Key Skills

Key Skills

Introduction to Key Skills
The Key Skills qualification was introduced in September 2000 and will enable you to acquire qualifications in

• Application of Number
• Communication
• Information and Communication Technology

What are Key Skills?
Key Skills are those generic skills that can help you to improve your own learning and performance in education and training, work and life in general.

They are important in your:

• learning because they help you to focus on what and how you are learning so you can get better results
• career because they enable you to be flexible in whatever kind of work you do. Employers look for Key Skills when recruiting and promoting people. These skills are relevant to all levels of an organisation, including self-employment
• personal life because they can help you to organise yourself, manage your money, handle information and get on with others.

How will you achieve your Key Skills qualification?
To achieve these qualifications, you must demonstrate you have these skills through a portfolio of evidence that has been collected from your day-to-day studies, work or other activities. The evidence will come from your AS and A-level subjects and will include written material, computer print-outs, records from your assessor, photographs, audio/video recordings, graphs and charts. Records of your evidence of competence in Key Skills will either be kept in college or looked after by yourself in a portfolio.

Examples of where you may get your evidence from:

• report on market potential for a new product in Business Studies;
• discussions, presentations and written work in English, History and Religious Studies;
• experimental work and write-up in Biology and Chemistry;
• field work and write-up in Geography;
• examination analysis in Mathematics;
• leaflet on Health & Safety in the workplace in IT;
• discussion and a written essay or report in Law.

Key Skills unitsCommunication (Level 3)
This unit is about applying your communication skills to deal with complex subjects and extended written material.

You will show that you can:

• take part in a discussion;
• make a formal presentation on a topic which you have investigated;
• read and synthesise information;
• write different types of documents.

Information and Communication Technology (Level 3)
This unit is about applying your IT skills to suit different purposes.

You will show that you can:

• search for information using different sources and multiple search criteria in at least one case ;
• enter and develop the information and derive new information;
• present combined information, such as text with image, text with number, image with number.

Application of Number (Level 3)
This unit is about applying your number skills in a substantial complex activity.

You will show that you can:

• plan an activity and get relevant information from different sources;
• carry out multi-stage calculations;
• interpret results of your calculations, present your findings, explain results and justify your methods.

How are Key Skills assessed?
For your Key Skills qualification you will be assessed in two ways:

Internal Assessment
This is achieved by providing evidence which will come naturally from your AS and A-level subjects and enrichment activities. Evidence of this will be kept in college in your Key Skills portfolio.

External Assessment
In order to achieve the qualification, you will also need to take an external assessment, which will involve a test. These will be set and assessed by the examination awarding body. Tests for each Key Skills Unit last 1.5 hours and involve short-answer and long-answer questions. The IT test will be sat through the medium of a computer.

There are some exemptions from the Key Skills tests.

Exemptions for Communication (Level 3)
If you pass AS-level English Language, Literature or combined at grades A - E you will be exempt from the Communication Test but you will still be required to produce evidence for your portfolio.

Exemptions from Application of Number (Level 3)
If you pass AS-level Mathematics (Further, Statistics, Mechanics), at grades A - E you will be exempt from the Application of Number Test, but you will still be required to produce evidence for your portfolio.

Exemptions from Information and Communication Technology (Level 3)
If you pass AS-level ICT or Computer Studies at grades A - E you will be exempt from the Information and Communication Technology Test, but you will still be required to produce 2 pieces of evidence for your portfolio. If you take Applied ICT, you will be exempt from the test and the portfolio.

You will sit your tests during the first year of your studies at Greenhead.

• Communication - January of your AS year
• ICT - January or May of your AS year

The tests are not graded - you either pass or fail them. If you fail the test, you can resit them at the earliest opportunity.

UCAS points system and Key Skills
As part of the new points system announced by UCAS the current Key Skills units will be awarded points if achieved at levels 2,3 or 4. This new UCAS tariff includes the recognition of Key Skills.

UCAS has announced that achievements in level 3 Key Skills will be awarded the following:

• each unit passed at level 3 will score 20 points

Thus, a student who achieves Key Skills in the three units at level 3 will achieve 60 UCAS points or the equivalent of a grade A at AS-level.

This system recognises and awards the Key Skills Qualification (Application of Number, Communication and Information and Communication Technology) and achievements in single units.

Do universities think Key Skills are important?
Yes, they do. A growing number of universities are including Key Skills as part of their tariff points offer. Universities are using Key Skills as a factor when making offers.

Although not all universities ask for Key Skills in the entry requirements, it has been noted that they look more favourably upon students who have achieved their Key Skills. This shows the commitment and dedication shown by our students to achieve the broad range of studies offered at the college.

Here are some extracts from what the universities are saying on the UCAS website which spells out their policies and importance for applications to university:

• Performance in Key Skills will play an important role in our admissions policy .it is very likely that performance in the Key Skills, where the results are already known, will often be a central factor in deciding which candidates will receive an offer, and in some cases may also effect the level of the offer itself. Key Skills achievements could also tip the balance in favour of candidates at the time of confirmation or clearing.
  Coventry
• We will allow all qualifications covered by the framework to count towards our offers including additional AS grades and certificated Key Skills. Whilst the possession of Key Skills is not a mandatory requirement for entry to Liverpool John Moores University, certificated Key Skills may count towards the overall offer.
  Liverpool John Moores

'UCL will expect all applicants in the personal statement on their UCAS form and at interview to point to activities that they have undertaken and developed in at least three of the six Key Skill areas. Award of the Key Skills certificate will be recognised as providing evidence of such activities.'

What do employers think about Key Skills?
Employers have said that they are looking for applicants who:

• can communicate effectively, both in speaking and writing;
• can handle calculations and budgets and use numbers effectively;
• can deal with new technology and have IT skills;
• can work in teams, with good interpersonal skills;
• are willing and able to learn new skills.

Comments from employers:

• 'We place a high emphasis on people's attitudes to work and to other people - communication skills are most vital.'
• 'Key Skills are not only desirable but essential to competence in a large range of occupations.'
• 'Qualifications get you an interview, key skills get you the job.'