Find out more about how we can support you to address skills gaps within specific sectors by designing, developing and validating your own BTEC Higher National Certificates and Diplomas (HNCs and HNDs) that meet sector needs and broaden student access to higher-level education.  

Read more

Custom designed BTEC Higher National Qualification Service

If you want to address skills gaps within specific sectors, or untapped needs in local or national vocational education, you can consider creating and delivering bespoke higher education solutions. Pearson can offer you a service where we work with you to design, develop and validate BTEC Higher National Certificates and Diplomas (HNCs and HNDs) that have been created to meet specific sector needs and broaden student access to higher-level education.

Who is this service for?

This service could benefit colleges and training providers looking to diversify their higher education portfolio; or employers looking to provide relevant training solutions for its employees, or even its apprentices.

If you're looking to provide your students with the most relevant higher education within a specific sector, or if you just want to be a leading centre offering a distinct qualification, Pearson's design and validation service is exactly what you need. However, if you're simply looking to import units to meet local needs please refer to the section under Building a programme of study.

This service may appeal to UK or International colleges or training providers who want to design their own Higher National Certificates or Diplomas to:

  • enable students to progress into local or national employment in various sectors 
  • work with employers to upskill existing employees.
You can achieve this through a few different options, listed below:
Option Service Detail
Package 1 Complete custom designed BTEC Higher National Qualification The creation, development and validation of a full BTEC Higher National Qualification.
Package 2 Partial custom designed BTEC Higher National Qualification The creation, development and validation of individual units which can be added to an existing BTEC Higher Nationals specification as individual units or a new pathway. 
Or 
The development of a new specification which incorporates newly devised units in addition to existing units from our suite of BTEC Higher Nationals units.
1. Complete custom designed BTEC Higher National Qualification

You may request the development and validation of a full bespoke BTEC Higher National qualification. We will work in consultation with you to design a BTEC Higher National qualification which meets the requirements of your students and local employers. The custom designed BTEC Higher National qualification is validated by Pearson, and meets the requirements and design principles of UKHE, aligned with QAA requirements.

There is a fee for development, approval and accreditation of a custom designed Pearson BTEC Higher National and this will be supplied on enquiry to highernationals@pearson.com. 

If you are interested in commissioning a BTEC Higher National qualification, please complete the SRQ1 form below and return it to highernationals@pearson.com.

2. Partial custom designed BTEC Higher National Qualification

If you identify a very specific local need which is not met by the existing range of BTEC Higher National units, you can contact us to discuss the possibility of creating a new unit or units, which can be incorporated into one of our existing BTEC Higher Nationals specifications as individual units or by creating a new specialist pathway. 

Custom designed units can also be combined with existing BTEC Higher Nationals units to create a new specification, to meet specific requirements.

There is a fee for development, approval and accreditation of partial custom designed BTEC Higher Nationals, which will be supplied on enquiry to highernationals@pearson.com.

If you are interested in commissioning a BTEC Higher National qualification, please complete the SRQ1 form below and return it to highernationals@pearson.com.

What to do next?

Get in touch - If you have a particular objective for the higher education provision within your centre or workplace, send us an email on highernationals@pearson.com to discuss the vision you have for your tailored HE solution with a member of the team. 

Submit an application - If you would like to apply for any of the custom designed services, the application forms for any of these services can be found below. Once you have filled in the relevant form, return it to us by emailing it to highernationals@pearson.com.  

{{ gatDoctitle }}

{{invalidUserName}}
{{invalidUserMail}}
{{errorMessage}}

From the start of the application process, you will have support from a member of our team who will work with you to create the most appropriate solution for your needs and your budget. We pride ourselves on being able to provide an agile service, so typical BTEC Higher National developments can take anything from three to six months, depending on the size of the project. 

Stages you go through:
Pearson Higher Education Services Centre
Takes your Higher National qualification proposal to its Product Council for approval. Once approved, a contract, identified development costs and development timescales are sent to the centre for agreement.
If needed, the HN custom design team provides centre staff with unit writing training or finds subject specialist unit writers to do the work for you. You check that amendments to units or units that have been authored by specialist writers meet your requirements.
Units are checked by the HN custom design team and are reviewed by subject specialists. You check that amended units still meet your requirements.
Pearson identifies representatives from universities, employers and students for the qualification validation panel. Centre representatives are invited to attend the Higher National qualification validation panel. 
Validation panel gives its approval decision. Pearson scrutinises the final specification to ensure that it meets national/international standards.  Receives the programme code for the qualification from Pearson and can start marketing. 

Finished product - Once your tailored BTEC Higher National qualification has been validated and approved, you will need to apply for approval to deliver it, and this approval will last for up to five years. Your dedicated account manager will support you through the approvals process to make sure it is as simple as possible.