For some careers you may need to gain additional qualifications to improve your skills or to qualify for entry to a profession or course.  These may include A-levels, GCSEs, NVQs other qualifications and apprenticeships.

Professional bodies are usually a good source of information regarding the type of qualifications that are advisable to consider.

Information on professional qualifications is included in the professional training section.

Language skills

Local further education colleges usually provide a range of GCSE and A-levels in languages. However beginners' courses and other certificated courses may be obtained from a range of providers.

Sign language

IT skills

  • BCS (The Chartered Institute for IT) has useful information on training and courses for beginners and professionals including the popular European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL)
  • Microsoft certification courses for technical, specialist and professional skills
  • If you are looking for courses in specific programming languages or on how to use specific packages try local colleges or search the National Careers Service website.

Project management

For project managers a Prince2 qualification is often required. It is a process-based methodology for managing projects and is considered the standard and practised worldwide.

First aid courses

St John Ambulance and British Red Cross run courses for the public.

A-levels and GCSEs

Improve your grades, take a new subject, or learn for pleasure. Usually available in further education colleges there may be a variety of study modes including accelerated courses or evening courses.

Find a course provider:

NVQs

Usually workplace qualifications, NVQs often combine course units with observations of workplace competence. They cover a wide range of work areas and are awarded at levels 1-5, where levels 4 and 5 cover undergraduate and postgraduate equivalent qualifications. More about NVQs.

BTEC, HNC and HND

Awarded by Edexcel, these may be used for entry into higher education. There are different levels of award including the higher awards HNC and HND.

More about options with an HND from the Prospects website.

Foundation degrees

Foundation degrees combine academic and work-based learning and are delivered in partnership with employers and educational establishments. They usually take 2 years full time or longer part time, it may be possible to 'top up' to a full degree.

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships are open to anyone living in England not in full-time education and not holding a university degree.

More information is available from The Apprenticeship Guide and, for those over 19 years of age, Jobcentre Plus

  • City & Guilds for industrial and commercial areas
  • OCR for vocational and occupational qualifications