Review finds qualifications in art, creative and media are meeting the needs of learners
Post-16 vocational qualifications in art, creative and media subjects are meeting the needs of learners, according to the latest findings from Qualifications Wales.
This includes qualifications in performing arts, media and communication, crafts, creative arts and design, and publishing and information. These represent part of Wales’ growing creative sectors, which together employ 34,900 with an annual turnover of £1.7 billion.
The review is part of a programme of focussed sector reviews, covering a range of employment sectors, that are designed to identify key themes and strengthen qualifications provision to support learners, providers and employers.
Ensuring learners have access to a range of quality qualifications in this area is essential to helping young people to develop careers in this exciting industry, and drive innovation and growth in the wider economy.
Today’s findings confirm that qualifications in art, creative and media subjects meet the needs of learners, and are available bilingually in English and Cymraeg.
The review did identify some areas that required attention:
• some qualifications needed additional content
• creative apprenticeship frameworks would benefit from a review, as some no longer included funded qualifications
• there was demand for one framework qualification to be made available in Cymraeg
Qualifications Wales took action to address these issues, sharing feedback with Welsh Government about creative apprenticeship frameworks, and meeting with relevant awarding bodies regarding the content of certain qualifications.
As a result:
• a full review of creative apprenticeship frameworks is now underway
• awarding bodies are working to add content to certain qualifications
• Qualifications Wales grant funded an awarding body to make their qualification available in Cymraeg
There are no further actions for Qualifications Wales following the review, though it will continue to engage with stakeholders, including through its strategic partnership with the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol.
Qualifications Wales’ work with vocational qualifications is underpinned by its established sector review procedures, where identified qualification areas are reviewed in turn. The art, creative and media review was a shorter, targeted review of qualifications, part of a series which look at whether qualifications are meeting the needs of learners and are available bilingually. Further information about sector reviews is available here.
Welcoming the findings, Gareth Downey, Senior Qualifications Manager at Qualifications Wales, said:
"Our review findings show there are a number of strengths to the current range of qualifications, but that some areas require attention. We have been working with awarding bodies and other stakeholders to address the issues identified. This includes recommending that Welsh Government review the apprenticeship frameworks in the sector and that awarding bodies update the content of some qualifications, alongside increasing the number of Welsh-medium qualifications available to learners.”
Dr Lowri Morgans, Senior Manager for Further Education and Apprenticeships at the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, said:
“We have identified the creative sector as a priority area in terms of Welsh language provision and are providing funding to colleges so that they are able to recruit bilingual tutors. Qualifications Wales' findings show that vocational qualifications are available in Cymraeg and English to support learners in art, creative and media subjects, enhanced by a range of bilingual resources. Working with Qualifications Wales is important to the Coleg in order to ensure qualifications are available and our involvement in this review is a further example of our strategic partnership at work."