How does it work?

The Design Stage
You and your tutor (and in many cases your employer) can design a learning plan that is structured around your work and reflects your own aims.  Your plan will include a number of modules, each of which will detail what you intend to learn, how you will learn it and how your learning will be assessed.

Approval Stage
Your university or college will then review and approve your learning plan.

The Implementation Stage
You undertake the activities for each of your modules as set out in your learning plan and produce evidence as you go.

The Assessment Stage
At the design stage you will have determined the assessment requirements for each module. Once you have completed the learning activities you submit work for assessment as agreed in your plan. To get the most from your learning experience, assessment is normally based on real work activities and projects, and might include:

• Portfolios of evidence.
• Management reports.
• Business plans.
• Essays and other narratives.
• Practical projects.
• Research, investigations and outcomes.
• Software programmes, websites or critiques.
• Dissertations.
• Creative projects.

You will also be required to support your projects with reference to wider reading and study materials.

Marking
Your tutor will check the quality of work and assess it accordingly so that the relevant credits can be awarded for each module.

Award of Qualification 
Once all the modules of the programme have been completed, the final qualification will be awarded. If you have opted to take a short course, you can leave it there or you can use the credits at a later date to contribute to a full qualification.

Graduation
If you choose to complete a full qualification you will attend a graduation ceremony at your university or college. Graduation ceremonies are held at different times of the year depending where you study.

Am I eligible?
To qualify for Learning through Work you must be employed or self-employed and working at an appropriate level. You don’t always need to have traditional qualifications such as A Levels or AS Levels. Learning through Work programmes are designed to make higher learning as accessible as possible. Participating universities and colleges will assess you on your work experience and qualifications.

If you have no formal qualifications this does not mean that you cannot study a university-level programme. Your university or college will need to be confident that you are able to cope with the demands of the level of learning to accept you on a programme. They will discuss the options available with you. 

Learning through Work will not enable you to develop a degree that leads to a ‘licence to practise’ qualification, for instance you cannot qualify as a nurse or teacher. However, if you are already a qualified professional, Learning through Work is an ideal way to study as part of your continuing professional development.

The rest is up to you.  Learning through Work is a different route to a university level qualification, it is by no means an easier route.  All work is assessed as it would be in any other degree programme, and you will be required to complete coursework outside of the work place.  Learning through Work, however, does not have any requirements for you to undertake exams.  So if you never had the chance to get a degree in the conventional fashion, or you would like to gain a postgraduate qualification directly related to your job, Learning through Work is the ideal way to study without leaving your job, and with maximum benefit to your company and career.