LEARNER INFORMATION
Career Progression - Getting Started or Advancing Your Career?
As an Awarding Body with qualifications at many levels and an accredited End Point Assessor for apprenticeships, Transcend is often asked for career direction advice including:
- how far to go in full-time education – school, college, university
- how an apprenticeship can provide similar advancement whilst in employment
- how to help advance a career with higher level qualifications – regulated or non-regulated
- what basic qualifications can get you started in that first job
- what alternative education pathways are available for challenged young people
Full-time education refers to:
- primary education
- secondary education at school
- further education – often at colleges
- higher education – often at university
Qualification Levels refer to the different stages of achievement in education or in work, often used to indicate a person’s level of knowledge and skills. Most qualifications have a difficulty level shown by 1 to 7.
The higher the level, the more difficult the qualification. Understanding qualification levels is crucial for career planning, further and higher education and apprenticeships.
Levels range from entry-level to postgraduate and are often tied to academic qualifications whist at school or college full-time including GCSEs, A-levels, T-levels, level 2/3 regulated qualifications and whilst full-time at university.
Regulated Qualifications: Not all qualifications are created equal. A regulated qualification means you’re learning something that meets national education standards and has been formally approved by a government-recognised body such as Ofqual in England.
Many qualifications offered online are not regulated qualifications.
Apprenticeships combine practical training in a full-time job with study and are available from 16 years of age whilst not in full-time education. Many starting apprenticeships are at Level 2 Intermediate (equivalent to GCSE) or Level 3 Higher (equivalent to A Level) whilst Higher apprenticeships (at levels 4, 5, 6 and 7) and Degree level apprenticeships (6 and 7 – Bachelors or Masters) represent considerable career progression whilst in full-time employment.
Alternative Education Pathways are designed to give an opportunity to start a career for people unable to progress academically via conventional secondary education at GCSE level.
Further Information.
Please explore the different information here, look through the different Transcend Career Sectors & Industries and respective qualifications and feel free to complete an information request or call us for a discussion. We’d be delighted to help.
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Training That Translates to the Workplace with Transcend qualifications in fitness, coaching, health, sports clubs, schools and professional clubs both in the UK and internationally.
Today’s employers are looking for more than just certificates They want confident, capable professionals who are ready to hit the ground running with education, skills and practical experience.
That’s why each Transcend qualification and EPA apprenticeship is designed with employer insight, industry input and real-world outcomes in mind. From Gym Instructors and Personal Trainers in national gym chains to Coaches in community programmes, school PE Teaching Assistants and Activity Leaders for pre-school and external activities, our qualifications are helping shape the next generation of frontline talent.
We partner with organisations such as Future Fit, FIFA, The FA, and the British Training Board to ensure our qualifications develop the practical skills, mindset, and professional behaviours that employers seek.
Our Alternative Education ‘stack’ of Level 1 and Level 2 qualifications allow people without secondary education qualifications another opportunity to start to get on to the job ladder.
Find Your Path. Build Your Future:
Whether you’re starting a career or looking to take your skills to the next level, choosing the proper qualification can feel overwhelming. That’s where we come in - at Transcend Awards our qualifications are designed with real careers in mind.
When deciding which qualification to take, think about:
- which sector or industry you’re already in or considering
your long-term career goals - are you looking for a start-point qualification
- are you looking for next-stage career progression via a higher qualification
regulated-qualification, apprenticeship, micro-credential or non-regulated qualification - funded, via loan or paid for commercially
- whether employers recognise and rate the qualification
- Use the Sectors & Industries page of this website to consider different
- career direction opportunities arising with Transcend qualifications.
Browse our Qualifications page to look through what qualifications might be of interest to you.
Our Transcend Centres, colleges or training providers can guide you through every step ensuring you feel confident in your decision.
Every one of our Centres has been carefully vetted and approved. This includes in-depth quality checks, policy reviews and site visits so you can trust you're getting a qualification that counts. Our dedicated Quality Assurance team provides ongoing guidance, feedback and audits ensuring that your learning experience meets national standards.
Many Transcend qualifications are delivered by Transcend Centres, training providers or colleges who access government or employer funding helping to reduce or eliminate the cost to you, particularly for first time qualifications at Level 2 and Level 3 for 16-19 year olds.
Adult education funding may be available locally for Level 2 qualifications which get a person on to the first job level in different sectors.
Higher level regulated qualifications can also be accessed commercially by direct payment or via loans.
Apprenticeship Standards such as Level 4 Sports Coach can be accessed at zero cost to the learner via employers and can serve as a springboard into specialist higher career paths.
A Transcend qualification doesn’t just stand on its own - it can unlock new doors to funding, employment or further study.
Ask your chosen training provider, college or Transcend-Accredited Centre about:
• available funding, loans or bursaries
• how your course links to further qualifications for career advancement
• what are the different progression routes
We’re here to help you take the next step with purpose, clarity, and confidence.
Transcend Awards Alternative Education Suite is a pioneering series of optional Ofqual-regulated qualifications designed to develop learner’s progression and remove barriers to learning.
The qualifications were predominantly developed for secondary school pupils who require an alternative curriculum but have acquired wider relevance and applicability including:
• young people not likely to progress via conventional academic qualifications in secondary education
• as value-added alternative qualifications for mainstream secondary school learners
• for currently unsuccessful post-16 learners wishing to gain a Level 2 qualification to enter the job market
• for adults wishing to gain base qualifications for late progression into work or further education
Learners are able to achieve quickly in stages with these qualifications at Entry Level 3 or Level 1, collecting credits and progressing into the Level 2 higher qualifications required for advancement They are relevant to many learners in mainstream schools - embedded into national curriculum programmes or delivered as a value-added alternative - and can also be offered to learners in further education who wish to develop personal skills to progress in their education and employability pathways.
There are very few solutions available also to influence the sustainable engagement of those children failed by our mainstream education system. These Transcend qualifications therefore provide an additional opportunity for schools and PRUs to offer this Alternative Education Pathway as an innovative solution.
