St John Cymru Wales offers opportunities to work towards the following qualifications and awards:

BTEC

BTEC Firsts are QCF Level 2 qualifications designed to provide specialist work-related qualifications across a range of sectors. They give learners the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to prepare for employment. The qualifications also provide career development opportunities for those already in work. The qualifications provide a course of study for full-time or part-time learners in schools, colleges and training centres.

Edexcel BTEC Level 2 Certificate – 15 credits

The 15-credit BTEC Level 2 Certificate offers a specialist qualification that focuses on particular aspects of employment within the appropriate vocational sector. The BTEC Level 2 Certificate is a qualification which can extend a learner’s programme of study and provide a vocational emphasis. The BTEC Level 2 Certificate is broadly equivalent to one GCSE.

Edexcel BTEC Level 2 Extended Certificate – 30 credits

The 30-credit BTEC Level 2 Extended Certificate extends the specialist work-related focus from the BTEC Certificate and covers the key knowledge and practical skills required in the appropriate vocational sector. The BTEC Level 2 Extended Certificate offers flexibility and a choice of emphasis through the optional units. It is broadly equivalent to two GCSEs.

The BTEC Level 2 Extended Certificate offers an engaging programme for those who are clear about the area of employment that they wish to enter. These learners may wish to extend their programme through the study of a related GCSE, a complementary NVQ or another qualification. These learning programmes can be developed to allow learners to study complementary qualifications without duplication of content. For adult learners the BTEC Level 2 Extended Certificate can extend their experience of work in a particular sector.

The predecessor qualification to the BTEC Level 2 Extended Certificate is the Edexcel Level 2 BTEC First Certificate accredited onto the National Qualifications Framework, which has the same equivalences, overall size and focus to the revised QCF-accredited qualification.

Edexcel BTEC Level 2 Diploma – 60 credits

The 60-credit BTEC Level 2 Diploma extends the specialist work-related focus from the BTEC Level 2 Extended Certificate. There is potential for the qualification to prepare learners for employment in the appropriate vocational sector and it is suitable for those who have decided that they wish to enter a particular area of work. It is broadly equivalent to four GCSEs.

Some learners may wish to gain the qualification in order to enter a specialist area of employment or to progress to a Level 3 programme. Other learners may want to extend the specialism they studied on the BTEC Level 2 Certificate or the BTEC Level 2 Extended Certificate programme.

The predecessor qualification to the BTEC Level 2 Diploma is the Edexcel Level 2 BTEC First Diploma accredited onto the National Qualifications Framework, which has the same equivalences, overall size and focus to the revised QCF-accredited qualification.

BTEC Firsts in Public Services

The BTEC Firsts in Public Services are designed to equip learners with the knowledge, understanding and skills required for success when moving towards a career in the uniformed and non-uniformed services, for example, police, emergency fire services, security, prison services or the armed services.

The new BTEC First Certificate in Public Services has been developed as an equivalent qualification to one GCSE, a 15-credit qualification, and gives learners an insight into employment and public service skills, including teamworking and communication.

Learners will, through the different specialist units offered, find out about the different public services and how they work individually and interact with each other. They will also have the opportunity to discover the levels of fitness required for each of the uniformed services and how to improve their health and fitness for entry into these services.

The BTEC Firsts in Public Services have been developed in the public service sector to:

• provide education and training for public services employees
• give opportunities for public services employees to achieve a nationally recognised Level 2 vocationally specific qualification
• give full-time learners the opportunity to enter employment in the Public Services sector or to progress to vocational qualifications such as the Edexcel BTEC Level 3 Nationals in Public Services
• give learners the opportunity to develop a range of skills and techniques, personal skills and attributes
• be essential for successful performance in working life