About ABC Awards
ABC Awards Mission
To offer a coherent and innovative portfolio of vocationally related qualifications which reflects the national and regional skills needs of employers and learners. To build on our experience of providing customer support of the highest quality within a culture of continuous improvement.
ABC Awards Vision
To be the awarding body of choice for learners, employers and providers of education and training.
About ABC Awards
ABC Awards (ABC) is a vocational awarding body in the United Kingdom with an established reputation for quality and customer service. ABC is recognised by the regulatory bodies as an awarding body whose qualifications meet the criteria applied by Ofqual and are eligible for funding under the LSC (Learning and Skills Council) mechanism.
ABC’s national operation is supported through its offices based at Chorley, Nottingham and Taunton, all providing support and a full range of assessment services to centres, which ensures that support is available for all those involved in the provision and use of its qualifications. The three offices continue to be the administrative centres for the portfolio of qualifications and you may expect to receive the same quality of service and support from each of these locations. ABC has streamlined common administrative systems for all qualifications and each office is able to deal with queries and respond quickly to requests for advice, information or support. ABC Awards accepts on-line registrations from accredited centres, registration facilities are available through our web site – http://www.abcawards.co.uk/secure/register.php
There is a broad choice of qualifications, from Entry Level to Level 6, all offering stepping stones to success. Each qualification is assessed in a rigorous but user-friendly manner and most are in manageable bites of learning. It is ABC’s aim to open up opportunities for learners and to widen participation in education.
ABC’s portfolio of qualifications has been developed with advice from subject specialists and reflects their expectations for quality training programmes. They are moderated by specialists, who provide advice as well as setting and maintaining the highest standards.
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Business Development
ABC Awards has a team of Business Development Managers whose job it is to help you choose the right qualifications and services. Our team has a wealth of experience and knowledge of the education and training sectors and can offer advice and guidance on ABC’s full Portfolio, Examination and Moderation services as well as the full range of training events and conferences ABC Awards is involved with. The team is committed to helping you in the way that suits centres requirements and are available to visit centres at their convenience. See the Contact Us page for details.
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ABC Awards Customer Service Statement
Read ABC Awards Customer Service Statement here
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Latest News
ABC Gains Ofqual Recogition as a QCF Awarding Organisation
ABC has been fully recognised by Ofqual as a QCF awarding organisation. This means that it is now able to extend the accreditation life of current QCF qualifications beyond December 2010. ABC will be working with relevant SSCs to extend all current QCF provision as quickly as possible.
All new qualifications will be recognised for the QCF and will be approved beyond December 2010. ABC intends to replace the majority of its remaining NQF qualifications with updated provision on the QCF as soon as possible. All plans are subject to SSC approval and timescales. Posted 4.2.10
Counselling Qualifications Update
ABC’s Counselling qualifications have an accreditation end date of 31st December 2010.
We have been engaged with Skills for Health (the Sector Skills Council responsible for Counselling) for the past 12 months concerning the transition of counselling qualifications to the new Qualifications and Credit framework.
They have been conducting research looking at the Counselling landscape, its terms, its scope etc. and the potential for identifying learning pathways. These pathways might equate to a career development plan for individuals wishing to study toward full specialist areas of counselling with stepping off points to roles along that pathway. To help us in this endeavour the SSC engaged Consultants whose remit is to produce a report late December 2009.
Counselling update continued....
Posted 2.12.09
Statement of Intent
Qualifications for the Children and Young People’s Work Force
ABC Awards has been working with other Awarding Organisations under the leadership of the Children’s Work Force Development Council (CWDC) and the Care Council for Wales on units which will form new qualifications at Levels 2 and 3 for the Children and Young People’s Workforce. These will be available for learners to enrol on by August 2010.
They will be:
Level 2 Certificate for the Children and Young People’s Workforce.
It will:
- assess both competence and knowledge.
- be a progression route to the new Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People’s Workforce.
- reflect the common core skills and knowledge that employers identify as important.
Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People’s Workforce
It will be:
- approximately 60-65 credits
- a full and relevant level 3 qualification.
- assess knowledge and skills
- in some parts of the children and young people’s workforce a requirement for registration and regulatory purposes
- contain L4 units to aid progression to further higher level study such as Foundation Degrees
- provide the opportunity for achieving individual units as CPD
ABC Awards is also working with the Care Council for Wales in collaboration with CWDC on a Level 5 qualification for the sector. More details will follow shortly. Further details will also be available from CWDC’s website www.cwdcouncil.org.uk
Posted 2.11.09
Customised Provision
Throughout 2009/2010 ABC will be reviewing its accredited and customised provision and migrating suitable provision onto the new Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF). Provision that is not suitable for migration onto the QCF will be required to be updated in accordance with current approval requirements, and submitted for re-approval.
The approval period for all current ABC Customised Provision Programmes will therefore end on 31st December 2010. Centres offering Customised Provision Programmes will be contacted individually in due course. Posted 26.8.09
Upcoming Events at ABC Awards
Art, Design & Creative Industries Launch Events
ABC Awards will be holding events in March 2010, across the country to launch its new suite of qualifications in the Art, Design and Creative Industries sector.
Health & Social Care Update & Information Events - June 2010
Covering qualifications in: Youth Work, Vulnerable Young People, Counselling, Reflexology, Child Care. Dates: 15th, 17th, 23rd and 29th June.
Go to Conference & Events page for further information and booking forms.
Qualifications Directory 2009-2010
Examination Officers Guide 2009-10
Alpha Newsletter Winter 2009
Annual Review 2009
