Welcome to the BTEC Higher Nationals in Business update for 2021. My name is Isobel
Glen and I am the curriculum subject lead for the Higher Nationals in Business qualifications,
and I am delighted to introduce you to the new Higher National in Business,
that have been revalidated for the first teach from the first of September 2021.
So, throughout the Nigher national’s development review process we have engaged with
various stakeholders including employers, colleges, students, professional bodies and this
is in the UK and internationally as well and they are involved every stage of the process in the
curriculum development of the qualification. We have the stakeholder advisory group that steer and
direct the curriculum development in the initial stages and then we have stakeholders including
individuals from colleges that are already teaching and delivering the qualifications,
to review and update and write units for us. We also have colleges and universities
and employers and some of professional bodies completing external reviewing of the units once
they have been updated and written. They then go out to centre focus groups and we have UK
and International presentation and both groups, reviewing the content and then it goes forward
to our validation panel to validate. So what's new in the qualifications? Well these
qualifications are all about preparing students for employment - this is what we
really built-in to the developments for the revalidation. Enhanced visibility of
employability skills and linked to employment through our specialist pathways at level five.
And content has not only been aligned to professional body qualifications but also
with reference to professional body competency and frameworks and industry standards.
So, we still have our professional body recognition for the qualifications, in the
qualification, in the new specification we have a new agreement actually
for the marketing pathway with a digital marketing Institute and they are offering membership
and dual certification to our HN students on the level five marketing pathway.
We've built-in much more work-related learning through the application of practical learning
outcomes. We now have students applying learning throughout the specialist routes and throughout
the unit delivery such as producing a media plan or delivering a social media campaign or producing
a business plan, creating financial statements. So, we’ve really made sure that all the units now
have the practical learning aspect. In terms of essential content, you will find
that we are referring to particular job roles and the opportunities and career opportunities
are available in different sectors and including roles and responsibilities in the competencies
and the skill sets that would be required for those particular roles. We’ve built that also
into our unit descriptors to provide context and sector specific requirements.
Curriculum content has been aligned to occupational standards for Higher Apprenticeships
and we mapped directly across to several of those including the accounting technicians
at level four and the HR consultant partner standard at level five, as well as the operations
departmental manager at level five as well. You will find details of that in the front section
of the programme specification. We’ve really embedded the Digital Business
throughout the curriculum as well and supporting the need for producing graduates
that will have acquired those digital skills necessary to meet current and future demand
for digital skilled workforce and that's through the development of new units
both at level four and level five. So, what are the key differences then?
At level four we’ve increased the number of optional units from four optional units to a
choice of seven optional units, so you’ve got much more choice and flexibility to choose from. And
units are not just about giving more choice but in enhancing skills development, so we have numeracy
and data analysis skills being developed through the business data numerical skills unit which is
new at level four. We have the digital skills being developed through the digital business
unit at level four and reflective practice in the professional identity and practice unit.
Significant changes have been made in titles, learning outcomes and essential content for units.
For example, Unit two Marketing Essentials is no known as Marketing Processes and Planning and
it’s not just marketing plan now but also about a media plan to support a marketing plan.
Unit five and ten which is currently management and financial accounting, now known as Accounting
Principles and recording financial transactions have significantly changed in content and learning
outcomes, as has unit six, Managing a Successful Business, building in much more practical
application and support for the students in being able to present their findings.
We’ve included a new core unit for Leadership and Management which replaces Management and
Operations, but that unit is still available to you in the optional unit bank.
New units available to support the development of digital skills as mentioned earlier,
are Digital Business in Practice and Data and Numerical Skills.
In terms of supporting students with skills required for completing their assessment,
we’ve really focused on technical skills and having that visible within the essential
content so tutors will be able to deliver it in terms of, you know, how to produce a spreadsheet
for example an Excel spreadsheet for presenting financial data or how to interpret and analyse
data usual visual tools to present information and to negotiate and pitch a business plan.
Key differences at level five with increased flexibility, you’ll be pleased to hear, in terms
of specialist units which now can be applied as optional units in general and specialist pathway
structures. We have a new procurement and supply chain management pathway which replaces
the operations management pathway. We also have a new and improved marketing pathway,
new unit in marketing analytics and also revised content in the digital marketing and
the integrated marketing communications units, to really embed and update that digital application
and skills development for the students. We’ve introduced a new unit in the business
management pathway the principles of operations management and that replaces
the operations and project management unit that is currently in the pathway.
New units again have been produced in order to support the development and growth of
digitalisation of business. We have business Information Technology Systems which has had
an update, Business data Analytics and insights and planning social media campaigns.
So, what's the time frame? This specification is for all new registrations
from the first of September 2021, with final registrations up to until the 31st August 2021.
The programme codes will then be withdrawn from the 1st September for the current specification.
If you have existing registrations On the Higher National certificate
prior to the 1st of September 2021 that require top up or transfer to the HND,
they will remain on current specification delivery to continue with their studies,
but registrations will have to be made manually by our Pearson exams officers
as the old programs will have been withdrawn in your system.
If you have meeting local needs structures, you will need to go through the approval again for
qualifications prior to September, if you still need the MLN and we haven’t met your
local need through the new specification. For approvals again you need to be approved able
to deliver the new qualifications, for existing centres, you will just continue with the auto
approval process that you go through annually. For any of you that are new centres you will
need to go through the centre approval process and the qualification approvals process and
further information on both those are available on the Pearson qualifications website.
So, what do you need to be doing now? Familiarise yourself with the new programme
specification. Update you existing prospectus and promotional materials for your future
recruitment. Apply for MLN if you still require those structures as I said and to be included
in the new program from September next year. Sign up for our get ready to teach sessions
that are going to be scheduled from January 2021, they are free and available to all.
And brief your teaching teams on the new structures and rules of combination and new
unit content that we have available. In terms of support, resource support, that was
still be available to students and tutors on the HN Global, our online dedicated platform and the
global community for teachers and students you still have the textbook available to you covering
the core unit and of course we do have teaching resources that includes support guides for
designing assignment briefs for the HNs. Training video for how to apply the Pearson Set theme and
we have a new e library resources available for the delivery and teaching units as well as example
assessment briefs that will be available. In terms of additional support, we will be
providing a recognition of prior learning document to support processing of applications in
the future whereby you may have students applying that have been certificated on the HNC on the old
RQF Higher National in Business and wish to top up onto the new HND programme and you would have to
use with the RPL policy process. Higher National training,
getting ready to teach, as I said earlier, is available to you as a free training session as
well as blended learning for HNs in Business, if you are delivering online to your students.
Free events are scheduled throughout the year please refer to our support page and the training
site on the Pearson qualifications
website for more information well. So, who do you need to contact then?
Well, for information guidance regarding qualification specification, it’s myself.
For further details regarding approvals please contact hnqa.com for any re approvals. For new
centres gaining new centre or new qualification approvals, it's the UK approval team.
If you’re an international centre wishing to gain approval, it’s the international team.
So, thank you very much for listening. I hope you found
this useful and I’m absolutely delighted with this and I hope you enjoy delivering future thank you