Essential Skills for Work and Life

WJEC Essential Skills for Work and Life (ESfWL) are unit-based qualifications, available from Entry 1 to Level 3, and which offer leaners the opportunity to develop skills in communication, digital literacy, employability and number. Each unit is assessed through an internally assessed and externally quality assured ‘mini’-portfolio.

Units can be chosen from across the four skill areas or from within a single skill enabling personalised programmes of learning to be developed for individual leaners or groups of leaners. As more units are achieved, they can be combined into an ‘Award’, ‘Certificate’ or ‘Diploma’.

Each unit is discrete, allowing learners to focus on the specific skills they wish to improve or to master for the first time. As the skills required for the world of work are constantly evolving, WJEC ESfWL qualifications offer leaners a dynamic structure within which to prepare for these changing demands.

WJEC ESfWL are suitable for a wide range of learners in different settings including:

• those in further education;
• adult returners;
• work-based learners;
• community education and local volunteers;
• teaching staff;
• those in alternative education;
• those for whom 'skills gaps' have been identified within their current competency.

And as the units are derived from the Essential Skills Wales suite (ESW) qualifications, achievement of ESfWL can be viewed as a progression route should the learner wish.