APR vision for its portmanteau of qualifications is to provide innovative learning practices – which has the flexibility to be mounted on a brick-and-click model or entirely on a VLE (virtual learning environment) or purely through classroom delivery
Inclusive, both individual/group model of learning in a community of practice contributing towards skill development of a knowledge economy as such ethos have been built into its range of qualifications
Mapping of pathways through QCF qualifications and in conformity with various APL/RPL metrics set out by various universities APR has developed specific characteristics for its qualifications that can find a common ground with HE (Higher Education) qualifications at the highest level: • Producing a work-ready workforce skilled in advanced technical, subject-specific skills and knowledge that relate to their chosen area of study e.g. engineering, construction, web-authoring or software engineering; • Personal Development skills including the capability for independent learning and reflection, problem solving, e-learning and life-long learning; • Employability skills such as being able to work as part of a team with people from different backgrounds to find solutions to complex problems; • Widening student participation in HE and supporting students’ development within HE; and • A flexible practical curriculum responsive to economic need that can be delivered with academic rigour. Following characteristics are integrated within APR’s higher education ethos: • Bridging courses and support for Essential Skills to enable participation and progression; • Small group and team learning; • Retention initiatives which support students to succeed; • Opportunities to engage in work-placement and industry-led projects; • Vocational-specific project activities including overseas study and work placements; and • Opportunity for involvement in Student Companies to develop entrepreneurial skills. The above objectives drive the awarding body's provision. They are consistent with priorities set by various governments in their list of priorities for upskilling the workforce. The first Priority: ‘Growing a Sustainable Economy and Investing in the Future’. The primary objective of this Executive is to achieve long term growth in the economy and create new jobs which can provide wealth for people and communities. The awarding body contributes to this by providing courses and qualifications that result in the up-skilling and re-skilling of learners. The second Priority is ‘Creating Opportunities, Tackling Disadvantage and Improving Health and Well-Being’, seeks to address the challenges of disadvantage and inequality that afflict society and to address the relatively poor health that leads to shorter life expectancy of the population. Its purpose is to stimulate interventions that break the cycle of deprivation, educational under-achievement, and to address health inequalities and poor health and wellbeing as well as economic disengagement. This is wholly consistent with the strategic objectives of the FE sector and has informed the awarding body’s first Core Goal.
To provide a curriculum that will inspire, transform and enrich lives by overcoming educational disadvantage; support critical thinking and research capabilities; professionalise the workforce; nurture innovation and require students to participate in enterprise and entrepreneurship; support and deliver a formalised careers programme; and position the awarding body as a gateway for international partnerships. All programmes to have effective involvement of industry through projects, industry speakers or industry visits per semester; All substantive programmes to embed work experience and employability skills into the curriculum; • Establish an Intelligent Analytics service to inform curriculum planning by producing expert reports for each school; • Improve the tracking of progression into employment and training for all affiliated delivery centres; • Work with voluntary and community groups to deliver projects through the Training for Success Programme that will improve community resources; • Identify private sector partners with whom the Awarding body could form strategic partnerships for the supply of business services and welfare to work programmes.
To promote a Culture of Excellence through raising standards and continuous improvement, excellence in teaching and the learning environment and thereby enhance our reputation with our students, businesses and communities. To improve the self-evaluation skills of Course Teams Begin a programme of intensive mentoring of Course Teams in the skill of writing SERs (Self Evaluation Reports) and Quality Improvement Plans with dedicated team mentoring each centre Ensure that all reviews on Training for Success (TFS) are conducted within semester cycle; Review the effectiveness of the E-ISLA (Individual Student Learning Agreement) with appropriate increase in First Impressions student satisfaction survey and proportionate increase in employer survey; Ensure E-registers are up-to-date and accurate, withdrawls occur and team meeting minutes are uploaded;
• Ensure learners, most of them are working professionals, have further opportunity to gain recognition of their skills and achievements • Develop qualifications that offer flexibility, choice and pathways to progression • Provide necessary support and service to our partners to ensure they are best placed to support individual learners APR’s flagship qualification ‘Level 8 Diploma in Critical Thinking, Project Management and Leadership’ is a top-end programme designed for senior management professionals and social scientists from public institutions and organisations. Those who aim to lead by translating strategy into effective performance or public policy into their fruition. The programme involves expert contributions from those working in a range of policy fields and field trips to study policy initiatives on the ground. The aim of this Level 8 programme, sitting on the top of our education pyramid, is to offer the learners the necessary tools, knowledge, and critical faculty to develop cutting-edge management strategies, implement them through mobilising and leading teams or workgroups, critically evaluate alternatives and assess results. Further, the course offer optional modules in public policy and management, designed to allow a learner to develop expertise in his or her core public policy fields. The Level 8 Diploma in Critical Thinking, Project Management and Leadership lays emphasis on the companies that have cross border or global interests and structures but can also be applied to local or regional organisations in apprehending the reality of how to work with a cross-section of stakeholders, partners, suppliers and competitors. The course will enable a learner to use cutting-edge decision tools and think critically, as a result will be able to formulate strategies to address key organisational goals. APR works with a wide range of partners across the Europe and world over providing flexible programmes to support individual learners and have developed qualifications taking in consideration of their future requirement of skills and achievements. APR is always committed to comprehensive curriculum support and staff development, thus lays a lot of emphasis on the approval process of its core academic committee for the same. APR aims to provide a responsive and cost-efficient service to its centres and students spreading across geographies. For all APR learners, the range of qualifications underpin offer freedom of choice and flexibility which they can relate to their career goals.
Level 8 and 7 certification with the aim to progress them into research courses such as DBA/PhD as the content will primarily focus on developing critical thinking research-related modules The modules will have following underpinnings: • Contemporary issues and debates in research • Theories/paradigms of research • Ethics of research • Reviewing literature and the critical analysis of existing research • Developing a research question/hypothesis • Designing appropriate research • Role and function of the pilot study • Developing a research proposal • Access and sampling • Methods of data collection • Fundamentals of frequently used statistical tests • Presentation, analysis and interpretation of data • Uses and application of ICT • Dissemination and publication of research
• Choose bite-sized chunks of learning or whole qualifications • Able to achieve at his or her own pace and in different learning environments • Obtain Mentoring support towards progressing into either Master’s degree or DBA/PhD programs through the means of academic support, counselling and documentation, etc.