Glossary of Terms

Some useful information about professional development and qualifications:

Common Professional Examination (CPE)

The Common Professional Examination (CPE) is one of a variety of names for various recognised conversion courses allowing non-law graduates to enter the legal profession. Other names you might see for this type of course include senior status law degree, MA, postgraduate diploma or postgraduate LLB - the 'common' part of the name just means that the course is common to both prospective lawyers and solicitors. All of these courses are intensive almost by definition, as they have to bring non-law graduates up to the level of law graduates usually within the space of a year.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Continuing Professional Development is a term used to describe a commitment to structured skills enhancement and professional competence. CPD operates on a point system, which are usually gained by undertaking recognised training sessions.

Development Awards

These are small awards (usually 4 units of an NVQ) designed for candidates who because of the nature of their work cannot gain a full NVQ. For example, Development Awards are particularly suitable for:-

people who are professionally qualified working in a new setting and wish to prove their competence in this new field, for example a welfare rights worker moving into the delivery of money advice.

Diploma

A diploma is a defined set of qualifications or units of qualifications combined according to a set of rules. Diplomas can be a combination of existing qualifications and purpose-designed qualifications. Diplomas are designed to support progression to further study, training and employment in a particular line of learning.

Foundation Degree

Foundation Degrees represent a relatively new type of qualification. The defining characteristics of a Foundation Degree are employer involvement from design through to evaluation. They combine academic study, workplace learning with technical and generic skills. Foundation Degrees equip people with the relevant knowledge, understanding and skills needed by their organisation. For a look at the Legal Advice foundation degree visit www.NOS4advice.org.uk

National Occupational Standards (NOS)

NOS are a set of descriptors which explain what is needed to be done to carry out a role successfully. They describe competent performance standards that staff are expected to achieve in their work, and the knowledge and skills they need to perform effectively. NOS allow a clear assessment of competence against nationally agreed standards of performance, across a range of workplace circumstances for all roles. Because NOS are used to define the knowledge and understanding required of a role or task, they also identify the knowledge that needs to be delivered through traditional and vocational qualifications. The NOS created for the Legal Advice sector is available at www.NOS4advice.org.uk

National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) and Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs)

NVQs and SVQs are about assessing an individual's competence in doing their job. Much of the assessment process is carried out in the workplace by observation, and professional discussions with an assessor, which is supplemented by the evaluation of evidence collected by the person assessed, regarding how they carry out their duties. Achieving an NVQ or SVQ means that the candidate can claim not only to have achieved the knowledge and understanding required to carry out their role but also to have demonstrated workplace competence. SVQs in Legal Advice have already been available and running for some time. The proposed NVQ structure for Legal Advice group together National Occupational Standards to provide a meaningful qualification that will reflect an individual's role, these proposed NVQ structures are available at www.skillsforjustice.com

Qualifications Credit Framework (QCF)

The Qualifications and Credit Framework, when finalised should provide a common structure within which all relevant qualifications can fit and be understood. Individual qualifications will measured in numbers of units called 'credits', and the QCF will enable learners to demonstrate the level they have reached within the overall framework, by providing a figure representing the total number of credits they have achieved, irrespective of which particular qualifications they have attained. The QCF will enable learners to attain qualifications at their own pace along flexible routes, ensuring that the outcomes of different routes followed are measurable against each other in terms of level (number of credits).

Work-based Learning

Is a study method which may form the basis of different types of accreditation or acknowledgement: