Prestigious new quality mark unveiled with first set of digital Higher Technical Qualifications

@IFATEched announces their new quality mark has been unveiled for prestigious new Higher Technical Qualifications. 

The logo will appear against the first of these qualifications approved for use by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (the Institute).

Digital Higher Technical Qualifications will provide training for a range of occupations like cyber security, software development, and network engineering. 

Gillian Keegan, Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills, said:

“I am delighted that the Institute has announced the first set of approved Higher Technical Qualifications. These digital qualifications, for first teaching in September 2022, are the next step in our reforms to technical education designed to improve the quality and choice of options for learners and employers. For the first time, learners and employers will know which digital Level 4 and 5 qualifications map to employer-led standards for specific roles – a great option for students aged 18-plus and adults looking to retrain or upskill. Congratulations to the successful qualifications, and I look forward to learners and employers experiencing the benefits of this new approach from next year!”

Jennifer Coupland, chief executive at the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, said:

“It’s exciting to be pushing ahead with Higher Technical Qualifications and ensuring our economy gets the higher-level training it badly needs. Our new quality mark will be a huge help to employers and learners with identifying which qualifications can be trusted to meet their skills needs.

“I would like to congratulate all the applicants and awarding bodies that were successful with the first cycle of digital qualifications and remind the sector that the second application window opens on 5 July.”

The Open University is among a handful of universities to gain approval from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) for its two new higher technical qualifications – Diploma of Higher Education in Network Engineering and Diploma of Higher Education in Software Development.

The OU’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Tim Blackman, said:

“The Open University (OU) is delighted with today’s announcement by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education that OU courses are included in the first set of approved Higher Technical Qualifications. 

“The OU fully supports the development of higher technical qualifications. These two new digital qualifications reinforce the OU’s founding mission to open up education to all by enabling people of all ages and from all backgrounds to realise their learning ambitions, as well as supporting the needs of the economy locally, regionally and nationally.”

The government announced plans last year to drive up the quality of level 4 and 5 qualifications and make it far easier for employers and learners to identify which training programmes meet their skills needs.

A key way of doing this will be through the launch of Higher Technical Qualifications – which will be set apart from other qualifications by our government-backed quality mark.

This will only be granted when the Institute’s panels of industry experts are confident the qualification will deliver the knowledge, skills, and behaviours employers really need.

The second approvals window opening on 5 July will also welcome applications from the health and science and construction sectors, as well as digital. This will run until 17 September 2021.

Qualifications submitted within the first month will go through our early submissions process, providing applicants with more time to amend their qualifications following feedback from the employer panels, if needed.