Core Skills HANDBOOK

7/30/2019 Core Skills HANDBOOK

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3628 Workplace

Core Skills Handbook

CommunicationNumeracyInformation Technology

Problem SolvingWorking with Others


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3628 Workplace

Core Skills Handbook

CommunicationNumeracyInformation Technology

Problem SolvingWorking with Others

All centres offering 3628 Workplace Core Skills must also have access to the

Unit Specifications

Assessment Packs (Guidance Documents)

Guide to assessing Workplace Core Skills document

2002 City & Guilds 1 Giltspur StreetLondon EC1A 9DD England LOC19146 01/01 N-00024248


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Contents

Introduction 5

Aims 5 Core Skills Areas 5 Levels 5 Unit Structure 6 Delivery 9 Offering 3628 Core Skills 9

Quality Assurance 11 Definition 11 Centre approval 11 The role of the co-ordinator 11 Centre staff qualifications 12 The role of the assessor 12 The role of the internal verifier 12 The internal verification process 13 The role of the external verifier 13 The external verification process 14 Appeals procedure 14 Retention of evidence 14

Equal opportunities 14

Assessment 15

Location 15 Roles of assessors 15 The candidate portfolio 15 Assessing evidence 16 Authenticity of evidence 16 Candidate independence 17 Validity of evidence 17 Candidate support 17 Suggested Portfolio Structure 18

Special needs 18

Preparing for Assessment 19

Responsibilities of the Centre 19 Staff Development 19 Candidate Induction 19 General Planning 20 Roles in Assessment who does what? 20 Guidance on Design of Assessment material 20 Learning Programmes 20 Ensuring good assessment practice 21 Evidence from prior achievements 22

Sufficiency of evidence 22 Preparing for assessment - checklist 23


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Record Keeping 25

General Principles 25 Record keeping forms:

Assessment plan 26

Candidate evidence sheet 27 Assessment checklist 28 Summary checklist 29 Observation record / Witness statement 30 Tracking sheets 31-34 Record of internal verifier feedback to assessor 35 Internal verification sampling matrix 36

Preparing for External verification 37

Purpose of external verification 37 Process of external verification 37 External Verifiers approval for claiming certification 38

Extra visits 38

Administration arrangements for certification 39

Registration 39 Sample Form S 41-42

Appendix 1 glossary of terms 43Appendix 2 relevant sources of information 45


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Introduction

Aims

City & Guilds Scheme 3628 Workplace Core Skills recognises and certificates the transferable skillswhich underpin achievement in study and work activities. The scheme embodies the National CoreSkills standards of the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).

This handbook is written for people who are preparing to support or assess modern apprentices,employees or trainees in gaining certification for Workplace Core Skills. It gives guidance on; approvaland quality assurance requirements; assessment and record keeping; external verification requirements;administration arrangements and documentation.

The handbook should be used along with the unit specifications and the specially written AssessmentPacks for each Core Skills unit. These give detailed guidance on each unit; advice on suitable contextsand activities for assessment; exemplar assessment tasks; exemplar recording documentation.

The skills assessed are above all practical, as well as theoretical: where there is overlap with otherqualifications - for example, in English or mathematics - the difference is that the Core Skills areconcerned with the applicationof the language or number, and not just its study.

There are five Core Skills units, each at levels 1-4.

Core Skills Areas:

The areas of Core Skills are as follows:

Communication using skills in reading, writing and speaking Numeracy using numbers and graphical information Information Technology using computers and information technology

Problem Solving analysing problems, planning, organising and completing an activity to solve aproblem and reviewing and evaluating how well this problem solving activity works

Working with others working with others in a group to complete an activity

Levels

The levels used for the workplace assessed Core Skills are the same as those used in all SQAqualifications:

Access 3 Simple Designed for those who have little or no skill and experience of using theCore Skill in a workplace setting and who need support in doing so. Work wouldbe basic and familiar, for example, at trainee level.

Intermediate 1 Straightforward Designed for those who have some skill and experience of usingthe Core Skill in the workplace setting, for example, at assistant worker level.

Intermediate 2 Routine but with some complex features Designed for those who have areasonable level of skill and experience of using the Core Skill in the workplacesetting, for example, at intermediate or supervisor level.

Higher Complex for those who have significant skill and experience of using the CoreSkill in the workplace setting, for example, at managerial level.

To help plan the best programme for each candidate, the following charts summarise what is requiredin each Core Skills unit at each of the four levels.

Introduction

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3628 Workplace-assessed Core Skills

6

Communication levels

Skill

Reading andunderstanding

Writing

Speaking Take part in a simplediscussion withanother person or

other people

Take part in astraightforwarddiscussion with another

person or other people

Make a substantialcontribution to anextended discussion

with another person orother people; or make apresentation to others

which lasts at least fourminutes, with additionaltime for questions

Make a substantialcontribution to anextended discussion on

a complex topic withanother person or otherpeople; or make apresentation on acomplex topic to others.The presentation shouldlast at least five minutes,

with additional time forquestions

Write a document of100 words or more

which conveys severalpieces of information,opinions or ideas

Write a document orsome relateddocuments totalling 300

words or more, whichconveys several itemsof information,opinions or ideas

Write a document or acollection of relateddocuments totalling 500

words or more, whichconveys several itemsof information,opinions, ideas oraspects of a subject

Write a well structureddocument or acollection of relateddocuments totalling 700

words or more, whichpresents complexinformation, opinionsor ideas

Access 3

Read and understand asimple document

Read, understand andevaluate astraightforwarddocument related to

your work

Read and obtaininformation from adocument related to

your work and evaluateit. This document musteither present andanalyse factual content,or present sustainedpoint of view or centralargument. Thedocument may usesome complexsentences and wordsthat are unfamiliar to

you, including somespecialist words whichare used in your

workplace

Read a complexdocument related to

your work and getinformation from it. Thedocument must containeither: a set of facts andan analysis of them; ora sustained andsophisticated argument.It will be a substantialand detailed text withcomplex sentences,specialist words, andconcepts that may beunfamiliar to you. It islikely to have morethan one purpose, eg to

inform and persuade, toreport and expressreactions

Intermediate 1 Intermediate 2 Higher

Numeracy levels

Skill

Measuring

Understandingtables, chartsand diagrams

Producingtables, chartsand diagrams

Using numberskills

Apply a range of basicnumerical skills

Apply a range of basicnumerical skills

Apply a wide range ofnumerical skills

Apply a wide range ofnumerical and

statistical skills

Communicate simplegraphical information

Communicate simplegraphical information

Communicate graphicalinformation

Communicate complexgraphical information

Extract informationfrom simple tables,graphs, charts ordiagrams

Extract informationfrom straightforwardtables, graphs, chartsor diagrams

Extract and interpretinformation from either anumber of relatedstraightforward forms orone complex form

Extract and interpretinformation fromcomplex graphicalforms

Read a simple scale ona measuringinstrument or graph

Read a straightforwardscale on a measuringinstruments or graphs

Access 3 Intermediate 1 Intermediate 2 Higher


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Introduction

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Information technology levels

Skill

Operating thecomputer

Using software

Findinginformation

Extract and presentfamiliar informationfrom an electronicsource

Carry out two simplesearches to extract andpresent relevantinformation fromstraightforwardelectronic sources

Carry out two searchesto extract and presentrelevant informationfrom local or remoteelectronic sources

Carry out two searchesto extract and presentrelevant informationfrom local or remoteelectronic sources

Process and outputdata using two typesof package

Process and outputdata using three typesof package

Process and outputdata using three typesof package

Working in a contextwhich is not familiar,use software toproduce complexinformation

Carry out some basiccomputer operations

Carry out somestraightforwardcomputer operations

Carry out a range ofcomputer operations

Carry out a range ofcomputer operations


Problem Solving levels

Skill

Investigating

Planning andsolving

Checking andevaluating

Check how well theproblem solving activity

worked in practice


worked in practice


worked in practice


worked in practice

Plan, organise andcarry out a simpleactivity to tackle theproblem

Plan, organise andcarry out astraightforward activityto tackle the problem

Plan, organise andcarry out an activity totackle the problem

Plan, organise andcarry out an activity totackle the problem

Investigate a simpleproblem related to the

workplace

Investigate astraightforward problemrelated to the

workplace which mightbe solved in severaldifferent ways. There

will be a number ofcauses and factors totake into account. Tosolve the problem, you

will have to carry out a

number of steps(perhaps three to five)

Investigate a non-routine problem relatedto the workplace. Theproblem will involveeither a situation whichis unfamiliar, or afamiliar situation whererelationships betweenthe factors in theproblem need to beclarified, or managing a

task with more thanone strand of activity

Investigate a complexproblem related to the

workplace. Theproblem is likely toinvolve a situation

which is unfamiliar, andthe analysis of complexand/or unfamiliar

variables. Themanagement of thetask may involve more

than one strand ofactivity, and there maybe opportunities for

you to review andadjust your originalstrategy



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Unit Structure

Each unit addresses the candidate and has six parts:


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1

2

3

4

5

6

What are Core Skills?

What is this Core Skill unit allabout?

What should I know or beable to do before I start thisunit?

What will I know when Iveachieved this unit?

What do I need to do?

How will I prove that I haveachieved the unit?

This describes entry requirements. For Access 3 it is not necessaryto have any specific prior knowledge or experience before startingon a unit. For the other levels, prior knowledge and experienceneeded is described

A list of the essential knowledge needed to complete the tasksrequired. This knowledge need not be separately assessed itwill be demonstrated naturally as the candidate carries out thetasks.

A description of the evidence that should be gathered and anyspecial conditions for this. For example, in Problem Solving, allevidence must relate to a single problem-solving activity; evidencecannot be gathered piecemeal from different problems.

A list of tasks that have to be carried out. Candidates have toprovide evidence that they can do everything in this section.

An overview of the skills that are needed and what is involvedin doing the unit.

is common to all units.

Specific guidance and amplification for each unit can be found in the Assessment Pack(Guidance Document).

There is an assessment pack for each of the 20 workplace assessed Core Skill units.

Each pack has three parts:1 Information for assessors2 Exemplar assessment tasks3 Exemplar recording documentation, specific to the unit

An area of Core Skills at a level constitutes a unit; each unit is available at four levels. Successfulcandidates who pass the internal assessment for a unit/units, receive a certificate listing each unit theyhave achieved.

Internal Assessment

Evidence is compiled by the candidate in a portfoliowith the agreement of his/her assessor. It isusually supported by a logbook,which provides an index to the work and confirmation that it hasbeen agreed as evidence. Exemplar documentation can be found in the Assessment Pack (GuidanceDocument) for each unit.

Documentation such as Unit Specifications andAssessment Packs (Guidance Document) can bedownloaded from the Core Skills website (www.core-skills.org.uk).

The City & Guilds Generic Logbookmay be used, and is available from Publications Sales.


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Delivery

Core Skills is a framework for delivery and accreditation, so in meeting the specified scheme criteria,centres have plenty of scope to develop materials appropriate for their particular candidates. There isno set time-scale. Centres will need to estimate and regularly update the length of time each

candidate will need: building underpinning knowledge, allowing for action planning, developing linkswith vocational schemes/activities as appropriate, any group activities required. Time is also needed forassessment, feedback, possible re-presentation of evidence and quality control.

The workplace-assessed Core Skills units are designed for use with SVQs, within ModernApprenticeships, or more generally in the workplace. This framework of five Core Skills, at four levels,is used for all Core Skills certification in Scotland and parallels the Core Skills framework used in SQANational Qualifications.

Offering 3628 Core Skills

This Handbook sets out the requirements for offering 3628 Core Skills. They may be summarised as

follows:

Summary Setting up and offering 3628 Core Skills

In order to offer Core Skills each centre must

1 obtain centre and scheme approval from City & Guilds regional office (forms CAP and SAP)

2 establish internal mechanisms for co-ordination, planning, resourcing and monitoring assessment

3 establish a programme of staff development

4 contribute to quality assurance by appointing internal assessors and verifiers

5 establish a programme of candidate skills development

6 carry out assessment7 maintain appropriate records

8 provide access for external verification

Introduction

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Quality Assurance

Definition

Quality assurance refers to the initial centre approval procedure, the centres own monitoring systemsand continued monitoring by the external verifier appointed by City & Guilds.

Centre approval

All centres wishing to offer 3628 City & Guilds Workplace Core Skills scheme must be City & Guildscentres and must complete and return an application form for Scheme approval from their regionalCity & Guilds office. The application form requires centres to provide details of their

physical and staff resources

delivery target group

arrangements for assessment and verification

On receiving the completed approval form, City & Guilds will appoint an external verifier to scrutinisethe application. The external verifier will report on the application and make a recommendation as towhether or not approval should be granted.

City & Guilds will notify centres in writing about the outcome of their application. This writtenapproval must be received before a centre can offer the scheme.

City & Guilds reserves the right to suspend an approved centre, or withdraw its approval from anapproved centre to conduct a particular City & Guilds scheme or particular City & Guilds schemes, forreason of debt, malpractice or for any reason that may be detrimental to the maintenance of authentic,reliable and valid qualifications or that may prejudice the name of City & Guilds.

The role of the co-ordinatorA co-ordinator must be appointed by each centre for 3628 Core Skills. In addition each centre musthave a single named personwho is the contact for the external verifier and will liaise with thescheme co-ordinators when needed.

The scheme co-ordinator (who may also act as internal verifier) plays a key role in ensuring that theprogramme meets City & Guilds requirements and is delivered effectively in a centre. The appointmentof a well-informed deputy co-ordinator is also strongly recommended.

The co-ordinators role is to

liaise with City & Guilds and other agencies as appropriate

provide the centre with a policy and guidelines for the scheme* plan and manage the implementation of the scheme

ensure there are adequate resources both staff and materials

establish and monitor candidate support systems

ensure all staff concerned with the scheme, within the centre, have access to the specifications,guidance, recording documents, handbook and any other supporting literature

ensure all staff carrying out assessments are familiar with and understand the specifications and theconditions under which the assessments take place, and understand the aims of the scheme*

ensure that the assessments are carried out and that records are kept according to City & Guildsrequirements*

hold internal meetings to brief all staff concerned with teaching and assessing the scheme*

Quality Assurance

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ensure that all staff (including those at separate sites or sub-centres) take part in the process ofinternal verification*

brief new staff thoroughly on the requirements of the scheme*

arrange staff development as necessary*

ensure that portfolios of evidence and recording documentation are available and clearlyorganised for the external verifier*

ensure that all City & Guilds documentation is completed when required

Note: the tasks marked * may be more appropriately done by the internal verifier, if the centre wishes.

The co-ordinator must therefore be a senior member of staff capable of giving adviceand guidance to other members of staff. He/she must know all staff involved in theassessment programme and have time available to meet them to discuss and develop aneffective strategy for the scheme in the centre.

It is the co-ordinator whom the external verifier will contact prior to a visit to arrange a mutually

convenient time.Only one Core Skills co-ordinator may be appointed for each City & Guilds centre.

Centre staff qualifications

City & Guilds strongly recommend that centre staff who act as assessors and internal verifiers to bequalified for assessment. This may mean to Training and Development Lead Body (TDLB) standards, orto acceptable alternatives which should be approved by the external verifier.

In addition, all staff teaching and assessing Core Skills must be competent and confident in the skillsthemselves to a level above that which they are assessing. Best practice would be for the Core Skillsunits themselves to be achieved.

The role of the assessor

The responsibilities of assessors are to

ensure that each candidate is fully briefed on the assessment process

agree an assessment action plan with each candidate

assess the extent to which each candidates portfolio contains the evidence demonstrating that therequirements of the relevant Core Skills specifications have been met

provide each candidate with prompt, accurate and constructive feedback

agree a new assessment plan if a candidate has failed to meet the requirements of the specifications keep accurate and legible records

meet with the internal verifier and other assessors to monitor, agree and maintain standards

The role of the internal verifier

Internal verifierswill normally need accreditation as specified in TDLB units D33 and D34. Theirresponsibilities are to ensure that

assessors interpret and apply the national standards in the units consistently

all candidates achievement records meet the requirements of City & Guilds

the assessor receives prompt, accurate and constructive feedback


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The internal verification process

Every candidates portfolio (including any records of other documentary evidence) must be availablefor internal and external verification.

The internal verification process will require the internal verifier to

a before and during the assessment process

examine a sample of assessment plans from every assessor

b during the assessment process

check the judgements being made by individual assessors

check that different assessors of the same unit are making consistent judgements

ensure that the records kept are accurate, and clearly cross-referenced to the evidence

c when the evidence has been assessed

check that the evidence is ready for the external verifier, and is clearly organised

This process will require opportunities for assessors to meet to exchange work under the guidance ofthe internal verifier. Records must be kept of these meetings.

At all stages of the internal verification process feedback must be given to assessors. Names of thoseresponsible for assessment must be attached to evidence. When the internal verifier samples aparticular piece of work this should be indicated on the work and on the recording documents ifappropriate.

The role of the external verifier

City & Guilds external verifiers will be accredited with TDLB units D33* and D35*. Their responsibilitiesare to ensure that

internal verifiers follow the assessment specifications published by City & Guilds

internal verifiers interpret the national standards in the schemes consistently

the centres documentation meets the requirements of City & Guilds

candidates achievement records meet the requirements of City & Guilds

the internal verifier receives prompt, accurate and constructive feedback

* Replacement D Units

EMPNTO the employment NTO have revised the Assessor and Verifier units. The new units are:

Unit A1 Assess candidates using a range of of methods

Unit A2 Assess candidates performance through observation

Unit V1 Conduct internal quality assurance of the assessment process

Unit V2 Conduct external quality assurance of the assessment process

These should be available from September 2002.

Quality Assurance

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The external verification process

The external verifier will contact the centre co-ordinator in advance to arrange a visit and suggest anoutline programme for this visit. This will include meeting assessors and internal verifiers, andcandidates where appropriate.

The external verifier will require to see

dates and times of the meeting(s) held for internal verification of the scheme

notes of the proceedings at those meetings

notes of who assessed each candidate

plans for the future monitoring of these assessors work

A report on the visit will be made to City & Guilds and a copy sent for information to the centre.

City & Guilds may also require centres to submit, by post, evidence of suitable candidate achievementfor inspection.

Appeals procedures

Centres must ensure that they have an internal appeals procedure in place prior to the start of the3268 Core Skills course.

Retention of evidence

Centres are required to retain the following records for each candidate for a period of 18 months fromthe date of final certification: administration records; assessment records; internal verification records.

Portfolios/evidence files must be available for inspection at any time up to final certification. Thesedocuments must also be made available for inspection at the subsequent external verification visit evenif the candidates have left the centre. It is suggested that the centre retain the portfolios forsafekeeping but if this is not possible, centres are asked to make provision for gaining access to thisevidence. Centres should make candidates aware of this requirement for quality assurance purposes.

(Further details on administration can be found in the City & Guilds Directory of Assessments andAwardsandProviding City & Guilds Qualifications).

Equal opportunities

Assessors should bear in mind the requirements of a multi-racial and multi-cultural society. In addition,situations or tasks which explicitly or implicitly encourage sexual, racial or cultural stereotyping ordiscrimination must be avoided. Assessors should be sensitive to language diversity and use itpositively where possible.

External verifiers will require evidence of the equal opportunity policy of a centre and that it is beingimplemented.


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Assessment

Assessment of Core Skills at every level is through internal assessment.

Internal Assessment

Assessment of Core Skills is based on judgements of the evidence in a candidates portfolio. Thisportfolio will contain all that is required to claim certification. It is important to remember that acandidate cannot be awarded a unit until allthe evidence requirements have been met.

Location

The assessment is independent of the mode of learning: it may take place in the workplace, on the jobtraining or in the community which must be relevant to the candidatess workplace. Wherever theassessment takes place, the same assessment criteria must be applied.

Roles of assessors and candidates

Assessment must be carried out by people trained in the requirements and assessment of the scheme.Normally it will be carried out by the candidates own tutor(s)/trainer(s); but employers, vocationaltutors, work associates and so on can all provide evidence as long as they have been fully briefed andthe tutor/trainer can therefore be confident that candidates have met the criteria.

Candidates should be involved in designing their own programmes and should be aware of theassessment criteria.

Assessors should not compare one candidates performance with anothers, but rather with the unitstandards. A common approach must be taken by all those carrying out assessment.

The candidate portfolio

The portfolio is the term given to the collection of evidence, which meets the requirements laid downin the specifications. Evidence is not required in pre-set format and may be of many types and fromdiverse sources.

Types of evidence

a produced by the candidate

b supplemented by evidence produced by witnesses or assessor

*Notesince video or audio taped evidence is likely to relate to several candidates, it is recommendedthat each candidate should be provided with individual notes on his/her performance.

A summary of how a portfolio may be structured follows this section.

Assessment

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Paper-based (textual)reportessaynotesletter

logdiaryquestionnairenewspaper

Audio and visualrecorded discussionrecorded presentationrecorded interviewgraph

diagrampicturepostermapphotograph

Paper-based (textual)witness testimonyassessor annotation

Audio and visualaudio tape of assessor commentaryaudio or videotape of activity recorded by assessor

Artefactproductmodelsculpturedisplay

exhibition


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Assessing evidence

Once the evidence has been collected and organised in the portfolio, it must be evaluated to ensurethat it meets the requirements set out in the unit specifications. Assessors within the centre and internalverifiers are responsible for ensuring that the evidence is closely checked against the requirements of

the scheme specifications.

Successful performance requires that:

candidates must meet allthe requirements for the Core Skills Unit What you need to do for thetargeted unit

candidates must normally meet allthe assessment criteria for each targeted component in any oneactivity

in any group project (as in individual tasks), each candidate must independently meet the criteria

Internal verifiers are responsible for checking that assessment is consistent across all assessors. Externalverifiers appointed by City & Guilds will visit centres to ensure that procedures are in place andfunctioning correctly.

Authenticity of evidence

It is the responsibility of the assessor within a centre to check that the evidence produced is authentic.In some cases, this will be very straightforward. The assessors may have observed the activity beingundertaken by the candidate and be in no doubt that it was the candidates work. If, however, thework was done at home, or while out of the centre, further checks may be necessary, such asquestioning the candidate. Experienced assessors will be used to this procedure in their normalworking, but when assessing Core Skills they will need to make a record of how they satisfiedthemselves of authenticity. Very often, the assessor will be able to be satisfied by asking a fewquestions related to the work in hand, such as:

Why did you use this procedure?

Where did you find this piece of information?

What did your customer say when you explained that point to them?

If you were in a similar situation again, what would you do?

These questions will also reinforce the learning that has taken place and allow the assessor to decidewhether further evidence is required. They are also relevant when used with simple task assessment tocheck the currency of any claim for APL (Accreditation of Prior Learning).

If the activity was carried out in the presence of a third party, that persons views can be sought. Thisevidence is known aswitness testimony. Care must be taken, however, to ensure that thesewitnesses are not being asked to make assessment decisions beyond the scope of their competence.The witness cannot be expected to judge the candidates skills against the detailed requirements of theCore Skills Unit it is the responsibility of the assessor to do that. A checklist provided by the assessorto the third party in advance may assist this process. This checklist must relate directly to criteria beingassessed. Recommended documentation for witness testimony can be found in this handbook seesection on record keeping.

While the comments from fellow candidates may be helpful for example, in contributing towards theevidence ofWorking with Others it is the assessor who has to interpret these comments and makesure that the final judgements are based on the application of the assessment criteria of the scheme.


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Candidate independence

Independent performance requires attention to the distinction between teachingand assessment.Candidates may of course be given help and practice in drafting and correcting work: that is part ofteaching; but for assessment they must meet the performance criteria independently to be credited with

success. Computer packages may give useful practice in producing material but in some instances itwill not be appropriate for work presented for assessment to be produced using computer packages.Eg forNumeracy Access 3, computers should not be used for producing tables, graphs or diagrams.Specific guidance for each unit is found in the Assessment Pack.

Validity of evidence

Evidence is valid when it relates to what is to be assessed. Validity is, therefore, very closely related toassessment planning. An activity should be planned which will allow the assessment criteria to be met.A single form of evidence may often need to be supplemented. After assessing a candidate by directobservation, an assessor may supplement this evidence by asking questions. On other occasions, a few

written notes by the candidate of the processes that have been followed will show whether theevidence is valid.

Where oral questioning occurs, the assessor must provide a record for the candidates portfolio ofthe questions asked and the responses given. It may therefore sometimes be more efficient to produceprimary evidence than to record oral questioning.

Candidate support

As the evidence accumulates, it is important that the candidate has opportunities to talk with a personwho acts as mentor, so that the evidence can be reviewed and areas of strength or weaknessidentified. Wherever possible, candidates should be encouraged to take responsibility for assembling

their own evidence, with the support of a mentor, making a plan for their future assessments.This support must not be confused with assistance in meeting the criteria: as explained above thecandidate must meet the criteria independently.

Assessment

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A suggested portfolio structure:

General background information/Background detailsName of candidateCandidate number

Name of centreCentre numberScheme name and numberUnit(s) targeted

Summary of relevant qualificationsPrevious qualifications in the area(eg Mathematics at Standard Grade, General Numeracy at Intermediate 1)

People involved with the assessment processList of assessors for each unitOther witnesses or referees

List of units achieved

Portfolio details

Description of referencing systemRelationship of recording documentation, eg log, coding to evidence

EvidencePaper-basedAudio and visual recordingsArtefactsAssignments or short tasks (where appropriate)

Special needs

Guidance for candidates with special needs/requirements can be obtained in the Access to Assessment candidates with particular requirementsdocument, which can be obtained from the salesdepartment. Where such modifications to methods of producing evidence are used, the evidenceshould be

agreed in advance with the external verifier noted in the portfolio and/or supporting records as close as possible to the specified assessment criteria

Good reasons for any modifications made must be provided. The external verifier must be providedwith any such modified evidence at verification.


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Preparing for assessment

Responsibilities of the centre

Before embarking upon a 3628 Core Skills programme, a centre will have to ensure that there is anall-embracing policy across the institution which will allow candidates to have access to assessment.

This means that staff who have not previously been involved with tutoring or assessing Core Skills willneed to spend time with the specialist members of the team to discuss the opportunities for assessmentwhich may arise or may be developed within their part of a candidates programme.

Once a centre has established the opportunities, which will arise naturally within a candidatesprogramme, it has then to decide

who is to be responsible for planning the overall programme for the scheme for a group ofcandidates

what the recruitment policy is to be and who is to be responsible for it

who is to be responsible for the planning of an individual candidates programme for the scheme

who is to be responsible for assessing each part of the scheme

who is to be responsible for guiding/monitoring candidates

Centres are free to choose how to share these responsibilities,but the functions must be carried out.

Staff development

The centre must ensure that there are development opportunities for staff.

Time given to clarifying an understanding of the structure and content of the units prior to the

introduction of assessment in a particular scheme will help all those involved to feel part of the teamand ensure that candidates have the best chance of success.

The functions described above include tutoring/mentoring, assessing and monitoring roles. It is anessential part of the staff development programme for staff to understand which role they have to carryout and how each role contributes to a candidate gaining accreditation for the highest level possible.This understanding will be enhanced when staff are trained to the Training and Development LeadBody standards, or other City & Guilds teaching qualifications such as 9285 the Certificate inTeaching Communication Skills.

Staff development may also be needed for Core Skills competency. Best practice is for the Core Skillsunits to be achieved.

Candidate induction

A centre must have a policy of candidate induction. During induction, a candidate will agree with amember of staff an overall action plan, which will identify which unit(s), at which levels, areappropriate targets.

As part of the induction programme, the candidate can be introduced to the concepts of actionplanning, the content and structure of the scheme, the system of building up a portfolio of evidence,and keeping records (where these are appropriate to the scheme). Time spent in familiarisation at thisearly stage will save a great deal of time as the programme progresses, since candidates will be able toassist centre staff in identifying opportunities for assessment and occasions when evidence has beenproduced.

Preparing for Assessment

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General planning

The units are defined at four levels of attainment as detailed earlier in this document.

Assessors need only work on a day-to-day basis with one or two levels of each Core Skill, not all four.

They need to be aware of the levels above and below, to ensure that a candidate is working for thecorrect level of Core Skills. Assessors should consider moving a candidate to a higher or lower level ofCore Skill unit where necessary.

Roles in assessment who does what?

It may not be helpful to divide responsibility for assessing different areas of the Core Skills betweendifferent assessors. If all assessors are aware of the content of all the units, evidence can be used, forinstance fromITunits, to assist assessment in Communication and forNumeracy.

An assessor, therefore, needs to be aware of the contents of a wide range of units.

The importance of candidate involvement in assessment is integral to the 3628 Core Skills. It not onlyenhances learning, as candidates become more aware of the targets to which they are working, but it

also helps assessors to manage assessment.

When the Core Skills units are delivered using an integrated approach, achievement can happen inunexpected ways and in unexpected places. The candidate needs to be able to contribute to theidentification and collection of evidence of achievement.

Guidance on design of assessment material: integrating Core Skills

Evidence of Core Skills should be collected from activities candidates undertake to meet therequirements of, for example, SVQ units. However, while it is important to ensure that Core Skills aredelivered and assessed in an integrated way, this does not mean losing them without trace. AlthoughCore Skills are embedded in performance, being explicit about them will help people to learn andpractice them more effectively.

If Core Skills are integrated into and developed in a wide range of settings it will help candidates tore-apply their skills in new, unfamiliar settings and will prepare them for different situations. Forexample, we use communication skills all the time at work, often without thinking consciously aboutthe way we are using them and how they might be improved. The Core Skills unit provides adescription of what constitutes effective communication. They can help candidates to stop and thinkabout the skills and strategies they use, and compare what they do now with what they might have todo in new, unfamiliar settings. This will help candidates to identify ways in which they will be able toadapt to different work environments.

Direct observation of achievement can be supplemented with question such as : How would you havedone it differently if such and such had been the case?and How would you do this in the future? inorder to ensure that activities are properly understood and can be reproduced effectively. Questions

like those above can also be used where the opportunities for assessing a particular aspect of a CoreSkill are limited. This is not a preferred option, since it is better to assess on a number of occasions toensure confidence in claiming achievement. Over-use of this technique can indicate that assessors arefailing to identify appropriate opportunities for assessing candidates performances directly.

Learning programmes

A learning programme must ensure that for every candidate there is an opportunity for progression inCore Skills development and that work is not repeating what is done elsewhere.

Learning programmes are not prescribed by City & Guilds. Centres are free to design their own and areencouraged to draw as widely as possible on resources both within and outside the institution.

3628 Core Skills is designed to allow active learning by candidates. The training and learning styleadopted within a centre will depend on the maturity of the candidates and the stage in the programme.At the start of a programme, it is likely that candidates will need more guidance on how to meet therequirements. Some candidates will need specialised tuition to overcome specific learning difficulties.


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The issues of planning addressed above relate to integrating 3628 Core Skills into the totality of acandidates programme. Another important factor which has to be taken into account when planningthe programme is what the candidate can do before starting.

If accreditation of essential skills is to be effective in developingthe skills which candidates have aswell as recording the level they have reached, it is important that work is both realistic andchallenging. All have been designed so that there is a natural progression to the higher levels.

Ways to promote the effective learning of Core Skills

careful sequencing of theory and practice components, to help candidates learn the techniques andknowledge underpinning Core Skills and see the relevance of what they are learning throughpractical experience

explicit tuition and practice in using leaning strategies within a wide range of contexts

careful structuring of tasks that promote the ability to think by creating problems of sufficientchallenge to stretch, but not deter, the candidates

systematic variation of tasks in order that learners can see how, and to what extent, existing skills

can be applied to good effect in less familiar tasks and identify when new learning is required opportunities to work with others (eg through collaborative use of IT, coaching, reciprocal teaching,

pair problem solving) so that candidates are encouraged to express their reasons for adoptingparticular approaches and thus learn from each other what works and what doesnt work

providing candidates with precise feedback, not only on how they are doing, but also on what todo to improve

encouraging self-assessment and reflection by candidates (to think about their own thinking)

Ensuring good assessment practice

Structured approaches to managing Core Skills assessment across programmes can be established

through assessment plans. These identify how opportunities for assessing the units can be scheduledinto the programme.

Assessment plans are most successful when they:

include agreements about the learning activities to be created/used in the learning programme give an outline of the settings in the programme which proved the most appropriate context for

assessing Core Skills

They also need to provide a relatively detailed breakdown of where and when things will be assessed.The assessment plan is most effective when it includes an outline of where this aspect of the unitmight be assessed. Of course, the assessment plan is exactly that a plan. The map that it providesmay have to change in the light of changes to the programme (for a group and/or for an individual),and opportunities for assessing the units which crop up unexpectedly during continuous assessment.

Assessment plans can play a vital role in curriculum planning before a programme starts. But justlooking forward can close peoples eyes to opportunities which crop up in the course of a programme,or which depend on decisions made during the programme. For example, there may be unexpectedopportunities to work with unfamiliar people, or candidates may decide to do a survey, introducing awide range of Core Skills. This is where individual action planning approaches can be extremelyvaluable.

The most effective regimes are those which use a combination of:

assessment planning through individual and course team approaches

ongoing assessment through observation of performance, questioning and so on

retrospective assessment through assessment of outcomes such as reports and artefacts, use ofdebriefing sessions and so on


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Assessment planningclarifies roles. It identifies areas of activity in a programme which provide thebest opportunities for assessing particular Core Skills. Candidates can be assigned activities with theexplicit intention of developing specific Core Skills.

However, assessors often analyse project outlines etc to try to infer their Core Skills content. This canfail to pick up achievements that occur in an incidental or unanticipated way, and can be insensitive tothe achievements that merge from activities and approaches, which a candidate adopts in workingthrough a project or assignment.

Ongoing assessmentis good at picking up unexpected achievement something which can occurwith remarkable frequency. It can provide valid assessment, since it takes place at the time thatsomeone does something (rather than some weeks or months later) and can use appropriate methodsof assessment, such as observation or questioning.

However, it can be time consuming when it involves large amounts of assessor observation ofperformance. Since assessors can be dealing with all Core Skills areas, it is easy to miss particularaspects of the units. Continuous assessment using observation, questioning and so on is valuablebecause of its validity, but individual assessors can often persistently mark too high or too low. Therole of internal and external verification is crucial in helping to standardise the assessment of Core

Skills.

Evidence from prior achievements

A distinctive feature of the National Qualifications system is that there is a range of ways in which CoreSkills certification may be achieved. For example, all Standard Grade candidates will have a Core Skillsprofile, which will be recorded on their Scottish Qualifications Certificate, and which can be built on asthe candidate or employer requires.

For candidates who are already competent in some areas through having worked in a particular job forsome time, accreditation of prior learning (APL) may be considered, and for those on SVQprogrammes, evidence may be found to overlap.

Further guidance on these issues and the implications for Modern Apprentices, who need to achieve allfive Core Skills, but who may already have achieved some of these at school or in previousemployment can be found in SVQs Guide to Assessing Workplace Core Skill. (Available to downloadfrom the City & Guilds Core Skills website).

A full listing of the coverage of Core Skills units through National courses can be found in SQAs CoreSkills Catalogue, Automatic Certification of Core Skills in National Qualifications 1999-2000. (This maybe downloaded from SQAs website).

Assessors considering credit for prior achievements should note:

the importance ofapplicationof the skills and knowledge described in the Core Skills units. A

candidate should not just know about the things described there, but should also be able to applythem successfully

that they should feel confident that the candidate can consistently apply the skills described in theunits, ie that they have current competence

Sufficiency of evidence

When a portfolio of evidence is being assessed, the assessor has to judge when sufficient evidence hasbeen accumulated to show that the assessment requirements have been met. Meeting all theassessment criteria for What do I need to do is both necessary and sufficient. Careful considerationmust also be taken to check that, where required, the candidate has fulfilled the assessment criteria aspart of a substantial activity. This is an activity that includes a number of related tasks, where the

results of one task will affect the carrying out of others.


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Preparing for assessment checklist

The following checklist summarises the key points involved in assessing 3628 Core Skills:

The assessor should undertake careful familiarisation with the units.

Candidates induction in the units is essential.

Candidates should understand the assessment criteria and what evidence is required.

Candidates should play as active a part as possible in collecting and presenting evidence ofachievement to the assessor.

Effective assessment involves a combination of planning and ongoing assessment.

3628 Core Skills should be assessed on an ongoing basis.


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Record keeping

General principles

The assessment of Core Skills should be continuous and well-planned. Every effort should be made toassess activities as they occur, and not miss valuable chances to demonstrate achievement.

To help ensure this, candidates should take an active part in collecting and presenting evidence ofachievements to the assessor. To do this they need a firm grasp of the expectations of the units.

If a candidate has attained aspects of a Core Skills unit but not its full requirement, this should berecorded and evidence kept as full achievement may be obtained at a later date.

Record-keeping forms

Each candidate should keep a log of their own performance. Suitable documents can be found in the

Assessment Packs for each unit. Where a centre wishes to use an alternative form of recording, thismust be agreed with the external verifier. Alternatively the Generic logbook may be used.

Assessors notes of evidence must be kept where the candidates own written evidence is insufficient todemonstrate complete achievement of the requirements of the evidence. These notes must record

details of the activities undertaken

how the evidence meets the assessment criteria

An example of a candidate logging recording sheet is attached.

Also provided are tracking sheets for each Core Skill, used to track a group of candidatesachievements. This tracking sheet must not be used as a substitute to the candidates logbook but canbe used as an additional tracking mechanism to plan/check/track candidates performance.

All records for all candidates, together with their portfolios, must be available for the external verifiersvisit.

Record Keeping

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Assessment plan


26

Candidate

Task to be assessed

Proposed date of assessment

Proposed method of assessment

Assignment or project

Observed performance

Witness testimony

Written questions

Oral questioning

Previous evidence

Other evidence

Product evaluation, eg writtendocument

Tick Notes

Assessor

Candidate

Line manager (if required)

Date

Details agreed and signed by:


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Task 1: reading and understandingCandidate evidence sheet

Record Keeping

27

What is the purposeof thiscommunication?eg To tell peoplesomething? To warnpeople? To complain?

What are the mainpoints?

Say how useful it is


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Task 1: reading and understandingAssessment checklist


28

Candidate

Read and obtain information from a single document related to your work.

Task to be assessed

Assessor signature Date

Activity

Read a simple writtendocument (eg a letter,

e-mail, a list ofinstructions, a leaflet).

Identify the importantideas and key pointsin this document.

Say why thedocument does ordoes not work.

Feedback/Training needs identified

Evidence Assessors comments


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Record Keeping

29

Task

1 Reading

2 Writing

3 Speaking

Date achieved Assessor signature

Summary checklist

Candidate

Candidate number

Centre


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Observation record / Witness statement

Name of candidate

Name of assessor / observer

Where assessment took place Date

Scheme Unit

Scheme ref Portfolio ref


30

What evidence is there thatthe candidate can:

Assessment criteria

Please tick where appropriate:

Straightforward Complex Extended document Substantial activity Other comments eg audience / images

Signature of assessor / observer Date

Signature of candidate Date

Brief record of observation Assessment decision

Brief description of context in which the candidate demonstrated competence


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Record Keeping

31

Tracking

sheet:3

628WorkplaceCore

Skills(Access3)

Candidate

name

Communication

Task1

Task2

Task3

Task1

Task2

Task3

Task1

Task2

Task3

Ta

sk1

Task2

Task3

Task1

Task2

Task3

Task

4

Numeracy

IT

Pr

oblemsolving

Workingwithothers


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32

Tracking

sheet:3

628WorkplaceCore

Skills(Intermediate1)

Candidate

name

Communication

Task1

Task2

Task3

Task1

Task2

Task3

Task1

Task2

Task3

Ta

sk1

Task2

Task3

Task1

Task2

Task3

Task

4

Numeracy

IT

Pr

oblemsolving

Workingwithothers


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Record Keeping

33

Tracking

sheet:3

628WorkplaceCore

Skills(Intermediate2)

Candidate

name

Communication

Task1

Task2

Task3

Task1

Task2

Task3

Task

1

Task2

Task3

Task1

Tas

k2

Task3

Task1

Task2

T

ask3

Task4

Numeracy

IT

Pro

blemsolving

Workingwithothers


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34

Tracking

sheet:3

628WorkplaceCore

Skills(Higher)

Candidate

name

Communication

Task1

Task2

Task3

Task1

Task2

Task3

Task

1

Task2

Task3

Task1

Tas

k2

Task3

Task1

Task2

T

ask3

Task4

Numeracy

IT

Pro

blemsolving

Workingwithothers


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Internal verificationRecord of internal verifier feedback to assessor

From internal verifier Date

To assessor

Scheme

Candidate

Sample taken

Details of feedback:

Record Keeping

35

Action required:

By when?


Internal verifier Date

Confirmation action has been taken


Internal verifier Date


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Internal

VerificationSamplingMatrix

Group

StartDate

Completiondate

Level

CandidateN

ame

Enrolno

CentreEnrol

date

RegDate

Communication

Numeracy

InformationTechnology

Ass

initial

IVinitial

Date

IVed

Ass

initial

IVinitial

Date

IVed

Ass

initial

IVinitial

Date

IVed

Pro

blemSolving

Assinitial

IVinitial

Date

IVed

WorkingwithOthers

Ass

initial

IVinitial

D

ate

I

Ved

KeytoAssessors

Keytointernalve

rifiers

Name

Initial

Name

Initial

SignedIVco-ordinator

Date

Dateaward

completed

Datecert

claimed


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Preparing for External Verification

Purpose of external verification

The City & Guilds external verifier will be seeking to confirm that the judgements of the centreassessors and internal verifier(s) are consistent with national standards.

Process of external verification

Verification will normally involve a visit, although it may be postal.

The external verifier will expect, as the major focus of any visit, to have available

records of enrolment, registration, certification (where already claimed)

a complete record of all units which have been completed by candidates and which have beenboth assessed and undergone the internal verification process

the portfolios of all candidates for whom the centre intends to seek certification, including themeans of accessing items such as videotapes, cassettes, computer records etc

the logbooks (or other agreed recording systems) which will allow the verifier to find the evidencefor any part of the schemes being claimed

a record of which assessors have been responsible for which units

assessors feedback to candidates

IV sampling plan and matrix to show the sampling completed

a record of which internal verifiers have been responsible for which units (if there is more than oneinternal verifier) and internal verifier feedback to assessors

During the visit, the City & Guilds external verifier will

use candidate records to select units and elements for sampling

use candidate records to identify and locate the evidence for particular units and elements

sample the evidence in the portfolios in order to confirm that the standards have been met

meet a sample of candidates, where appropriate

For any given element of the standards, the verifier will expect to find

evidence for all requirements of the scheme (including for example witness statements, records ofsupplementary questioning, where necessary)

that all evidence in the portfolio relates to the achievement of the individual candidate, that anycontribution to group work is clearly identified and that duplicated notes, hand-outs andunacknowledged copying from texts are not claimed as evidence

Problems will arise if

internal verifier records are missing

assessor records are missing

evidence is missing or incomplete

evidence produced does not bear a clear relationship to the scheme requirements

there are any doubts as to the authenticity of evidence

evidence is presented which had not been assessed or been through the internal verificationprocess

Preparing for External Verification

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External verification is most likely to be successful when

centres have an established and regular system of internal verification, involving the checking ofassessment plans and sampling of candidate work, with constructive feedback to assessors andcandidates which is duly acted upon

centres have standardised their assessment policy across all assessors for Core Skills

candidate records are such that the evidence relating to specific aspects of the standards can berapidly located and examined; this will involve clear cross-referencing of logbooks to portfolios andwould be further assisted by annotation of the portfolio evidence itself

External verifierss approval for claiming certification

When successful external verification has been completed, the centre will be able to submit claims forcertification. Claims may be made for candidates who complete their programmes after the externalverifiers visit, provided that

their work has been subject to the supervision of internal verifiers whose work was sampled at the

time of the visit the candidate is claiming for certification in a Core Skills area, which was subject to external

verification during the visit

This means that not all candidates need necessarily have completed their programmes at the time ofthe external verifiers visit

If it is not possible for the external verifier to agree the achievement of candidates as claimed, thenCity & Guilds will not be able to award certification to any candidates until a successful externalverification has occurred. External verifiers will not be passing individual candidates or the work ofindividual assessors. It may be that only the decisions of specific internal verifiers or assessors are indoubt, in which case certification might be awarded to candidates whose work has been verified byother internal verifiers.

Extra visits

If, as a result of the processes not being carried out within the centre, an extra external verificationvisit is required, this may be subject to a charge and will be subject to the availability of a suitablyqualified external verifier. Please note that this could delay the award of certificates considerably.


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Administrative arrangements for certification

Full details relating to the arrangements are contained in City & GuildsDirectory of Assessments andAwardswhich is sent to centre co-ordinators (formerly local examination secretaries).

The results for Core Skills units (when candidates have been successful in the internal assessment forthe appropriate core skill) are processed on demand and registrations last for three years.

Centres are therefore encouraged to assess candidates when they are ready.

All candidates must be registered before results can be reported. Registration is for a candidate for acomplex and this allows any number of results at any level to be reported for that candidate duringthe three-year registration period.

Registrations and results reporting are made on the same type of form Form S. Each form mustcontain one type of transaction only, either for registration or results submission. You must indicate onthe form (top left box) what type of transaction you are using the form for.

A centre is invoiced for candidate fees when the Form S is received by City & Guilds. A copy ofFormS (registration) must also be sent to the centres external verifier. An example of a completedform is attached.

In the example form, Jane Smith has not been issued previously with a unique, lifelong, City & Guildscandidate enrolment number and therefore the letters ENR are entered on the form. The secondcandidate already has a candidate enrolment number and the name is therefore not required. As acheck to ensure that the details of the enrolment are correct, the sex and date of birth has had to beincluded.

Since registration is for the complex, no component numbers are included.

Please note that registrations are the responsibility of the centre co-ordinator (localexaminations secretary) who makes them through City & Guilds Entry and Results Department.

Reporting results

On completion of the unit(s), ie success in internal assessment, the centre will need to submit resultson a Form S (results submission).

By the time results are submitted, all candidates will have received their unique, lifelong, City & Guildsenrolment number. Names are therefore not required but as with registration, sex and date of birthmust be included.

Form S (results submission) should be prepared by the centre prior to the external verifiers visit. Itmust be remembered that candidate details do not come pre-printed onForm S. This is to allow thecentre to submit results for different candidates at different times.

The components reported should be at the highest level achieved. (For example, if a candidate is

successful in Communication Intermediate 1, success in Communication Access 3 should not bereported). No failures should be reported and candidates who do not achieve any units should not belisted.

Any amendments which need to be made to the form after preparation should be made clearly.

It is most importantthat all the details on Form Sare correct, otherwise it will be rejected by theEntry and Results Department of City & Guilds, and certificates and Certificates of Unit Credit will notbe issued. Centres should check that

a centre details are accurate (ie name and number)

b the correct complex number and complex name are inserted (ie 3628 Workplace Core Skills)

c the correct candidate enrolment numbers and details of sex and date of birth are completed. (Donot insert ENR. Candidate enrolment numbers cannotbe requested on Form S (results submission))

Administrative arrangements for certification

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d the correct component numbers as listed in theDirectoryfollowed by P have been used

e results are onlysubmitted for candidates who have registeredfor 3628 Workplace Core Skills

f Form S (results submission) is not returned sooner than 10 weeks or later than 36 months afterregistration

If the centre is being visited, Form S (results submission) must be counter-signed by the externalverifier before being submitted to City & Guilds. When the verifier is not visiting the centre, the co-ordinator must arrange for the completed Form S (results submission) to be sent to the verifier. If apostal verification has been arranged, the requested evidence and records should be sent with Form S(results submission).

Details of all the fees, component numbers and SVQ numbers are provided on the Directorypage for Scheme 3628 Workplace Core Skills contained in the City & Guilds Directory ofAssessment and Awards.

Administration summary

City and Guilds Walled Garden

Details of how registrations and results submission can be completed on-line via our Walled Garden,can be found in theDirectory of assessments and awardsor on our website: www.city-and-guilds.co.ukor our dedicated Walled Garden site: www.walled-garden.com .


40

Complex Forms to becompleted

Fees applicable Certificateissued

362801Form S (registration)

Form S (results submission)

registration only certificate listing allunits completed

registration pluscomponent entry362890


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Appendix 1

Glossary of terms

Evidence What you need to produce to prove you have the skills required. Examplesinclude items you have made, written material, artwork, photographs,audio/video recordings, computer print-outs, diagrams, and records fromyour assessor and others who have seen your work. Some evidence may beseen for more than one Core Skill. For example, computer print-outs of textand images, such as graphs and charts, could be used as evidence forwritten communication and for presenting findings in numeracy, as well as IT.

Portfolio A file or folder for collecting and organising evidence for assessment.

Straightforward Subject Straightforward subjects and materials are those that you often meet in yourwork, studies or other activities. Content is put across in a direct way with

the main points being easily identified. Usually, sentence structures aresimple and you will be familiar with the vocabulary.

Straightforward activities Are those in which the overall objective, target or problem is given, or easilyidentified, and it is fairly clear how to break down the activity into manageabletasks. Topics and situations are generally familiar, although some parts of theactivity may be new.

Complex subject Complex subjects and materials present a number of ideas, some of which maybe abstract, very detailed or require you to deal with sensitive issues. Therelationship of ideas and lines of reasoning may not be immediately clear.Specialised vocabulary and complicated sentence structures may be used.

Complex activities Are those in which the overall objective, target or problem usually needs to benegotiated with others. The component tasks, and the relationship betweenthem, may not be immediately clear. Topics covered are those that include anumber of ideas, some of which may be unfamiliar.

Substantial activity An activity that includes a number of related tasks, where the results of one taskwill affect the carrying out of the others. For example, in numeracy a substantialactivity will involve obtaining and interpreting information, using this informationwhen carrying out calculations and explaining how the results of yourcalculations meet the purpose of the activity.

Extended documents Include text books, and reports, articles and essays of more than three pages.

They may deal with straightforward or complex subjects and include images suchas diagrams, pictures and charts. You are asked to read and write extendeddocuments at level 2 and above to show, for example, that you can identify linesof reasoning in fairly lengthy material and structure your own writing to helpothers follow your sequence of ideas.

Trainer The person who will take you through the training process in order for you tolearn and practice skills before you are ready for assessment.

Assessor A designated person at the centre who is competent to carry out the assessmentof the evidence you present.

Objectives The shared purpose towards which you and others are working. Objectives maybe those set by an organisation, group, team or two people working together.

Appendix 1

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Targets The steps towards achieving your personal, learning or career goals. Targetsshould be SMART: specific (say exactly what you need to do), measurable(say how you will prove you have met them), achievable (challenging, butnot too difficult), realistic (in terms of the opportunities and resources youhave) and time-related (include deadlines).

Problem A problem exists when there is a need or opportunity to bridge a gapbetween current and desired situations, and no ready solution is to hand.

Activity-based learning Examples include watching a demonstration, following instructions andpractising it, or finding out for yourself by carrying out a practical task orproblem solving activity on your own or in a group. Videos, audio tapes orIT can be used, but it must involve you in doing practical tasks, forexample, practicing keyboard skills, making something or solving aproblem (not just looking, listening or reading).

Study-based learning Examples include reading something at work to help you do your job

better, listening to a teacher or trainer and doing follow up work, supportedself-study where you take responsibility for your learning and get supportthrough individual or group tutorials, or distance learning where you workthrough materials on your own, with minimum support. Videos, audio tapesand IT can also be used.

TDLB standards The Training and Development Lead Body standards (TDLB) have beendeveloped to ensure that there are agreed national standards for assessmentand verification.


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Appendix 2

Relevant sources of information

City & Guilds Core Skills website: www.core-skills.org.uk

City & Guilds website (directory details): www.city-and-guilds.co.uk

City & Guilds Scotland22 Walker StreetEdinburghEH3 7HR

0131 226 1556

The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA)Accreditation UnitEpic House28-32 Cadogan StreetGlasgowG2 7LP

0141 242 2488

e-mail: [email protected]

www.sqa.org.uk

The Scottish Council of National Training Organisation (SCONTO)

28 Castle StreetEdinburghEH2 3HT

0131 226 7726

www.sconto.org.uk

The Scottish Funding Councils for Further & Higher EducationDonaldson House97 Haymarket TerraceEdinburghEH12 5HD

0131 313 6500

www.sfefc.ac.uk

Scottish Enterprise website: www.scottish-enterprise.co.uk

Highlands and Islands Enterprise website: www.hie.co.uk

Appendix 2

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Core Skills HANDBOOK

Documents

Transcript of Core Skills HANDBOOK