Digital Telecommunications

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 Telecommunications is 78 credits.

Level 4 - Digital Telecommunications is 75 credits.

Entry requirements

Level 3: Digital Telecommunications:

There are no specific entry conditions for the L3 pathways.

However, in general, learners should possess qualifications (or equivalent experience) at the levels at or immediately below the level of the award. For example, candidates may have a qualification at CQFW level 2, 3 or 4. In particular qualifications at these levels in STEM subjects would be an advantage.

Level 4: Digital Telecommunications:

Entry requirements for this pathway in addition to the Level 3 Digital Telecommunications entry guidance.

Candidates wishing to enter a Higher Apprenticeship will need to have achieved or demonstrated one of the following:

• A Levels, or equivalent educational attainment, including the Level 3 IT Diploma, Welsh or
• International Baccalaureate or other relevant Level 3 or 4 qualifications
• An Apprenticeship (Level 3)
• Employment within the technology/telecommunications industry for a number of years and demonstrated to their employer that they have a reasonable expectation of achieving the required outcomes of the Higher Apprenticeship. This can be supported by the demonstration or evidence of prior achievement or performance in the role prior to starting the Higher Apprenticeship.

Potential apprentices should bear in mind that a Higher Apprenticeship combines the challenges of higher-level education with full-time employment, and should be prepared for the greater volume and level of study than in the Apprenticeship or another Level 3 qualification

Apprenticeship pathway learning programme(s)

Level 3: Digital Telecommunications

Level 3: Digital Telecommunications Qualifications

Participants must achieve the combined qualification below.

Please see Annex 1 for the relationship between the competence and knowledge units within the combined qualification.

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)

60 credits for competence and knowledge - Level 3 Diploma in Digital Telecommunications (Combined).

The total amount of learning hours which includes both on and off-the-job training for the Digital Telecommunications Apprenticeship is 780.

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

Level 4: Digital Telecommunications

Level 4: Digital Telecommunications Qualifications

Participants must achieve the combined qualification below

Please see Annex 2 for the relationship between the competence and knowledge units within the combined qualification.

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)

75 credits for competence and knowledge - (Combined).

The total amount of learning hours which includes both on and off-the-job training for the Digital Telecommunications Higher Apprenticeship is 750.

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

None

Progression

Progression from this Level 3 Apprenticeship in Digital Telecommunications:

The Level 3 Apprenticeship programme offers successful apprentices the opportunity to further progress in their studies and go on to undertake a related degree programme. They could select from Bachelors degrees, Foundation degrees, Higher Nationals or another higher level qualification. Apprentices may also elect to continue within their job role and pursue their learning by undertaking additional technical, business or managerial level training and qualifications.

Apprentices who have completed a Level 3 apprenticeship programme have often progressed within their career to take on team leader or senior level positions, utilising their expanding technical expertise – and guiding and training others within the organisation.

 Progression from this Level 4 Apprenticeship in Digital Telecommunications:

Following the completion of the Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship pathway, successful apprentices will be able to follow up on their knowledge studies and continue on to complete full Honours degree programmes.

Or other industry recognised, role-specific qualifications:

Project Management training and accreditation (PRINCE2, MSP, PMI, APM and Agile)

•  Service Management training and accreditation (ITIL, SDI and ISO/IEC 2000 training)
•  Management and Personal Development Training

A wide range of vendor and core technology training – leading to industry recognised qualifications are also available.

Some qualifications entitle membership of a professional organisation, offering networking and career advancement opportunities. For example, becoming a member of a professional organisation:

• The British Computer Society (BCS)

• The Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET)

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.

The Digital Telecommunications pathways offer no barriers to entry and is intended to accommodate all learners regardless of gender, age, disability or ethnic origin.

GENDER EQUALITY

Gender imbalance remains a significant issue for the IT & Telecoms sector. Considering IT & Telecoms professional job roles across all sectors, there has been a drop of female representation from 22% in 2001 to 18% in 2011. This compares to the overall UK workforce being 48% female.

As is the case in industry, gender imbalance is prevalent across IT related courses, and this is worsening over time throughout the education system. 15% of applicants to Computing degree courses are female and the proportion of females who sat the 2013 Computing A Level is 6.5%, 1.3 percentage points lower than in 2012.

This under-representation of women across the whole IT & Telecoms sector has a number of causes including:

• a lack of awareness (by both individuals and career advisors) of the broad range of career opportunities available
• confusion in school teaching of ICT between IT User and IT professional roles

AGE OF WORKFORCE

Analysis of the period 2001-2011 shows a changing trend in the age profile of IT & Telecoms professionals. The proportion of people aged 16-29 has dropped from 33% in 2001 to 19% in 2011.

The average age of IT & Telecoms professionals working in the UK is estimated to be 39 years old, compared with 41 years old for workers more generally. Just under one half (47%) of IT & Telecoms professionals are aged 40 or above and less than one in five (19%) are in the 16-29 age bracket.

A key contributory factor to this changing dynamic in IT & Telecoms is the effect of globalisation. The maintenance of strong apprenticeship programmes in the sector will be vital to ensure that this trend can be halted or reversed in the coming years, thereby ensuring that the sector has the pipeline of skilled professionals that it requires to move into higher level job roles in 5-10 years’ time.

ETHNICITY AND DISABILITY

The Information and communication technologies industry is one of the most ethnically diverse industries in the UK, with 13% of the workforce (an increase from 8% of the workforce in 2002) Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic compared to 9% across the whole economy.

There is significant provision for individuals with disabilities throughout the IT & Telecoms sector with many, varied opportunities for rewarding careers at all levels. This in turn means that apprenticeships are available in a wide range of areas for those with differing levels of disability.

Employment responsibilities and rights

Employment Responsibilities and Rights (ERR) is no longer compulsory, however it may still be included in some pathways and where it is not explicitly stated that ERR is not a requirement then confirmation of an Apprentice’s ERR achievement will still remain a requirement for Apprenticeship certification purposes. 

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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