02 Mar 2021
Key Facts
Qualification purpose
Prepare for employment
Qualification Grading Type
Pass
Assessment Methods
Why choose this qualification?
The Gateway Qualifications suite of Employability Skills qualifications have been developed at Entry 3, Level 1 and Level 2 as Awards and Certificates.
The qualifications offer the generic transferable employability skills needed for employment such as teamwork, communication, problem-solving. The qualifications are designed to enable a learner either to progress directly into employment or into learning at a higher level as part of a progression pathway towards employment in a specific sector. They have been designed to complement learning in specific sectors where there is a need for the learner to obtain additional employability skills alongside sector-specific skills.
The revised suite of employability qualifications build on our popular existing qualifications. Following consultations with centres we have made some minor changes to ensure that the units remain fit for purpose and support progression. In particular we are keen to facilitate the embedding of units to make it easier to deliver holistic programmes of learning in different contexts. We have also added new units that reflect employer requirements.
These qualifications have a stronger focus on skills where evidence of a learner’s ability to do something takes priority over evidencing underpinning knowledge. However, the units include guidance on coverage of underpinning knowledge in the teaching and learning of a unit. There is also the addition of new units that reflect skills that are deemed essential by employers for example “Negotiation Skills”.
Employability Skills pre-2019
This qualification was developed in 2019 to update our Employability Skills suite. It will replace the older LEGACY: Gateway Qualifications Entry Level Certificate In Employability Skills (Entry 3) qualification. The two versions of the qualification will run in parallel until 31st July 2020.
If you are running Employability Skills please double check that you are registering and claiming on the correct version. If you have any queries about which version you are approved for, please contact us.
For information about the older version of the qualification, please visit LEGACY: Gateway Qualifications Entry Level Certificate In Employability Skills (Entry 3).
Rules of Combination
Learners must complete a minimum of 13 credits of which 7 credits must be achieved at Entry 3.
The units have been clustered according to subject content. All units are optional. Units can be selected from any of the groups or from a single group where there are sufficient credits.
Learners cannot include more than one unit with the same title (e.g. a learner may not include Entry 3 Interview Skills and Level 1 Interview Skills).
Units
Learners may complete up to 13 credits from this group.
Learners may chose 1 unit from this group.
Conduct at Work
Conduct at Work
Learners may chose 1 unit from this group.
Customer service skills
Customer service skills
Learners may chose 1 unit from this group.
Health and Safety in the Workplace
Health and Safety in the Workplace
Learners may chose 1 unit from this group.
Negotiation Skills
Negotiation Skills
Learners may chose 1 unit from this group.
Self-Management Skills for Work
Self-Management Skills for Work
Learners may chose 1 unit from this group.
Setting and Meeting Work-Related Targets
Setting and Meeting Work-Related Targets
Learners may chose 1 unit from this group.
Solving Work-Related Problems
Solving Work-Related Problems
Learners may chose 1 unit from this group.
Time Management
Time Management
Learners may chose 1 unit from this group.
Working in a Team
Working in a Team
Learners may chose 1 unit from this group.
Working Safely
Working Safely
Learners may chose 1 unit from this group.
Working with Colleagues
Working with Colleagues
Learners may complete up to 8 credits from this group.
Learners may chose 1 unit from this group.
Skills for Creative Thinkers
Skills for Creative Thinkers
Learners may chose 1 unit from this group.
Skills for Effective Participants
Skills for Effective Participants
Learners may chose 1 unit from this group.
Skills for Independent Enquirers
Skills for Independent Enquirers
Learners may chose 1 unit from this group.
Skills for Reflective Learners
Skills for Reflective Learners
Learners may complete 9 credits from this group.
Learners may chose 1 unit from this group.
Communication Skills for Work
Communication skills for work
Learners may chose 1 unit from this group.
Digital Skills for Work
Digital Skills for Work
Learners may chose 1 unit from this group.
Numeracy Skills for Work
Numeracy Skills for Work
Learners may complete up to 13 credits from this group.
Learners may chose 1 unit from this group.
Career Planning
Career Planning
Learners may chose 1 unit from this group.
Exploring and Presenting Enterprise Ideas
Exploring and Presenting Enterprise Ideas
Learners may chose 1 unit from this group.
Exploring Entrepreneurship
Exploring Entrepreneurship
Learners may chose 1 unit from this group.
Introduction to Self-Employment
Introduction to Self-Employment
Learners may chose 1 unit from this group.
Making the Most of Work Placement
Making the Most of Work Placement
Learners may complete up to 7 credits from this group.
Learners may chose 1 unit from this group.
Applying for a Job
Applying for a Job
Learners may chose 1 unit from this group.
Interview Skills
Interview Skills
Learners may chose 1 unit from this group.
Searching for a Job
Searching for a Job
Internal quality assessor requirements
DCS status for centres previously approved to offer the legacy version of this qualification can retain DCS status for this qualification subject to ongoing maintaining standards through external quality assurance monitoring.
What is the purpose of this qualification?
The Gateway Qualifications suite of Employability Skills qualifications have been developed at Entry 3, Level 1 and Level 2.
The qualifications offer the generic transferrable employability skills needed for employment such as Working in a Team, Communication Skills for Work.
Learners have a free choice of units. This is to ensure that their learning programmes can be tailored to suit their individual needs
The qualifications are designed to enable a learner either to progress directly into employment or into learning at a higher level as part of a progression pathway towards employment in a specific sector. They have been designed to complement learning in specific sectors where there is a need for the learner to obtain additional employability skills alongside sector-specific skills.
What skills, knowledge, or understanding does this qualification develop?
This qualification has a choice of units that focus on employability skills that are needed in the workplace such as working with customers, managing their time, problem-solving and getting on with colleagues.
There are no mandatory units, enabling learners and providers to work together to select units appropriate to the individual’s needs, interests and aspirations for employment.
How is this qualification different from other, similar qualifications?
There is a Gateway Qualifications Award, Certificate and Extended Certificate in Employability Skills. The Certificate is designed to meet the needs of learners who would benefit from a sizeable accredited programme focused on employability skills. It can provide a useful structure for the ‘work preparation training’ component of a traineeship where initial assessment has identified the need for a trainee to focus on employability skills, particularly where the lack of these is seen as a key barrier to gaining work.
This qualification is exclusively focused on helping learners develop the transferable skills essential for employment. There is also a suite of Entry 3 Preparation for Employment qualifications which include these same skills but, in addition, support learners to broaden their understanding of the world of work and the different options open to them and to develop some of the life skills, such as independent travel, that they will need in order to access employment. The
Which sector does this qualification support?
This qualification supports progression to entry-level job roles across sectors.
Which job roles does this qualification support?
This qualification supports progression to entry-level job roles across sectors.
Progression & entry requirements
Learners do not need any prior qualifications or specific level of attainment to take this qualification and it is available to learners of any age.Funding information
Learning Aims Search
The Hub provides a Learning Aims Search which you can use to check the funding status of any qualification or unit.
View this qualification on the ESFA’s Hub website
From 1st July 2021, the Hub will be replaced by a new Find a learning aim (FALA) service. This service is currently in BETA so if you experience any issues with finding funding details, please double check on the Hub above, or contact your account manager.
View this qualification on the ESFA’s Find a learning aim website
How to find a learning aim
If you’re not sure how to use the new find a learning aim website, we’ve created a handy walkthrough to help you:
How to Use: Find a learning Aim
We have done our best to collate and summarise the key information, and wherever possible we alert our providers to changes in funding policy.
This funding information is provided in good faith and it is always advisable to check directly with the funding agencies before committing to delivery.
The following support materials will help you to deliver this qualification.
Related Qualifications
- Gateway Qualifications Entry Level Award in Employability Skills (Entry 3)
- Gateway Qualifications Entry Level Extended Certificate in Employability Skills (Entry 3)
- Gateway Qualifications Level 1 Award in Employability Skills
- Gateway Qualifications Level 1 Certificate in Employability Skills
- Gateway Qualifications Level 1 Extended Certificate in Employability Skills
- Gateway Qualifications Level 2 Award in Employability Skills
- Gateway Qualifications Level 2 Certificate in Employability Skills