Pathway 4

BTEC stands for the Business and Technology Education Council; they are specialist work-related qualifications, combining practical learning with subject and theory content. Accepted at nearly all Russell Group universities in the UK, the BTEC is becoming increasingly recognised at universities in the US, Canada, and Europe. They are designed for students interested in a particular sector or industry but who are not yet sure what job they’d like to do. A BTEC qualification can lead to employment, continuing study, or professional development programmes. They are a flexible qualification and can be taken alongside A-levels – this is an increasingly common selection for WSO students. BTECs are divided into units, which cover specific areas of knowledge, skills, and understanding required by the particular sector or industry. BTEC students take core units, which provide a broad foundation and understanding about the sector, and then choose from a range of optional units, which enable the student to focus on particular interests. The course involves a series of assignments, which can be written or activity-based, for example creating a film clip, planning and putting on a performance, or creating a business plan. Students complete some assignments individually and some as part of a team. Key to the BTEC assessment model is the absence of exams. As such, this pathway is particularly appealing to those students who wish to continue in Post-16 education but find a continuous assessment pathway much more suited to their learning needs than more exam-style pathways such as the IBDP or A-level.