Foundation Degrees at a Glance
Educational pathways underpinned by competences
Skills for Health has been working with key partners to develop educational pathways aimed at equipping people with the knowledge, understanding and skills relevant to their employment within the health sector. According to SfH design principles this is to establish the need clearly, and define it within a role(s) and to equate this with NOS/NW competences .
At each exit and entry point, employers working in partnership with education providers identify the most appropriate level of award along the educational pathway. These include foundation degrees within a pathway.
The Right Qualification for You?
It is important to remember that Foundation Degrees (Fds) are not the only qualification at this academic level. NVQs , Certificate in Higher Education and BTEC/Higher National Diplomas are others. Looking at what job needs to be done and the competences required to carry out that job is key before deciding whether an Fd is the most relevant qualification.
Foundation Degree Framework
Since 2005 Skills for Health has been building on its Foundation Degree Framework to reinforce this. This document gives employers and education programme developer's access to advice and guidance in areas such as entry requirements, progression opportunities. programme structure/content. employer involvement, work-based learning and links with professional bodies.
In addition the Framework specifies important learning design principles underpinning the development of any programme leading towards a Fd. As part of our overall Higher Education Strategy , which helps develop demand led educational pathways with relevant bodies; Fds are seen as having a role in the development opportunities for staff and will be crucial to the growth of new and extended roles.
The Case for Foundation Degrees
Certainly the need for flexible multi-skilled staff, the move towards competence based workforce planning and the evaluation and extension of job roles provide a case for Fds within the health sector.
And the changing nature of agencies and service delivery coupled with increasing overlaps between health, social care and education, suggests the need for different arrangements of professionals and support staff in the future with an increase in the number of people required at Band 4 associate practitioner/assistant practitioner over the next few years.
Fds can make a contribution to meeting this need by providing broad-based knowledge, transferable skills, including lifelong learning, and the capacity to adapt to changing job roles.
Equally they need to appeal to a broad range of younger people who may want to pursue a career in the health sector but who do not necessarily want to do a traditional degree.
