Vocational Qualifications - a good practice statement and checklist of good practice principles for articulating and assessing vocational vocational qualifications for entry to higher education

Vocational qualifications, a good practice statement and checklist of good practice principles for articulating and assessing vocational qualifications for entry to HE.  

Part of SPA's work concentrates on the wider issue of encouraging good practice in admissions decision-making, in order that everything a learner is offering, not only in terms of their qualifications, but also relevant work experience, Accredited Prior Experiential Learning (APEL), Accredited Prior Learning (APL), Accreditation of Prior Certificated Learning (APCL), or Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), skills or relevant contextual factors is considered, treating each applicant as an individual.  

SPA's definition of a vocational qualification is a qualification relating to a particular line of work or a specific job, career or profession, with an emphasis on the assessment of practical skills and knowledge. APEL, APL, APCL and RPL are all terms which higher education provider institutions (HEIs) may use in relation to progression to HE. This progression is discussed within the good practice statement in terms of ensuring that applicants with all types of qualifications and experience, which may include vocational qualifications, and/ or applicants without the usual level and/or volume of formal qualifications, are provided with equality of opportunity in terms of progression to HE.  

SPA works with HEIs to encourage them to consider vocational qualifications, work-based learning and skills for progression to full-time and part-time courses from applicants as part of fair admissions and good practice.  

Not all learners will apply to enter HE directly from school or college and many may have taken qualifications which are less familiar to those making admissions decisions. These different routes for progression to HE include what may be described or viewed as being less 'traditional' i.e. other than via a purely academic route. Many learners apply to enter HE having followed more vocational routes and it is important for HEIs to consider these qualifications when thinking about utility for progression to their courses or programmes.  

SPA has updated the good practice statement and checklist of good practice principles for articulating and assessing vocational qualifications for entry to HE. This was disseminated to HE sector colleagues and other relevant stakeholders for consultation and comment in September 2011 and has now been updated with comments received.  

Please contact Annie Doyle, SPA Senior Project Officer, at a.doyle@spa.ac.uk or on 01242 544777 if you have any questions or comments about this work.

The SPA document, 'Vocational qualifications – a good practice statement and checklist of good practice principles for articulating and assessing vocational qualifications for entry to higher education' can be viewed in the VETNET LLN library of resources.