Doing functional skills in a driver apprentice

[Maxboy3108]

I understand that some TOCs ask potential train drivers to have GCSE in maths and English grade C or equitant. I was reading another thread called “Dear Diary....A life of a Trainee Train Driver” when it was mentioned that this person took a test and then did functional skills before they started driver training but this thread was moved and I can’t find it anymore. I’m just wondering if you need to have GCSE in maths and English grade C or equitant or if I could just take this test, then do functional skills if I get a job, as the difference between buying a text/workbook and paying functional skills is a lot of money. I do have maths and English literature at grade C or equitant but I don’t have English language at grade C or equitant.

 

[Eebbs1912]

I'm staying my driving Apprenticeship course on the 21st of this month and have to go down next week to do the functional skills as i lost my school exam results certificate and they wouldn't except my engineering degree lol. It's just a money making scheme rolled in to the course. There are certain equivalents they will accept but even the guy running the course admitted they rarely accept competing skills from anything else and rule out so many other valid certs for the maths and English..... I've honours level applied engineering mathematics and they refused that
They might put you on a skills week the same as they are running for us or you can just do the same week course on your own before it at a college somewhere.

 

[TheGoldfish]

I think These are a requirement of the apprenticeship scheme as it leads to an NVQ ... and o think the tocs are doing it now because they getting funding for the training from the Gov rather than paying for you themselves ? ... you don’t need to do it or pay for it yourself ... you’ll do it as part of your rules course ... ?

 

[Eebbs1912]

I think These are a requirement of the apprenticeship scheme as it leads to an NVQ ... and o think the tocs are doing it now because they getting funding for the training from the Gov rather than paying for you themselves ? ... you don’t need to do it or pay for it yourself ... you’ll do it as part of your rules course ... ?

Yeah, you go about a month before the course to do the assessments, give them your certificates; if any, they'll make up a course for you that you do the week before your rules start. I've been told the course is £25k but if the candidate passes the NVQ, then the government refund just about all of the costs.
We do a week skills, 4 weeks rules, back to our companies for 7 weeks, to do traction and handling then build hours up to minimum 20 hours. Then its back to the course for another 3 weeks rules and back to build up the rest of our hours. We go back for a week later in the year for a final assessment.

 

[Maxboy3108]

Thank you

 

[TeaTrain]

Hello that was my Diary. I have removed it as I will be moving it elsewhere on a project of my own. Indeed if you cannot prove your GCSE results by way of certification you will be requested to complete a functional skills week for IT, Maths and English. It isn’t bad at all and if I can do it anyone can! This is for TPE anyway. If you have any questions you can message me directly. Cheers

 

[CrispyUK]

Functional Skills are a requirement across apprenticeship schemes and there is a government prescribed list of specific qualifications that can be used as exemptions, primarily GCSEs, AS/A Levels in the relevant subjects, Key Skills, existing Functional Skills qualifications, plus a number of others that I rarely come across. As others have commented, degrees cannot be accepted for the requirement, and overseas qualifications need to be supported by a statement of comparability from UK ENIC which involves a cost.

This isn’t the providers/employers being awkward or difficult, if they cannot supply evidence that you meet the minimum English/maths requirements, either through exemption with existing qualifications or by having completed Functional Skills as part of the apprenticeship, you cannot go through to end point assessment / complete the apprenticeship.

 

[TeaTrain]

Do A levels count? One person on our course had A level certificates and they weren’t accepted? It’s so confusing lol.
To be fair they say an apprenticeship but I haven’t done anything at all other than the functional skills week at the beginning of the course. I have had two phone calls and that’s it. I’m about to finish my traction.

I wouldn’t worry about it or anything. Just concentrate on the main driving course.

 

[Maxboy3108]

Thank you, it's a big relief