The content of this Pathway has been agreed by Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS). This is the only Community Development Apprenticeship Pathway in the Education & Information Services sector approved for use in Wales that is eligible for Medr funding.
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 2 Pathway in Community Development is 45 credits.
The total minimum credit value required for the Level 3 Pathway in Community Development is 48 credits
Entry requirements
All new entrants to the Apprenticeship must be at least 16 years of age.
All new entrants to the Apprenticeship must be fully aware of the purpose of community development. It is therefore advisable for new entrants to seek careers advice and gather information about community development prior to their enrolment. Recognise the importance of integrity in all personal and social interactions and respect the rights of young people within the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC);
It would also be advantageous for new entrants to have undertaken some form of voluntary work in a community setting such as fundraising, school bake sales, volunteering prior to enrolling on the programme; this is preferred but is not a prerequisite for the Apprenticeship.
Apprenticeship pathway learning programme(s)
Level 2: Community Development
Level 2: Community Development Qualifications
Participants must achieve the following combined qualification below.
| Level 2 Certificate in Community Development | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awarding Body | Qualification No. | Credit Value | Total Qualification Time | Combined / Competence / Knowledge | Qualification Assessment Lanaguage(s) |
| Agored Cymru | C00/0460/2 | 24 | 240 | Combined | English-Welsh |
Please see Annex 1 for the relationship between the competence and knowledge units within the combined qualification.
Essential Skills Wales (ESW)
| Level 2: Community Development | Level | Minimum Credit Value |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 1 | 6 |
| Application of number | 1 | 6 |
| Digital literacy | 1 | 6 |
Essential Skills Wales qualifications assessment languages are English-Welsh
On/Off the Job training
| Pathway | Minimum On the Job Training Hours | Minimum Off the Job Training Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Level 2: Community Development | 161 | 255 |
On/Off the Job Qualification details (Minimum Credit & Hours)
Level 2 Certificate in Community Development - A minimum of 27 credit/416 GLH - over a 14 month period.
On/Off the Job Essential Skills details (Minimum Credit & Hours)
- 6 credits/60 GLH Level 1 Essential Skills Wales Communication
- 6 credits/60 GLH Level 1 Essential Skills Wales Application of Number
- 6 credits/60 GLH Level 1 Essential Skills Wales Digital Literacy
Level 3: Community Development
Level 3: Community Development Qualifications
Participants must achieve the following combined qualifications below.
| Level 3 Certificate in Community Development (QCF) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awarding Body | Qualification No. | Credit Value | Total Qualification Time | Combined / Competence / Knowledge | Qualification Assessment Lanaguage(s) |
| Agroed Cymru | C00/0460/1 | 27 | 270 | Combined | English-Welsh |
Please see Annex 2 for the relationship between the competence and knowledge units within the combined qualification.
Essential Skills Wales (ESW)
| Level 3: Community Development | Level | Minimum Credit Value |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 2 | 6 |
| Application of number | 2 | 6 |
| Digital literacy | 2 | 6 |
Essential Skills Wales qualifications assessment languages are English-Welsh
On/Off the Job training
| Pathway | Minimum On the Job Training Hours | Minimum Off the Job Training Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Level 3: Community Development | 152 | 264 |
On/Off the Job Qualification details (Minimum Credit & Hours)
Level 3 Certificate in Community Development - A minimum of 27 credit/416 GLH - over a 16 month period.
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
- 6 credits/60 GLH Level 2 Essential Skills Wales Digital Literacy
Other additional requirements
The Apprenticeship may involve working with children/young people and/or vulnerable adults all new entrants should be prepared to undergo a check through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
Centres must ensure that all statutory requirements concerning working with children/young people and/or vulnerable adults are complied with.
Progression
Level 2: Apprenticeship in Community Development
There are no formal entry requirements or pre-determined entry routes for the Foundation Apprenticeship. There is considerable flexibility for learners to progress into the Foundation Apprenticeship via a number of different routes, which may include any of the following:
- Any relevant previous work, training or volunteering in the community development sector;
- Recognition of the development of skills and knowledge against the Community Development National Occupational Standards;
- Academic qualifications;
- Vocational qualifications;
- Adult Skills Build and Pathways to Apprenticeships;
- Intermediate labour market programmes; and
- Jobs Growth Wales.
Progression routes from the Foundation Apprenticeship
The Foundation Apprenticeship provides individuals with a sound knowledge base that can support them in undertaking further learning and development of their careers in community development and related areas, including vertical progression to more specialised training at level 3.
Specific progression opportunities include:
- Level 3 qualifications in Community Development (including the Level 3 Apprenticeship in Community Development) and:
- Level 3 qualifications in Advice and Guidance.
The Foundation Apprenticeship also fits within a pathway that supports progression, via relevant level 3 qualifications, through to higher level courses and/or Higher Education opportunities, including professional degrees and postgraduate qualifications in community development. In addition, the Foundation Apprenticeship provides opportunities to progress through a range of other occupational pathways, including lateral progression to other level 2 qualifications in areas such as health and housing.
Level 3: Apprenticeship in Community Development
There are no formal entry requirements or pre-determined entry routes for the Apprenticeship. However, it is expected that all learners enrolling onto the Apprenticeship will have some previous experience of community development, which may have been gained through voluntary work or other employment settings, including the Foundation Apprenticeship in Community Development (at level 2).
This experience may or may not be combined with evidence of achievement in:
- Academic qualifications;
- Recognition of the development of skills and knowledge against the Community Development National Occupational Standards;
- Vocational qualifications;
- Adult Skills Build and Pathways to Apprenticeships; and
- Intermediate labour market programmes.
Progression routes from the Apprenticeship
The Apprenticeship provides individuals with a sound knowledge base that can support the min undertaking further learning and development of their careers in Community Development and related areas.
Whilst there are currently no level 4 qualifications in Community Development, the Apprenticeship does offer progression to a range of higher level qualifications in this and other sectors, including Level 4 qualifications, Higher Apprenticeships, Foundation degrees and professional degrees.
The Apprenticeship also fits within a pathway that supports progression through to higher level courses and/or Higher Education opportunities, including professional degrees and postgraduate qualifications in community development.
In addition, the Apprenticeship provides opportunities to progress through a range of other occupational pathways, including lateral progression to other level 3 qualifications.
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.
Community Development values and celebrates the contributions made by different individuals, groups and communities; it is committed to their support and promotion.
Education and training for community development is committed to eliminating discrimination, to advancing equality of opportunity for all involved and to fostering good relations between diverse groups. Effective community development can play a part to redress disadvantage and discrimination within local communities and promote community development as a career of choice.
Apprenticeships are seen as a vital route to encourage a greater diversity of individuals into the sector and so the pathway has been designed to support this:
- Entry conditions to the pathway have been made flexible
- Mentoring has been included to offer additional support and increase retention of apprentices; and
- Equality and diversity training is an integral part of the apprentices’ learning programme in relation to ERR.
Where lack of literacy and numeracy qualification are identified as a barrier to employment, support through the apprenticeship training model to secure qualifications can be used to remove this barrier.
The National Occupational Standards (NOS) and qualifications on which this pathway is based were developed with the sector to ensure access for as wide a range of learners as possible.
The principles of equality and diversity relate to all those systems that have the potential to discriminate against apprentices at any point during the programme – from recruitment and selection and induction, through to successful completion.
There is a need to provide flexible access routes to the community development sector as part of a coherent route for community development practitioner development opportunities.
A key priority will be to use the pathway to help promote community development as a career option to diverse groups that may have traditionally not been attracted to this area of work, and to encourage participation from a wider range of learner groups. Flexible entry conditions will also help to attract applicants from underrepresented groups, therefore opening up the potential of a more diverse workforce.
The principles of equality and diversity relate to all those systems and procedures, which have the potential to discriminate against apprentices at any point during the programme – from recruitment, selection, and induction, through to successful completion and assessment.
It is expected that all partners involved in the delivery of the Apprenticeship – providers, assessment centres and employers:
- will promote and support equality and diversity and have an equality and diversity policy or mission statement in place;
- will have an open recruitment process which is available to all applicants;
- must be able to demonstrate that there are no discriminatory practices in place regarding selection and employment.
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/Medr Apprenticeships Guidance.
Further information may be obtained from: Medr
Annex 1 Level 2: Community Development
Apprentices are required to complete the Level 2 Certificate in Community Development (QCF) qualification as part of the Foundation Apprenticeship.
The qualification has been designed to offer great flexibility to the learner. To be awarded this qualification a learner must achieve a minimum of 24 credits, 15 of which are mandatory and 9 optional. Completion of the 24 credits from the mandatory and optional structure will achieve a minimum of 10 knowledge credits and 10 competence credits.
Competence and knowledge have been integrated within these qualifications and are assessed separately – they consider knowledge, skills and the practical application of those knowledge and skills by the learner. A summary of which units of the qualifications relate primarily to competence, which units relate primarily to knowledge, and which contain learning outcomes that address both competence and knowledge is as follows.
Mandatory Units
• L/503/4865– The purpose and process of community development (2 knowledge credits)
• R/503/4866 – Development of community groups (2 knowledge credits)
• Y/503/4867- Social inequality and the diversity within communities (2 knowledge credits)
• R/504/0635 - Work within community groups (3 competence credits)
• Y/504/0636 - Reflect on community development practice (3 competence credits)
• D/504/0637 - Identify community needs (2 competence and 1 knowledge credits)
Optional Units
• H/504/0655 – Monitoring and evaluation (4 competence and 2 knowledge credits)
• T/504/0675 – Support community-based research (2 competence and 4 knowledge credits) • A/504/0676 - Identify community resources (2 competence and 1 knowledge credits)
• H/504/0638 - Supporting community events (2 competence and 1 knowledge credits)
• K/504/0639 – Publicity for community groups (1 competence and 2 knowledge credits)
• D/504/0640 – Understand partnership working in communities (3 knowledge credits)
• H/504/0641 – Contribute to community partnership working (2 competence and 1 knowledge credits)
• K/504/0642 – Plan a community project (2 competence and 1 knowledge credits)
• M/504/0643 – Implement and review community projects (2 competence and 1 knowledge credits)
• T/504/0644 – Understanding and influencing local decision-making (1 knowledge and 2 competence credits)
• A/504/0645 – Support sustainable communities (3 competence and 3 knowledge credits) • F/504/0646 – Support environmental action in communities (4 competence and 2 knowledge credits)
• J/504/0647 – Learning through community activities (2 competence and 1 knowledge credits)
• L/504/0648 – Support community campaigns (2 competence and 1 knowledge credits)
• R/504/0649 – Plan community campaigns (2 competence and 1 knowledge credits)
The Level 2 Certificate in Community Development contains mandatory and optional units. Assessors should offer guidance to Foundation Apprentices to ensure they select optional units that are most suitable for their role, needs and circumstances.
Annex 2 Level 3: Community Development
Apprentices are required to complete the Level 3 Certificate in Community Development (QCF) qualification as part of the Apprenticeship.
Competence and knowledge have been integrated within this qualification and are assessed separately – assessing the knowledge, skills and practical application of those knowledge and skills by the learner. The learner must achieve 27 credits to be awarded the qualification. 18 credits must come from the mandatory units and 9 credits from the optional units. By completion of the mandatory and optional units to achieve 27 credits, candidates will complete a minimum of 10 knowledge credits and 10 competence credits.
Candidates who have already achieved competence and/or knowledge qualifications before entry to the Apprenticeship must select options which will equip them with new skills and learning
A summary of which units of the qualifications relate primarily to competence, which units relate primarily to knowledge, and which contain learning outcomes that address both competence and knowledge is as follows:
Mandatory units
• D/503/4868 - Community development values and process (3 knowledge credits)
• D/503/4871 - Social inequality, injustice and diversity in communities (3 knowledge credits) • Y/503/4870 - Community group dynamics (3 knowledge credits)
• J/504/0650 - Community group development (3 competence credits)
• R/504/0652 – Reflective community development practice (3 competence credits)
• Y/504/0653 – Determine community needs (2 competence and 1 knowledge credits)
• D/504/0654 - Monitoring and evaluation (4 competence and 2 knowledge credits)
• M/504/0657 – Conduct community-led research (2 competence and 4 knowledge credits) • T/504/0658 – Develop community resources (4 competence and 2 knowledge credits)
• A/504/0659 - Organising community events (4 competence and 2 knowledge credits)
• M/504/0660 – Support community representation (2 competence and 4 knowledge credits)
• F/604/0677 - Publicity and marketing for community organisations (3 competence and 3 knowledge credits)
• T/504/0661 – Understand partnership working in communities (3 knowledge credits)
• A/504/0662 - Develop and maintain community partnerships (2 competence and 1 knowledge credits)
• J/504/0664 - Planning of community projects (2 competence and 1 knowledge credits)
• L/504/0665 - Implement and review community projects (3 competence credits)
• L/504/0634 - Understanding and influencing local decision-making (3 competence and 6 knowledge credits)
• Y/504/0667 – Develop sustainable communities (3 competence and 3 knowledge credits) • Y/504/0670 - Engage communities in environmental action (4 competence and 2 knowledge credits)
• D/504/0671 – Support community development learning (2 competence and 1 knowledge credits)
• H/504/0672 – Plan community campaigns (2 competence and 1 knowledge credits)
• K/504/0673 - Implement and review community campaigns (2 competence and 1 knowledge credits)
• M/504/0674 - Developing formal voluntary or community organisations (6 competence and 3 knowledge credits)
The Level 3 Certificate in Community Development (QCF) contains mandatory and optional units. Assessors should offer guidance to apprentices to ensure they select optional units that are most suitable for their role, needs and circumstances. Competence and knowledge have been integrated within this qualification but must be assessed separately.