Construction Update December 2018

NVQ changes and updates

We have developed new qualifications to meet the latest National Occupational Standards, set by CITB. The following qualifications are going live in 2019. The launch of some have been put back to 1st April 2019 to allow centres time to prepare and for qualifications to be finalised on our systems. At this point the old versions will cease to be available to new learner registrations and centre approval will be transferred over. Specifications will be uploaded to our website shortly.

Planned to go live in Early January 2019

• L2 Building Maintenance Multi-trade Repair and Refurbishment Operations (AMENDMENT to allow ‘preparing background surfaces..’ unit to be taken more than once)
• Level 7 NVQ Diploma in Construction Senior Management
• Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Site Logistics Operations

Planned Live Date 1st April 2019

• Level 2 NVQ Certificate and Diploma in Construction and Civil Engineering Operations 
• Level 2 NVQ Certificate and Diploma in Road Building and Maintenance 
• Level 2 and 3 NVQ Diplomas in Accessing Operations and Rigging
• Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Interior Systems
• Level 2 NVQ Certificate in Plant Operations
• Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Occupational Work Supervision

Following consultation with centres, and a review of the demand, the following qualifications have been extended

• Level 7 NVQ Diploma in Built Environment Design and Consultancy Practice (currently a short extension to April 2019 to allow us time for a longer term review based on early 2019 registration data)
• Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Piling Operations

All remaining qualifications which were reaching their review date on 31st December 2018 have been extended.

The following qualifications have been set to end due to low demand

• Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Erection of Precast Concrete (April 2019)
• BTEC Level 2 Award and Certificate in Construction and Built Environment -Specialist: Construction (Ending 31st December 2019 in England, we are currently reviewing demand with centres to see if there is support to extend the Certificate in Wales only)

BTEC First Award in Construction now approved by DFE

We are pleased to confirm the amendments we have made to the BTEC First Award in Construction and the Built Environment have been accepted by DFE and they have included on the performance tables for 2020. Updated specifications are available on the Construction and the Built Environment (2018) page. Changes include updating the unit ‘Construction and Design’ to improve synoptic links across the qualification and an update to the design of the external assessment, increasing the duration, to ensure DFE approval.

The larger sizes of BTEC First (Certificate, Extended Certificate, Diploma) have been amended, applicable from September 2018, to allow greater flexibility, in particular removal of restrictions in the core units (the requirement to aggregate a pass) and a greater choice of optional units.

New BTEC Level 1 Award in Health and Safety in a Construction Environment (Qualification linking to Green CSCS Labourers’ Card)

A reminder that the qualification was updated on 1st February 2018 with approval automatically transferred for qualifying centres.

The two main changes are the new assessment criteria as follows 

• 1.10 State the Purpose of Dynamic Risk Assessments and
• 5.3 State the importance of safeguards located near where plant, machinery and equipment are being used

In addition we have updated the free workbook for delivery and assessment and the specification to improve the content and centre guidance e.g. on malpractice

The workbook for assessment with contextualised case studies, questions and up-to-date scenarios to help both teaching and the gathering of evidence, with free teaching materials for centres, can be found on our website but requires an Edexcel Online Log in.

For more details please contact customer services on 0844 576 0045.

New BTEC Nationals from September 2017 - approved by DFE

*2010 BTEC Nationals remain available until at least 31st December 2019 and we are now considering an extension until mid 2020, to provide some consistency for providers whilst the impact, and implementation, of T Levels is being established.

A reminder that new BTEC Nationals in Construction and the Built Environment, including Civil Engineering and Building Services Engineering specialist qualifications, are now approved by DFE as meeting Tech Level performance criteria. A full list of qualifications and further information including resources, authorised assignment briefs, sample assessment materials and delivery guides are available on the Construction and the Built Environment (2017) page.

All qualifications in the suite have now been recognised in England and Wales and are included in English apprenticeship frameworks*

*Building Services Engineering for Technicians pathway within the ‘Building Services Engineering Technology & Project Management’ Framework remains QCF- (2010 version) only until it is replaced by the Trailblazer Standard.

Apprenticeships Update

Pearson are supporting new standards with selected development of End Point Assessments (EPA’s) during 2018 and 2019 in Construction. Following the recent approval of some key standards, we are currently developing Carpentry and Joinery Level 2 End Point Assessment for which we expect to have specifications ready in January 2019. We are working on an update to the knowledge qualification to fully meet the standard, (see below). Although the current BTEC Diploma in Construction occupations - carpentry/ joinery pathways can meet most of the knowledge requirements, a knowledge qualification is not mandated to meet the standard, but may be valued by employers. The NVQ in Wood Occupations is still required as evidence on on-programme competence development.

The SASE apprenticeship in Wood Occupations is set to close to new registrations on 31st December 2019

Later in 2019 we also plan to develop EPAs for Property Maintenance Operative, Lifting Technician, Bricklaying, Painting/ decorating.

Level 2 Technical Diploma in Carpentry and Joinery

This will be the new knowledge qualification for the carpentry and joinery apprenticeship which can also be used by full time learners, as part of a study programme to improve employability prospects. Routes will be available in both carpentry and joinery with introductory knowledge and understanding about the industry, materials and techniques, workplace communication and behaviours, working with other trades and getting ready for employment. We plan to launch this by January 2019
Full details of our new apprenticeship offer, as we go live, are listed on our Apprenticeship Sectors and Standards page.

New HNC and HND’s in construction are now included in the higher level frameworks and have replaced the QCF version at level 4 on our systems (registration end date of 31/12/18). The Level 5 HND QCF is still available for those centres with learners needing to progress from QCF L4 to L5. Any existing Technical Certificates, NVQ’s and other competence qualifications are being extended to ensure continuity of provision, as above.

Current and anticipated product replacements for SASE frameworks to reformed ‘Trailblazer’ standards

Note that many standards do not specify mandatory qualifications, but listed below are qualifications that may be suitable as they cover much of the on-programme knowledge/ skill requirements. Unless mandated, the choice of a qualification will be down to the employer to agree with providers.

The below SASE Frameworks are not necessarily withdrawn, even when replacements are available, but are notified centrally and can be found on the official ‘Gov’ website.