Sector reviews

Vocational qualifications should reflect the skills that employers need so we are focusing, through our programme of Sector Reviews, on qualifications within particular employment sectors.

Sector reviews form the backbone of our work with vocational qualifications, together with our day-to-day work as a regulator.

In each sector review we aim to:

  • understand the qualifications landscape in the sector;
  • hear stakeholders’ views on the qualifications and the qualifications system in the sector;
  • consider whether the qualifications, and the qualifications system are technically effective and fit for purpose;
  • learn lessons from the qualifications systems of other nations;
  • decide whether Qualifications Wales should take, or recommend that others take, action to improve qualifications or the system.

Our approach

We:

  • interview stakeholders including employers, sector-bodies, work-based learning providers, further education institutions and schools;
  • establish a stakeholder panel of ‘critical friends’ to assist and advise us;
  • encourage individuals to share their opinions with us through an online survey;
  • conduct a technical review of qualifications including learners’ work;
  • undertake a desk-based international comparison study.

In each review we are guided by the need for qualifications in Wales to be relevant to employers throughout the UK.

The sequence of our sector reviews is:

  • Health and Social Care (including child care and play work) published in July 2016;
  • Construction and the Built Environment (to be published in early 2018);
  • Information and Communication Technology (to be published in 2018);
  • Engineering, advanced manufacturing and energy (to be published in 2019);
  • Financial services (to be arranged);
  • Customer services and retail (to be arranged);
  • Travel and tourism (to be arranged);
  • Hospitality and catering (to be arranged).

Each sector review is different and the outcomes of one review are not necessarily the outcomes of the next.

More information is available in our Vocational Qualifications Strategy.