Using Customised Qualifications to maximise opportunities at Highlands

Highlands College Sixth Form are using NCFE’s Customised Qualifications product to tailor their provision to the specific needs of students and employers in the local community.

First hearing about our services through word of mouth, the service has been a perfect fit in helping the college to achieve its goal of creating a range of qualifications across 14 subject areas that support their learners to gain practical skills through hands-on experiences.

The qualifications have helped to place a focus on vocational skills and work experience underpinned by academic practice, which has helped to enable their learners to progress to employment or continued study at higher levels.

Danielle Schenk, Quality and Compliance Manager (FE) at Highlands College Sixth Form, said: “Without these Level 2 qualifications which focus on progression, many of our students would not have had the opportunity to access Level 3 qualifications and beyond.”

One such student is Joao Costa, who with the support and guidance of his tutors, quickly developed a keen interest in pursuing a career in IT.

Joao explained: “I remember a moment in my first year of the qualification when I felt that my lecturer Paul opened a door for me into my future. He made me aware of all the different routes and options available for a career in IT. The breadth of the qualification really appealed to me - there was flexibility around which areas we wished to focus on and during my [subsequent] Level 3 studies, I discovered a natural ability for programming as well as networking.”

Joao says that with the encouragement of his teachers, he’s decided to continue his learning journey and is now studying computing - the subject area he loves - at University College Jersey.

Highlands complemented the range of specifications across different subject areas offered by NCFE, highlighting how they share a common ‘employability’ unit, so they can be sure that they are preparing their learners for their next steps on their journey.

The tutors delivering the qualifications have also enjoyed the opportunity to work with local employers, to inform and develop an appropriate curriculum to support students’ progression.

Danielle Schenk finished: “We would wholeheartedly recommend NCFE’s Accreditation Services to other organisations, because then they too could benefit from having qualifications that are tailor-made for their learners.”

To find out more about NCFE Accreditation Services and Customised Qualifications, visit our website or call us on 0191 240 8833.