Digital Content Designer

Learning Programme Content

The Learning Programme provision shall comprise of three mandatory elements:

• Qualifications,
• Essential Skills
• On/off the job training

The total minimum credit value required for the Level 3 Digital Content Designer is 72 credits.

The total minimum credit value required for the Level 4 Digital Content Designer is 74 credits.

Entry requirements

There are no specific entry requirements for this framework.

It is, however,  recommended that to enter onto the Level 3 Apprenticeship the candidate has English and Maths GCSE’s grade C or above (or equivalent qualifications) and for the Level 4 Apprenticeship, most employers will require good (A*-C) GCSE passes in English and Maths as a minimum for entry into a digital content design job role. However, these recommendations are not essential.

Applicants may have prior experience or qualifications in digital technologies but this is not mandatory as training providers and employers will deliver programmes of training based on approved up to date qualifications tailored to meet individual needs, recognising prior qualifications and experience.

Apprenticeship pathway learning programme(s)

Level 3: Digital Content Designer

Level 3: Digital Content Designer Qualifications

Participants must achieve the following combined qualifications below.

Essential Skills Wales (ESW)

Essential Skills Wales qualifications assessment languages are English-Welsh

On/Off the Job training

On/Off the Job Qualification details (Minimum Credit & Hours)

Combined qualification - 72 credits, 413 hours GLH

On/Off the Job Essential Skills details (Minimum Credit & Hours)

• 6 credits / 60 GLH Level 2 Essential Skills Wales Communication
• 6 credits / 60 GLH Level 2 Essential Skills Wales Application of Number

Level 4: Digital Content Designer

Level 4: Digital Content Designer Qualifications

Essential Skills Wales (ESW)

Essential Skills Wales qualifications assessment languages are English-Welsh

On/Off the Job training

On/Off the Job Qualification details (Minimum Credit & Hours)

Combined qualification - 127 credits, 740 hours GLH

On/Off the Job Essential Skills details (Minimum Credit & Hours)

• 6 credits / 60 GLH Level 3 Essential Skills Wales Communication
• 6 credits / 60 GLH Level 3 Essential Skills Wales Application of Number

Job roles

As organisations in Wales undertake digital transformation and deploy more online products and services, the digital content design skills required to support these are of growing importance across many sectors. There is an increasing need to address the digital skills gap for digital content designers in Wales and attract new entrants into these roles. These Digital Content Designer apprenticeships provide a route to develop skills through on-the-job vocational learning to measurably improve individual and organisational digital content production capabilities.

These apprenticeships support Mission 3 of the 2021 Digital Strategy for Wales to ‘Deliver and modernise services so that they are designed around user needs and are simple, secure and convenient’. They align with the specific outcomes:

• people and businesses will be digitally confident and able to take full advantage of the opportunities that digital technologies can offer
• employers recognise the value that digital skills and technologies can bring and are investing in the needs of their workforce

According to Careers Wales Approximately 8000 people are employed as Digital Content / Marketing and related jobs in Wales (2022). The expected future demand for Digital Content Designer and related jobs is high compared to other jobs in Wales.

Level 3: Digital Content Designer

The Level 3 Digital Content Designer Apprenticeship has been designed with employers in Wales to equip employees with the primary digital content design skills that they need to be able to perform their role. This Apprenticeship programme is designed to provide a robust vocational route to fulfilling junior digital content designer skills needs that are integral for employees to take full advantage of opportunities in the workplace.

Junior digital content designer roles covered by this framework could be within:

• Specialist digital design agencies delivering content design services to clients.
• Digital media functions of private and public sector organisations requiring digital content to be designed and developed across web and mobile platforms.

Junior digital content designer

A junior content designer contributes to the development of content strategies and journeys. They assist with creating inclusive and accessible content, and review deployed content and site analytics data to plan improvements.

Level 4: Digital Content Designer

The Level 4 Digital Content Designer Apprenticeship has been designed with employers in Wales to equip employees with the primary digital content design skills that they need to be able to perform their role. This Apprenticeship programme is designed to provide a robust vocational route to fulfilling digital content designer skills needs that are integral for employees to take full advantage of opportunities in the workplace.

Digital content designer roles covered by this framework could be within:

• Specialist digital design agencies delivering content design services to clients.
• Digital media functions of private and public sector organisations requiring digital content to be designed and developed across web and mobile platforms.

Digital content designer

A digital content designer creates, evaluates, updates, and reviews content on websites, mobile apps and intranets as required. They are comfortable using industry tools and data to make content decisions, and have working knowledge of best practice usability and accessibility principles for digital content design.

Progression

Progression routes into the Level 3 Apprenticeship:

This can be from a variety of routes including directly from school or college with the suggested level of academic qualifications including:

• GCSE, Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification Intermediate
• GCE AS and A Level, Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification Advanced
• General or vocational qualifications related to the digital or creative industries

Or as career development in an appropriate role with suitable qualifications or recognition of prior learning and experience.

Progression from the Level 3 Apprenticeship:

The Level 3 digital content designer apprenticeship offers successful apprentices the opportunity to further progress in their studies to the level 4 digital content designer apprenticeship and the degree apprenticeship in software engineering or related degree level programmes. They can also progress within their job role and pursue their learning by undertaking additional vendor qualifications in content design and deployment tools and techniques.

Progression routes into the Level 4 Apprenticeship:

This can be from a variety of routes including directly from school or college with the suggested level of academic qualifications including:

• GCSE, Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification Intermediate
• GCE AS and A Level, Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification Advanced
• General or vocational qualifications related to the digital or creative industries

Or as career development in an appropriate role with suitable qualifications or recognition of prior learning and experience.

Progression from the Level 4 Apprenticeship:

The Level 4 digital content designer apprenticeship offers successful apprentices the opportunity to further progress in their studies and specialise. They can progress to the degree apprenticeship in software engineering or related degree level programmes. They can also progress within their job role and pursue their learning by undertaking additional vendor qualifications in content design and deployment tools and techniques.

Equality and diversity

It is important that apprenticeship Pathways are inclusive and can demonstrate an active approach to identifying and removing barriers to entry and progression. Pathways should advance equality of opportunity between persons who share protected characteristics and those persons who do not as identified in the Equality Act 2010.

The protected characteristics identified in the Equality Act are age, disability, gender re-assignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity. Marriage and civil partnership is also included although only in respect of the requirement to eliminate discrimination in employment.

Training providers and employers MUST also comply with the other duty under the Equality Act 2010 to ensure that applicants are not discriminated against in terms of entry to the industry based upon those nine protected characteristics.

Employment responsibilities and rights

Employment Responsibilities and Rights (ERR) is no longer compulsory.  But it is recommended that all apprentices (especially the 16 years -18-year group) receive a company induction programme.

Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of the Training Provider and Employer to ensure that the requirements of this pathway are delivered in accordance with the Welsh Government Apprenticeships Guidance.

Further information may be obtained from:

Welsh Government

DfES-ApprenticeshipUnit@gov.wales

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