Are they vocational qualifications, specific training courses or specific technologies that help a person improve?
These are qualifications that were designed to provide professional status, rather than specific training courses or specific technologies to further a specific career. Some can be taken directly after completing university, while others are aimed at professionals with several years of experience who are looking to develop their career further.
Are they aimed at specific job situations, or are they general about what you can do with skills and experience?
These qualifications are often called advanced training, and are designed to provide workers with professional knowledge and expertise in a specific application of skills and knowledge. They are typically regulated and awarded by professional bodies within the relevant industry, and are designed to ensure that everyone employed in a particular job meets the minimum required standards of professional expertise.
You will gain skills and knowledge that allow you to enter various fields of work, from marketing to banking. You will also gain skills and knowledge that allow you to enter various fields of professional work, from architecture to chemical engineering.
Most professional bodies have their own reference libraries, with facilities free to learner staff, as well as a range of online resources. Most have a secure area of their website exclusively for student members.
As well as formal networking events such as conferences, many professional bodies organise social events, often on a regional basis, where you can meet others in your profession in a more relaxing environment.
You can expect many other benefits. For example, the Insurance Institute of Ireland offers discounts on training courses and textbooks, while student members of the Institute of Accounting Technicians in Ireland can use a dedicated recruitment service, helping with placements and careers advice. There is a professional body for almost any career, from management consultancy to engineering.
What are professional or technical qualifications? Are they vocational qualifications, designed to help you improve or develop relevant skills for a particular career path?
These qualifications are often characterized as advanced training, in that they are designed to provide students with professional skills and skills preparation is included. These qualifications are typically more vocational in nature and act as an entry route or route to promotion within a specific job.
Many professional bodies offer different levels of vocational qualification, suitable for school leavers, graduates and experienced professionals. Typically, when you complete one exam, you become eligible to work towards another qualification at a higher level.
Possessing some relevant work experience or having a demonstrable interest in the subject is often essential. In addition, if English is not your first language, you’ll need to prove your language skills.
Cost depends on a range of factors and therefore varies significantly. The expense of a course will generally reflect its intensity and how important it is in the context of the career path you want to follow.
Different training providers can charge different amounts for the same course, so research your options thoroughly. You should also check whether there are additional fees for taking exams or whether that cost is included. There is usually no difference in fees for home and international students.
If the qualification you’re interested in is essential for career progression, or you can show your employer how it will benefit them for you to gain new skills and knowledge, you may be able to convince them to pay for your course and exam fees.
This is particularly common if you work at a company with ‘Investors in People’ status. Bear in mind, however, that in return your employer may contractually oblige you to continue working for them for a set period following the course. Learn more about
Recent research for the Consultative Committee for Professional Management Organisations (CCPMO) showed that, on average, having a professional qualification increases lifetime earnings by £81,000.
Are they vocational training or training that can be utilised, in many cases, by a large organisation, helping it meet specific tasks.
These qualifications are often regulated by professional bodies rather than by the government, giving them greater legitimacy than they are often regulated by separate bodies.
Are they vocational qualifications, designed to help you improve and develop relevant skills for a particular career path or career path type?
These qualifications are designed to help you improve and develop relevant skills for a particular career path or career path type. They are accredited by professional bodies, which set the exams and regulate the standards you must meet to work in the job market.
They are also guaranteed a place in a professional body’s curriculum and certification programme.
Who needs vocational qualifications? Everyone has an interest in and passion for learning a new skill, whether it is planning a career in today’s professional industry, or learning to create a career for themselves.
Vocational qualifications are accredited by professional bodies, which set the exams and regulate the standards you must meet to work in the job market.
It’s important to research your options carefully to ensure that taking a professional qualification is right for you. If you decide to go ahead, remember that that the length, cost, quality and content of courses can vary significantly – so you will need to carefully assess which one will benefit you the most.
