Save the date! The CfA Annual Conference

CfA Annual Conference
Friday 27th November 2009
NCSL Learning & Conference Centre, Nottingham

The CfA Conference, the first of its kind to be offered by the CfA, will focus on the importance of Business & Administration skills set against the background of the changing landscape of education in the UK. There continues to be strong government expectations for all sectors of the UK to maintain skills, identify skills gaps and identify how learners can progress and maintain their continuing professional development.

Some key issues facing the CfA and its education policy are: the delivery of the new Business Administration and Finance Diploma; the transition of funding mechanisms from the Learning Skills Council to the Skills Funding Agency (and local authorities);and, the introduction of the National Apprenticeships Service. 

Join us in Nottingham for a one-day conference that offers expert opinion on the key issues and developments affecting our sector.

Speakers confirmed so far include:

• Opening address, Mark Oaten MP, for Winchester & the Meon Valley and CfA Board Member
  
• John Hayes MP, Shadow Minister for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education
• John McNamara, Chief Executive, Alliance of Sector Skills Councils
• Paul Eeles, Director of Sector Reforms & 14-19, Association of Learning Providers
• Jim Chambers, Chief Executive Officer, JHP

There will also be the opportunity to attend two, hour-long seminar sessions of your choice, on a range of topics including:

• National Recognition of Employer Training
• Introducing the Business Administration and Finance (BAF) Diploma
• The New look Business & Administration Standards
• Expanding Business & Administration Apprenticeships

If you’re involved in the delivery of Business & Administration skills then this is the conference for you! This is the ideal opportunity to get together with other like-minded Business & Administration colleagues and to hear about the key developments affecting our sector.

Look out for our upcoming eAlert for further information and to book your place.

Development matters

Our development team is hard at work on several different projects that have key importance for us all. Here’s our update:

Recognition from Ofqual to develop and submit Units and Rules of Combination to the QCF

On 22nd May 2009, Ofqual identified and confirmed that the CfA had been recognised to develop and submit units and rules of combination (RoC). At that time it was acknowledged by Ofqual that the CfA was only the second body within the Sector Skills Councils and Standard Setting Bodies to receive this recognition to deliver the regulatory function, having the required quality assurance mechanisms in place to do so. This announcement gives us immense pride and will result in even closer working relationships within the pan-sector of Business, Administration and Governance.

Additionally, this recognition will give the CfA access to interrogate the qualification framework to make sure that we avoid duplicate development of units. Moreover, it will mean that the CfA, in cooperation with its awarding organisations, will work closely to develop units and rules of combination that are fit for purpose, align with the design specifications of the QCF (in England, Wales and Northern Ireland), the CfA suite of National Occupational Standards and align with the aims of the Business, Administration and Governance Qualifications Strategy.

BAMA 3

The CfA are pleased to announce that the revised 2009 Level 3 Business & Administration Modern Apprenticeship framework for Scotland (BAMA 3) has recently been approved by the Modern Apprenticeship Group (MAG).

Details of the CfA centre registration process for the 2009 BAMA 3 framework will be disseminated to all centres next week.

Business & Administration National Occupational Standards Project

We are approaching the completion of the second milestone of this immense project with sign-off of the Functional Map by the NOS Steering Group, scheduled to take place mid-June.

Workshops have been delivered across the four nations of the UK during May and June and we have actively engaged with those who agreed to be a part of the project (for example, 233 people completed the questionnaire on the Functional Map). As a direct result of this, the Functional Map has now been developed and colleagues across the UK have helped us to develop a new look to the NOS template.
The review of the draft NOS started at the beginning of June, whereby the CfA sends out several standards every week for review by those who have agreed to be part of this process.

If you would like to engage with the CfA to help review the draft standards being developed please contact Anthony Lapsley  - there’s still time to become involved!

email Anthony

Ready for the QCF

A QCF (Qualifications & Credit Framework) ‘readiness’ webpage has been launched on the main QCA website, providing a comprehensive list of links to current materials and resources to support QCF readiness.
Core presentations, scripts and key messages rest with guidance materials and leaflets. There are exciting, new interactive guides including a step-by-step guide to writing units of assessment and an animation introducing the key features of the QCF.

To view this QCF Readiness page please click here. This page will be updated regularly as new literature and briefings are developed.

Interim Guidance has been produced to update stakeholders on the ongoing design, development and implementation of the Foundation Learning Tier, following the move from four pathways and specifications to a single specification. The emphasis is now on personalised, destination-led learning programmes of flexible content and duration to support individual progress and progression at Entry Levels and Level 1.

To download the Foundation Learning Tier interim guidance brochure please click here.

CfA Vacancy

Standards & Qualifications Manager - Vacancy

The CfA needs to recruit a motivated and dedicated Standards and Qualifications Manager who will scope, lead and evaluate standards, qualifications, frameworks and skills related projects. If you think you’d like to work with us as part of our Development team click here for details.

Key Skills with Big Strides

A complete Key Skills and Functional Skills learning package is now available from the CfA and Big Stride. We’ve worked closely together to develop a Key Skills study resource specifically for Business & Administration students. Big Stride learning solutions offer interesting, relevant and industry-based methods for learners to achieve their Key Skills at Apprenticeship levels 2 and 3.

The workpack, available for an amazing price of just under £17 per key skill per level, covers important topics within the office environment including marketing basics, organising team events, health and safety considerations and industry issues, whilst emphasising the relevance of Key Skills by using 'real life' examples to create a fun and interactive programme.

With sector-based, real life learning and problem solving challenges, the Key Skills work pack is user-friendly and encourages learner understanding of Key Skills at just the right and relevant level. It encourages progression to higher levels upon completion and is mapped against QCA's standards.

For more information, to buy a copy of the workpack and to find out what Big Stride will do for you, please click here

visit the Big Stride website

Free ePortfolio demonstration events

Hurry! There are a limited number of our free forward ePortfolio PLUS demonstration sessions available for the remainder of 2009.

Take time out to view the ePortfolio product demonstration in real-time and meet other forward users to share information and good practice. These free events are a fantastic opportunity to understand the tricks and tips of the best value for money online solution available on the market.

Contact Cameron Woodrow for further information and to register your interest.

Dates available are:

email Cameron

A Focus on - Anthony Lapsley, Qualifications Standards Manager

I have been working with the CfA since January 2009 so although I am new to the organisation I am not new to the industry. My key responsibilities on a day-to-day basis are: managing the re-development of the Business & Administration National Occupational Standards (NOS) which is a massive programme of work to be completed by December 2009; gaining recognition from Ofqual to develop units and Rules of Combination (RoC) for entry to the Qualifications and Credit Framework, which was achieved in May 2009; and working with European partners developing a Level 4 qualification for executive PA’s (equivalent to the European Qualifications Framework level 5). All of this work relies on close working with partner organisations and the four nations of the UK, which I enjoy very much.

My day is taken up by focusing on developing products that have value and are meaningful to end users for example, employers and awarding organisations. It is imperative that these products contribute to the up-skilling of the Business & Administration workforce so the UK maintains and builds on its competitive edge. And as such, I very much enjoy influencing the acceptance of new developments across partner organisations and the projects I manage.

I have a great passion for the delivery of vocational education across the UK in each of the four nation’s frameworks and outside of the CfA, I enjoy swimming, reading (an eclectic array of topics) and travelling (especially if it is for thousands of miles).        

OCR's QCF Administration suite

Levels 1 and 2 of OCR's new QCF Administration suite have now received accreditation from Ofqual; accreditation for Levels 3 and 4 is anticipated shortly.  The qualifications launch and will be available for registration from 1st September 2009.

Early customer feedback on the new suite is extremely positive.  Centres are particularly excited by the flexibility of the suite and the wide range of options available within all the qualifications.  With an Award, Certificate and Diploma available at each of Levels 1 to 4, there is a qualification to suit all candidates.

For further information please click here.

Functional Skills Expo

OCR is hosting a Functional Skills Expo on 25th September at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham. This Expo will give a unique opportunity for teachers to explore functional skills further. Experts will be on hand to answer any questions and there will be teachers from centres already delivering functional skills talking about how they have integrated functional skills into their teaching programme.

To register your interest in finding out more about our 2010 Functional Skills Expo event, please click here.

OCR's QCF Business Skills Suite

A number of the Customer Service units contained within this qualification have been identified by the LSC as eligible for SME Flexibility Funding. 

Please visit the lsc website for further information.

EDI Young Apprentices’ Exam Success

A group of young retail Apprentices from JHP Training Gloucester recently achieved an outstanding 100% pass rate in the technical certificate, the EDI Level 2 Certificate in Retail Operations.

The exam is held to assess the learners’ understanding of the theory behind working in a retail environment and covers elements including health and safety at work, employee rights and responsibilities, customer service and workplace legislation.

Young Apprentices studying Business and Administration also achieved excellent results in the EDI Level 2 Certificate in Business & Administration (Organisations and People). Tutor Chris Leese said, “I’m so proud of all of the Young Apprentices for their dedication – the technical certificate is a Level 2 qualification which goes into quite a lot of depth regarding the topics of personal and work skills. To be working at that level, alongside their core GCSE subjects at school, and achieving strong pass marks is fantastic. When you consider the learners are only 15 years old and have condensed a college level qualification into just six-and-a-half months, it is a tremendous achievement.”

EDI is delighted to be sponsoring the Young Apprentice of the Year Award at the LSC Apprenticeship Awards in July.

For further information please email or tel 08707 202 909l

Question of the month

Q:If a candidate does not have their original GCSE Certificate as evidence towards the NVQ, will the CfA accept a letter of results from the candidates’ Head teacher at his or her secondary school?

A:Yes, the CfA will accept a letterhead letter of results signed and dated from the Head teacher as evidence towards the NVQ.

To subscribe to the CfA eBriefing, please email Helen Gerlach.

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