Memorandum 100
Submission from Edexcel
This letter constitutes Edexcel's evidence to
the Innovation, Universities and Skills Committee's inquiry into
the Government's decision to phase out support given to institutions
for students taking second qualifications of an equivalent or
lower level (ELQs) to their first qualifications.
Edexcel understand that the Government's key
priorities are to increase and widen participation and to support
fairness and the growth in high level skills, and that funding
will follow these priorities. We appreciate that as a result of
this, the decision has been made to phase out funding given to
institutions for students taking second qualifications of an equivalent
or lower level to their first qualifications.
We support the measures suggested in the consultation
that will ensure continued to support certain types of qualifications,
and certain types of students; qualifications in strategically
important and vulnerable subjects, and support for part-time opportunities.
We also support the intention to exempt Foundation Degrees from
the withdrawal of funding for equivalent or lower level qualifications.
We strongly feel however, that Higher National
qualifications should also be exempt. They also offer a route
for students who wish to acquire new skills for use in the workplace.
They are popular with both students, and recognised and valued
by employers. Edexcel work with employers and their representatives
in order to develop these qualifications and they are, like the
Fd, designed to give students the technical and professional skills
in demand from employers. HNs have offered work-related skills
to students through Edexcel (BTEC) in England, (and in Scotland
by SQA), in one form or another, for at least the past 30 years.
Over 45,000 students have registered for an HN this year so far.
In addition to this, in order to up-skill the
workforce, a range of appropriate qualifications is needed. This
is especially so at higher levels where individuals are likely
to have a clearer and more sophisticated idea of what they require.
We believe that protecting both the Fd and the HN will ensure
continued choice for students.
January 2008
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