BTECs are vocational and work-related qualifications undertaken in vocational subjects ranging from Business studies to Engineering. BTECs are equivalent to other qualifications such as the GCSE (levels 1 to 2), A Level (level 3) and university degrees (levels 4 to 7) and are designed to accommodate the needs of employers while still allowing for the student to further his or her education. Examples of BTEC courses include Health & Social Care, Business Studies, Engineering, Science, Information Technology, Media Studies, Travel & Tourism and Performing Arts.
“BTEC” stands for Business and Technology Education Council. The council was formed back in 1984 from the Business Education Council (BEC) and the Technician Education Council (TEC). Then in 1996, BTEC merged with (deep breath) the University of London Examinations & Assessment Council (ULEAC) to form Edexcel. Today BTEC qualifications are awarded by the Edexcel exam board and are taken in more than 100 countries at all levels, from pre-GCSE to degree equivalent.
That’s a whole lot of blah blah blah to get to my point of saying these qualifications seem like a good idea if you’re trying to get an edge on the competition or switch over to a new career. BTECs focus on building practical skills which can be more easily transposed to the work place and in some cases are actually preferred by employers over academic qualifications because folks with a BTEC under their belt tend to be better equipped for the so called real world.
Of course, if you really are trying to stand out from the rest of the pack or do something completely different for your livelihood, you’re probably already strapped for time and having to sit in on a regularly scheduled class might not work for you. Luckily ICS offers an impressive range of BTEC courses “at your finger tips” via distance learning. Distance learning with ICS enables you to learn and your own time and pace to achieve your goals on your terms. Often you can spread the cost of your studies as well. So, you can keep the job, keep paying the bills and keep improving your skills and broaden your horizon.
