VRQ - Vocationally-Related Qualification
For information on the approval of qualifications for funding in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, see the links to DCSF, DIUS, DCELLS, DELNI and DENI below.
When undertaking a qualification that does not appear on the governments' lists as eligible for funding for specific age ranges, users must be aware of legal requirements. Not all qualifications are suitable for all age ranges.
The units of the qualification are built solidly upon specific areas of competence with the National Occupational Standards and thus most will be of direct use (through accreditation of prior achievement) in apprenticeship programmes as well as providing the required basis of knowledge and skills needed for direct entry into employment. Through the defined connections with UCAS and university entrance needs, this qualification also provides direct access to level 4/5 programmes.
The content aims to include a significant proportion of transferable skills that will be valuable for learners who wish to gain further educational qualifications at the end of the programme.
The qualification is internally assessed and externally verified using National Standards Sampling
There are four endorsed pathways (IT and Business, Networking, Software Development and Systems Support).
Learners will undertake the Mandatory units of each pathway and then choose from an open set of options that collectively add up to the 1080 GLH requirement. There are some barred (or forbidden combinations) - these are between the vendor units and alternative units that overlap in content.
Forbidden Combinations
The optional units contain a number of specialist vendor awards (Microsoft, CISCO, IBM and CompTIA). Some of these specialist vendor awards overlap in content with other units and a number of forbidden combinations have been identified.
16 Maintaining Computer Systems is a forbidden combination with units 48, 49
22 Network Management is a forbidden combination with units 51, 47
29 IT Systems Troubleshooting and Repair is a forbidden combination with units 36, 37
30 Networked Systems Security is a forbidden combination with unit 50
36 Supporting Users and Troubleshooting Desktop Applications on the XP Operating System (Microsoft) is a forbidden combination with unit 29
37 Supporting Users and Troubleshooting the XP Operating System (Microsoft) is a forbidden combination with unit 29
42 Networking Basics (Cisco CCNA 1) is a forbidden combination with units 47, 48, 49*
47 Networking Essentials (Cisco IT Essentials 2) is a forbidden combination with units 22, 42, 48, 49, 51, 54 58
48 A+ 220-602 (part of CompTIA A+) is a forbidden combination with units 16, 42, 47, 54 58
49 IT Essentials (part of CompTIA A+) is a forbidden combination with units 16, 42, 47, 54 58
50 Networking Security (CompTIA Security +) is a forbidden combination with unit 30
51 Configuring and Troubleshooting Networks (CompTIA Networks +) is a forbidden combination with units 22, 47
54 Networking for Home and Small Business (Cisco CCNA1 Discovery) is a forbidden combination with units 47, 48, 49*
58 Network Fundamental (Exploration CCNA 1) is a forbidden combination with units 47, 48, 49*
*Additionally to these forbidden combinations, learners may choose Cisco CCNA units from a single group only (ie. Discovery, Exploration etc.); combining groups is forbidden.
Note – a maximum of 33% of the total guided learning hours can be specialist vendor awards.