City & Guilds and WJEC win first ever bid designed to streamline skills provision in Wales

Qualifications Wales has awarded global leaders in skills development, City & Guilds and WJEC, who are leaders in examinations and assessment provision in Wales, the contract to deliver qualifications for the Health, Social Care and Childcare sectors in Wales.

This success means that from September 2019 City & Guilds and WJEC will be the sole providers of funded Health, Social Care and Childcare qualifications in Wales. Making them the first to win this type of bid in the country in a Welsh Government push to streamline skills provision and push up standards.

Gareth Pierce, WJEC Chief Executive said: “We recognise the importance of providing the finest qualifications for Wales to be able to support future development in the Health, Social Care and Childcare sectors. The initiative will have an impact, both socially and economically, and we’re delighted to be a leading part of it.”

The Consortium will work together to meet Qualification Wales’s ambition to drive up quality in Health and Social Care and Childcare qualifications in Wales.

  Kirstie Donnelly MBE, Managing Director, City & Guilds added: “We are absolutely delighted to have won this bid in collaboration with WJEC. We believe we were successful because we demonstrated that we share one common vision – to deliver better care for Wales. We will now be collaborating with key stakeholders to develop the suite of qualifications that truly meets the needs of employers and the wider community in Wales.”

The Consortium will deliver the main fundable qualifications between levels 1 and 5 in the Health and social care, early years care, learning, development and play, and care management. Providing clear progression routes for learners to employment or further study and by supporting colleges and training providers though the changes.

The Consortium has demonstrated that it has a wealth of experience in the sector which includes over 200 combined years of experience in delivering high quality professional and technical education. They also showed a strong history of employer engagement and a firm commitment to developing products and services that have a clear focus on meeting the demands of the modern workplace.

The Consortium’s vision of Better Care for Wales by Working Together will be brought to life by building qualifications that have a focus on improving opportunities for end users whilst providing excellent value for money for customers.

About City & Guilds: The City & Guilds Group is a global leader in skills education.

Approximately 2 million people are currently working towards City & Guilds qualifications, which are offered in more than 20 industry sectors.

The City & Guilds Group operates in 80 countries, with regional offices in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Ireland, Sri Lanka, Dubai, South Africa and New Zealand. City & Guilds is incorporated by a royal charter and its president is HRH The Princess Royal. Any surpluses made through its work is reinvested into education or used for student support programmes.

About WJEC: WJEC is a leading awarding organisation providing assessment, training and educational resources in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and independent regions. With over 65 years’ experience in delivering qualifications, WJEC is the largest provider in Wales and a leading provider in England and Northern Ireland.