simple progression from level 3 to levels 4 and 5 to a Foundation Degree. They are ideal for ambitious senior professionals looking for a vocational route to the top of the career ladder.

City & Guilds Higher Level qualifications explained.

Senior awards

These awards are ideal for supervisors or managers in industry, commerce and the public sectors who are looking for a qualification that acknowledges their achievements in the workplace. They provide formal recognition of professional expertise and skills at the higher levels.

City & Guilds Senior Awards explained.

As you can see City & Guilds offer a wide range of types of qualification. Try searching their database of qualifications and find a centre or training provider near you.

 

Some of you reading this may be based in other EU countries or further a field and may harbour plans of taking qualifications in your own country before coming to the UK to work. Others may want to leave Britain’s murky climate after qualifying for somewhere more conducive. The question therefore is whether international qualifications are recognised.

In theory there is freedom of movement for workers between EU countries and therefore there should be standardisation and recognition of qualifications between member countries. This may not always be as simple as the theory suggests, and many countries think that their qualifications are best.

The UK NARIC service is widely recognised as giving reliable information about foreign qualifications in the United Kingdom. Another approach may be to identify the professional body governing the field you want to work in, in the particular country, and call or email them to quiz them about international recognition of qualifications. Employers are often quite ignorant of the relevance of international qualifications and the backing from the relevant professional body may make all the difference when applying for a position.

Finally, whichever qualification you decide to pursue, make sure it’s something that will sustain your interest and passion throughout. You probably won’t do terribly well if half way through you realise you’re not interested and simply don’t care about the course you’re studying.