ELC Which course?

ELC Which course?

Off By Ed Hanna

The breadth of training and study options supported by ELCAS is incredible and can include practical and vocational training courses, A-levels or equivalent, university modules or any other nationally recognised diplomas.

There are hundreds of courses accredited by ELCAS to select from to help you gain the necessary certifications and qualifications to pursue the post-Forces career of your choice.

Enhanced Learning Credits (ELC or ELCAS) are available with approved learning providers for studying towards a qualification at level 3 or above, as defined by the National Qualifications Framework/Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF), (England and Wales), a level 6 or above on the 

Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) or, if pursued overseas, an approved international equivalent qualification.

A full list of approved learning providers is available on the ELCAS website.

With so many courses to choose from, it can be a struggle to know where to start. This quick guide is designed to help…

Approved providers
Firstly, your course of study must be delivered by an organisation, college, university or training provider that holds ELC Approved Learning Provider status. Any specific course you select must also have been approved for funding. (Don’t assume that all courses by an accredited provider have been approved by ELCAS.)

Searching
Searching for a course is straightforward. Simply visit the ELCAS website and use the search engine with name of provider, subject, title or keyword. You can also select to see results that match your favoured delivery method: distance learning, full-time, part-time or online learning.

Keep in mind that approved providers and courses change. Return to the search engine regularly to ensure that you are looking at current information. 

NB: The course must start in the qualifying financial year. Do not commit any payment to course providers until you have received a claim authorisation note (CAN).

Visit: www.enhancedlearningcredits.com/learning-provider/provider-search

Course or provider not listed?
Not all learning organisations are listed. Should you wish to take a course from a provider that isn’t ELCAS approved, you can contact them to ask them to make an application (subject to qualifying criteria).

Similarly, with an approved provider, if your chosen course does not appear in search results but would result in a level 3 (or above) nationally recognised qualification, you can ask the course provider to submit their course for MOD approval via their online portal.

Quality assurance 
ELCAS provides quality assurance to learners. Every learner must submit an evaluation form once their course has finished, plus MOD auditors carry out their own evaluation visits that effectively ‘spot-check’ 5% of all learning providers on the scheme throughout the year. All of this protects your investment of time and money.

The course
Working backwords from where you want to get to is a good place to start. In other words, consider the role you want to get into and then figure out the steps towards achieving that, including the training or qualifications required.

Employability
If you have an ELCAS approved course in mind, look into the provider and course itself. You may find notes or scores regarding how effective, for instance, the certification/qualification is in terms of employability. Courses listed on the ELCAS website have an average evaluation score that can be used to compare them. (See also comparison tools such as university league tables.)

Considerations
Irrespective of whether the course is approved by ELCAS, you will still be subject to meeting entry requirements and the like, as set out by individual learning providers. Furthermore, you may have a particular study option in mind, such as distance learning, etc. 

Course content
Every course will have its own syllabus or list of contents that may be different from others that lead to a similar or identical qualification, so it’s worth comparing several. Some courses may also offer opportunities such as work placements, studying abroad or links with industry.

Finally, don’t discount how important doing something you enjoy is. The course could be long and challenging. 

For further information and to explore the range of courses and learning providers, visit: www.enhancedlearningcredits.com