Learning

Functional Skills

Functional skills are the core elements of English, maths and ICT essential in helping you succeed in your adult life, employment, Further Education (FE) and Higher Education (HE).

They enable you to build future employability skills and improve your future prosperity and well-being.

Because functional skills are so important, in September 2008 they became part of the Key Stage 3 (KS3) and the Diploma curriculum, and from 2010 they will become part of the secondary curriculum which means they will be learned by all young people. Functional skills will be part of Apprenticeships, Diplomas, GCSEs and The Foundation Learning Tier, but will be assessed separately.

From 2010 you'll also be able to take functional skills qualifications on their own. It's planned these will replace the current Skills for Life qualifications although these will continue to be available for new learners to start until August 2010.

These changes have hopefully made all subjects more engaging.

Through practical activities, group work and discussions you will have the chance to improve the way you:

• Communicate
• Work with others
• Present information
• Solve problems
• Listen
• Manage your time

How will functional skills work?

Functional skills will be available from Entry Level to Level 2.

Functional Skills in English

A functional skills qualification in English at Level 2 will help you develop better practical English skills.

Gaining this qualification will make you competent in:

• Writing documents on complex subjects (by hand and electronically)
• Communicating
• Understanding and following written instructions
• Grammar, spelling and punctuation
• Formal letter writing
• Creating effective presentations in different contexts

All of these skills will really help you when it comes to applying for a job or studying at university.

Functional Skills in Maths

A functional skills qualification in maths at Level 1 will include many of the practical maths skills you need to function successfully in everyday life.

These skills will help you to improve the way you:

• You deal with familiar and unfamiliar situations
• You communicate solutions to practical problems
• You perform calculations in your head
• Interpret data
• Use measurements
• Work out percentages and proportions
• Use and apply formulae

These are all very valuable skills when it comes to managing your money and making quick, intelligent decisions about what to buy and how.

Functional Skills in ICT

ICT now dominates every aspect of our lives and with technology changing so fast, you need to keep updating your skills so that you don't get left behind.

To reflect the importance of web technology, many 14-19 qualifications have been extended to contain the aspects of IT you need in order to stay switched on.

This ensures that you will be able to:

• Use a variety of ICT systems
• Find and select information
• Use the internet as an information source
• Access and use ICT to communicate and exchange information securely and responsibly
• Use software applications

These are all vital skills which will give you a real head start in employment or Higher Education (HE).

Who can help?

The Directgov website contains everything you need to know about qualifications for schools and colleges in the 'Qualifications explained' section.

When choosing your options in Year 9, reading 'Which Way Now' will help. Copies are available through your school, or take look at the Which Way Now?' website.

The online 14-19 prospectuses on the Directgov website let you find out what courses and qualifications are available at schools, colleges and sixth forms in your area. Alternatively, you can visit the local services section of this site to find links to the 14-19 prospectus in your area.

Have a look at the QCA website for information about 14-19 qualifications and functional skills.

Where do you want to get to in life? The Learning for Life Values Poster Programme is designed to help you build successful foundations for the future, by exploring what matters to you now. If your school is taking part, you'll get to design your own electronic poster based on your core values and qualities. Check out examples of other young people's posters, and find out more about the programme, on the Learning for Life website.

There is a publication called 'Parents & Carers: Guide to options 14-19', which is available to help parents and carers understand the choices ahead and how they can best help you. If your parents or carers have not received a copy, ask your school or order a free copy from: Publications, PO Box 5050, Sherwood, Nottingham NG15 0DJ. Telephone: 0845 602 2260. Check out the interactive version online at: www.connexions-direct.com/parentcarer.

You can speak to an Adviser at your local Connexions Centre. To find your local centre click on the Local Services icon in the footer of the Connexions Direct website www.connexions-direct.com/ or check out your local phone book.

You can contact a Connexions Direct Adviser by phone on 080 800 13 2 19, by text on 07766 4 13 2 19, by textphone on 08000 968 336, or talk to an Adviser Online or by email.