Developing a skill in a particular area entails the persuasion of learning and practice to achieve a level of competency that will enable one to carry out tasks with professional ease. Our soft/life/employability skills Qualifications are designed to enable the development of competencies in the learners. Upon the successful completion of EDF Certification Programmes, the learners will be in a position to transfer with professional ease the knowledge, understanding and skills that they develop, to real-life settings.
EDF has adopted on a volantary basis the guidelines of the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) for the development and assessment of short Qualifications leading towards Certifications at Level 1, Level 2, Level 3 and Level 4. The QCF provides the overall framework and the benchmarks for ‘competency-based’ qualifications of England, Northern Ireland and Wales. It is mapped onto the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), which is the meta-framework for ‘competeny-based’ qualifications within the Eurpean Higher Education Area (EEHA). The EQF has been developed to create greater understandability and comparability of Qualifications across Europe; the prime focus of the EQF is the ‘achievement’ of Learning Outcomes and hence competencies for carrying out activities and tasks in real work and life situations. EDF has adopted these frameworks and developed it’s own levels of studies suitable for personal and professional skills development. Assessment measures the achieved skills level and awarding certificate level.
Level | Knowledge | Skills | Competence |
Level 1 | Knowledge of facts, principles, processes and general concepts, in a field of work or study | a range of cognitive and practical skills required to accomplish tasks and solve problems by selecting and applying basic methods, tools, materials and information | take responsibility for completion of tasks in work or study; adapt own behaviour to circumstances in solving problems |
Level 2 | Factual and theoretical knowledge in broad contexts within a field of work or study | a range of cognitive and practical skills required to generate solutions to specific problems in a field of work or study | exercise self-management within the guidelines of work or study contexts that are usually predictable, but are subject to change; supervise the routine work of others, taking some responsibility for the evaluation and improvement of work or study activities |
Level 3 | Comprehensive, specialised, factual and theoretical knowledge within a field of work or study and an awareness of the boundaries of that knowledge | a comprehensive range of cognitive and practical skills required to develop creative solutions to abstract problems | exercise management and supervision in contexts of work or study activities where there is unpredictable change; review and develop performance of self and others |
Level 4 | Advanced knowledge of a field of work or study, involving a critical understanding of theories and principles | advanced skills, demonstrating mastery and innovation, required to solve complex and unpredictable problems in a specialised field of work or study | manage complex technical or professional activities or projects, taking responsibility for decision-making in unpredictable work or study contexts; take responsibility for managing professional development of individuals and groups |