Information & Communication Technology

ICT overview

This has been a major review involving extensive research and engagement across Wales. The review included:

• in-depth stakeholder engagement;
• learner engagement;
• an online survey;
• an international comparison study; and
• a technical review of qualifications.

The report, ‘Delivering Digital’, outlines our key findings and the actions that we will take. Some of the key findings are:

• many qualifications in the sector are outdated, do not include emerging digital topics, and have not kept up with developments in technology;
• requirements for learners to collect written evidence and screenshots as evidence for practical tasks are time-consuming and disengaging;
• across the range of qualifications that we reviewed, a few examples of assessment evidence provided by awarding bodies were inaccurately and/or inconsistently assessed;
• ICT is often taught by non-specialists who do not necessarily have the technical knowledge, skills and experience to effectively teach the subject;
• Teachers are concerned that they do not have access to the training and continuing professional development needed to keep up-to-date with developments in technology; and
• Outdated hardware and software within learning providers, compounded by limited finances to invest in these resources, is a significant challenge when teaching and assessing ICT and digital qualifications.

The ‘Delivering Digital’ report recommends: 

• developing new GCSE and A level Digital Technology qualifications; 
• ensuring that the new qualifications developed for use in the Digital Route T levels in England are available to be taken by learners in Wales; 
• reviewing any ICT-related qualifications submitted by awarding bodies to ensure they are up-to-date and relevant; 
• monitoring new vocational ICT qualifications used in apprenticeship frameworks. 

You can download a copy of the full report here.

Our ICT stakeholders

Qualifications Wales has now published its sector review of qualifications and the qualification system in Information and Communication Technology.

This has been a major project involving extensive research across Wales over a period of 18 months. We conducted 150 interviews, including almost 60 employers, and we listened to, or read, the views of more than 1,000 learners. 

Here are the views of Professor Tom Crick and Professor Faron Moller of Swansea University who assisted with the production of the report. There are also comments from teachers Vicki Price and Ian Meredith, who have completed the Technocamps project run by the university. Technocamps provides training for teachers to improve their understanding of ICT. 

You can download a copy of the full report here.

Click on the videos below to hear the views of some of the people who took part in the review, and their views on the completed report.

Digital Technology: Qualification Development

In December 2018, we published Delivering Digital, our review of qualifications and the qualification system in the information and communication technology sector.

The review set out a series of short- and longer-term actions intended to address the issues it identified. These included inviting awarding bodies to develop two new qualifications in Digital Technology, a GCSE and a GCE AS/A level, to be available for first teaching in September 2021 and September 2022.

These two new qualifications have since been developed and are now available to learners in Wales. GCSE Digital Technology is a broad based qualification and supports learners in building on the digital skills, knowledge and understanding that is used in their everyday lives and in school. AS/A Level Digital Technology advances learners’ understanding of the digital technologies that are used by individuals and organisations, and further develops their practical skills in developing creative digital products and digital solutions to problems faced by organisations.

How did we develop these qualifications?

In March 2019, we held a series of development days at venues across Wales attended by school teachers and further education lecturers who helped shape the content and assessment arrangements for both qualifications. Following these events we published draft approval criteria documents alongside ‘Have Your Say’ surveys which invited the wider public to review and share their views on our proposals.

For further information on how we developed these qualifications please see the narrative documents below.