Regulated Qualifications UK

[Messdiener]

I know these qualifications have popped up here before or perhaps on the sister board, but I'd never done much of a deep dive into the various companies and quality control companies that 'accredit' the various programs.

Last night, I browsed through a number of the sites and then continued on to look at other centers and providers as well. For example, in addition to Qualifi and some of the others above, I ran into organizations like LRN (approved by Ofqual) and EduQual (approved by SQA, in Scotland), which accredit/approve programs at numerous centers. It's been quite interesting to see how many different providers offer these certificates and diplomas parallel to the university system.

As the OP pointed out, progression charts show that some awards can progress up to a top-up Bachelor's or Master's degree. Yet, for most of the providers, it appeared as though only a fraction of the awards did so. Does that mean that, in the UK, many people stop after receiving these Ofqual/SQA-approved certificates and diplomas? Or is it simply that there are not as many articulated agreements for these progression pathways and that it's up to the individual students to negotiate admissions and advanced standing with universities when they want to top-up their degrees?

Thanks in advance for any clarification you can shed on these issues!

[sarahmac]

I know these qualifications have popped up here before or perhaps on the sister board, but I'd never done much of a deep dive into the various companies and quality control companies that 'accredit' the various programs.

Last night, I browsed through a number of the sites and then continued on to look at other centers and providers as well. For example, in addition to Qualifi and some of the others above, I ran into organizations like LRN (approved by Ofqual) and EduQual (approved by SQA, in Scotland), which accredit/approve programs at numerous centers. It's been quite interesting to see how many different providers offer these certificates and diplomas parallel to the university system.

As the OP pointed out, progression charts show that some awards can progress up to a top-up Bachelor's or Master's degree. Yet, for most of the providers, it appeared as though only a fraction of the awards did so. Does that mean that, in the UK, many people stop after receiving these Ofqual/SQA-approved certificates and diplomas? Or is it simply that there are not as many articulated agreements for these progression pathways and that it's up to the individual students to negotiate admissions and advanced standing with universities when they want to top-up their degrees?

Thanks in advance for any clarification you can shed on these issues!

"Does that mean that, in the UK, many people stop after receiving these Ofqual/SQA-approved certificates and diplomas?"

Yes. Something to understand is that the goal of these qualifications is not to provide progression pathways. They are qualifications in their own right. The UK has a split system between academic theory-based courses, and more applied coursework-based ones that typically have a vocational component.

The CMI ones, for example, require you to be working as a manager with supervisory responsibilities. Your center has to sign off proof that you are as part of the course completion, and some of the coursework is based on things you do at work (my sister did the Level 5 Management and Leadership a couple years back).

Some universities offer a top-up as a bridge program to allow people to make the transition from the vocational system to the academic one. But the qualifications don't exist for that purpose.

In some sectors, formal academic theory is not even the usual way of becoming qualified for certain job roles. Think of the sort of jobs you get an Associates for at Community College in the US. You're less likely to come across them online or available at a distance, but the bulk of these vocational qualifications are for nursing assistants, care assistants, paramedics, plumbers, electricians, autoworkers etc. These are normally done at Level 3 to 5 via the vocational path. 

Of these, it's usually only the health and social care ones that are available online at higher levels, since they are aimed at people moving toward healthcare facility administration. Most of the distance ed ones are business oriented. I've only seen one engineering one.

"Is it simply that there are not as many articulated agreements for these"

Yes. I removed the progression pathways part of that statement because that is not what the majority of these qualifications are. They are qualifications in their own right. Some universities offer progression pathways, but the qualifications were not designed to facilitate it. It is the universities' response to the qualification's existence, not something the qualifications were intended to do. They are the ones offering the path, the qualification is not the path.

But it is true that there are few specific articulated agreements. Most are also not articulated as Americans would think of it in terms of community colleges and universities. They are simply the qualifications the university would like to see you have. It is far more common for universities to advertise their Top-Ups with entrance criteria of: "[insert specific named example here with level and credits], or equivalent". The "or equivalent" bit is the bit that matters here.

"It's up to the individual students to negotiate admissions and advanced standing with universities when they want to top-up their degrees?"

Sort of. See above. You cannot usually gain advanced standing outside of a dedicated top-up program though (exception for some programs: Open University).

Something else to understand is that even in cases where top-ups are not offered, the vocational qualification pathway allows you to qualify for certain levels of study. 

So while you may not be able to get advanced standing, you may be able to access a level of study you otherwise would not have been able to access. For example, completing a diploma program equivalent to the bachelor level and then applying for a regular master's degree. This is not something all universities allow, but it is more common at former polytechnics.

[freeloader]

sarahmac, you seem fairly knowledgeable about the UK qualifications structure, so I would like your opinion on something that I have been very curious about:

How valuable/marketable are these qualifications in the workplace, specifically Level 6-8 qualifications, that are of comparable level to a university degree at the undergrads or /graduate post-graduate level?

If that isn’t entirely clear, I will cite my own area for reference. I am an accountant in the United States.  I have a BA in accounting (from UMPI) that qualified me for many entry-level accounting jobs and am working on a masters in accounting and starting to study for the CPA exam. Most accounting jobs here that are above the clerk/technician level (that often require no education/experience or require an associate’s degree) require a bachelor’s degree. The bachelor’s degree is also a prerequisite to sit become a licensed CPA.

In the UK, there are many training programs that allow a person to leave secondary school and begin on-the-job training in accounting and finance that culminates in the ability to become an ACA or ACCA, broadly comparable to the US CPA. There are then universities that allow students to top up their ACCA/ACA qualification to a bachelor’s and/or master’s degree.

Then, of course, there are universities that offer undergraduate and post graduate degrees in accounting and finance that allow you to move more quickly through the ACA/ACCA qualification process.

And then there are these programs through CFI and other bodies in accounting and business/accounting and finance.

I suspect in Britain as in the US in a field like accounting, experience and formal qualifications (ACA, CPA, etc) are most important and trump pretty much everything else for most jobs.  Of course, on my side of the Atlantic, the BA is prerequisite to the experience, so that is different.

But, to come back to the original question, how valuable is that Level 6-8 qualification?  Presumably, a qualified accountant with a Level 7 diploma to boot looks a little better than one without. Someone with a few years of experience and a Level 6 certificate looks a little better than someone with just the experience. But do you think that difference is significant?  To sort of put it directly to you, do you think your sister’s Level 5 has appreciably improved her job prospects, got her promotions, etc?

[sarahmac]

sarahmac, you seem fairly knowledgeable about the UK qualifications structure, so I would like your opinion on something that I have been very curious about:

How valuable/marketable are these qualifications in the workplace, specifically Level 6-8 qualifications, that are of comparable level to a university degree at the undergrads or /graduate post-graduate level?

If that isn’t entirely clear, I will cite my own area for reference. I am an accountant in the United States.  I have a BA in accounting (from UMPI) that qualified me for many entry-level accounting jobs and am working on a masters in accounting and starting to study for the CPA exam. Most accounting jobs here that are above the clerk/technician level (that often require no education/experience or require an associate’s degree) require a bachelor’s degree. The bachelor’s degree is also a prerequisite to sit become a licensed CPA.

In the UK, there are many training programs that allow a person to leave secondary school and begin on-the-job training in accounting and finance that culminates in the ability to become an ACA or ACCA, broadly comparable to the US CPA. There are then universities that allow students to top up their ACCA/ACA qualification to a bachelor’s and/or master’s degree.

Then, of course, there are universities that offer undergraduate and post graduate degrees in accounting and finance that allow you to move more quickly through the ACA/ACCA qualification process.

And then there are these programs through CFI and other bodies in accounting and business/accounting and finance.

I suspect in Britain as in the US in a field like accounting, experience and formal qualifications (ACA, CPA, etc) are most important and trump pretty much everything else for most jobs.  Of course, on my side of the Atlantic, the BA is prerequisite to the experience, so that is different.

But, to come back to the original question, how valuable is that Level 6-8 qualification?  Presumably, a qualified accountant with a Level 7 diploma to boot looks a little better than one without. Someone with a few years of experience and a Level 6 certificate looks a little better than someone with just the experience. But do you think that difference is significant?  To sort of put it directly to you, do you think your sister’s Level 5 has appreciably improved her job prospects, got her promotions, etc?

Hilariously I can directly answer this question. My sister is an ACCA qualified accountant.

She got her Level 4 in Accountancy years ago after completing standard academic system Level 3 qualifications, started a trainee program, then sat her ACCA's. 

Something to keep in mind: Level 3 and 4 quals are worth college credit in the US, and are similar to the community college level. You actually attend college (we even call it that) to take them. So you can think of it as being approximately similar to your example of clerk/technician level requiring an associate’s degree.

The only thing that has ever mattered for her work as an accountant is the ACCA qualifications. If she had a relevant degree she would have been exempt from some of the ACCA exams, instead she had to take them all. But this is no different to the situation where someone has an unrelated degree. 

If she wanted an academic degree she could now reverse transfer, essentially, and get a Master's in Accountancy by completing a top-up program with a thesis component. She doesn't care to since it doesn't matter to her career.

"Presumably, a qualified accountant with a Level 7 diploma to boot looks a little better than one without."

Nope. ACCA etc. is the only thing that matters for accountancy. It's the extra duties that this could help with. If you wanted to be responsible for those.

"Do you think your sister’s Level 5 has appreciably improved her job prospects, got her promotions, etc?"

Not yet. The thing is, she didn't do the Level 5 for her job as an accountant. She cannot go any higher in that role.

Without wanting to doxx the poor woman, she's in her mid-40's and working below the finance director for a massive private school trust. There is no job above her for an accountant. She is the head accountant. She could move to another firm, sure, but she's maxed out the scope of what accountants can do.

She wants his job as CFO (or a similar one elsewhere). It's an executive position, hence the CMI Management qual. Next she wants a Level 6 and from there she's applying to C suite jobs. It's something she decided later in life that she wanted. She was happy being an accountant until now.

So to get back to your first question

"How valuable/marketable are these qualifications in the workplace, specifically Level 6-8 qualifications, that are of comparable level to a university degree at the undergrads or /graduate post-graduate level?"

The qualifications at any level are equivalent. Your prospects are the same as someone with a theoretical qualification in that subject, unless it is a job where you need vocational training. Then your prospects could ironically be higher.

It could be important to consider, that some things the US considers a degree subject/topic are simply considered vocational in the UK. We aren't just talking about low-level professions. For example, to become a solicitor or barrister (the two types of lawyer) qualification is done via this system. Those who attend university have to do a professional practice course after because law is vocational. In the US you have bar practice courses but they aren't mandatory.

[HVzR5]

For those who didn't see, OTHM listed all official routes that accept their diploma and top-up to degrees:
https://othm.org.uk/university-progression