The Quality Licence Scheme Certificate of Achievement: A Mark of Quality in Non-Regulated Education
In the diverse landscape of professional development and lifelong learning, not every valuable course leads to a regulated qualification. Many high-quality training programmes exist outside the formal framework of Ofqual-regulated qualifications, yet they still deserve recognition for the knowledge and skills they impart. This is precisely where the Quality Licence Scheme (QLS) Certificate of Achievement comes into its own—a credential that provides formal endorsement for non-regulated courses and training programmes, offering learners a tangible mark of quality and achievement.
A Credential Backed by Decades of Experience
The Quality Licence Scheme is a brand of the Skills and Education Group, a charitable organisation that unites education and skills-orientated organisations sharing similar values and objectives. With more than 100 years of collective experience, the Skills and Education Group has developed a reputation for providing high-quality qualifications and assessments across the education and skills sector. The Group also includes two nationally recognised awarding organisations—Skills and Education Group Awards and Skills and Education Group Access—which are regulated by Ofqual. This connection to regulated awarding bodies gives the Quality Licence Scheme unique credibility: 97% of scheme participants choose it precisely because of its links to regulated awarding organisations. Buy fake certificate online.
What Is the QLS Certificate of Achievement?
The QLS Certificate of Achievement is an endorsed certification offered to learners who successfully complete a course or training programme that has been approved under the Quality Licence Scheme. It is not an Ofqual-regulated qualification; rather, it is a Certificate of Completion for courses that have been endorsed by the awarding organisation. This distinction is important—endorsed certification is often used when there are no appropriate subjects or units available on the Regulated Qualifications Framework.
Graduation Process for Quality Licence Scheme Certificate of Achievement
However, this does not diminish its value. All awarding organisations use the same level descriptors for endorsed certification to indicate the depth of study and level of demand and complexity involved in successful completion. Endorsed courses provide clear learning outcomes and assessment criteria, and offer flexibility in teaching methods and evidence—features that mirror regulated units.
The Endorsement Process: Rigorous Quality Assurance
Becoming a QLS-endorsed provider is not a casual undertaking. Organisations must go through a straightforward application process followed by a quality audit to ensure they meet the scheme’s standards. This involves robust and rigorous quality audits by external auditors to ensure quality is continually met. A review of courses is carried out as part of the endorsement process, ensuring that only providers committed to delivering quality learning are approved.
The scheme is available for all organisations operating outside the regulated qualifications market, both in the UK and internationally. Once approved, providers pay an annual licence fee, enabling them to have any number of their courses endorsed under the scheme.
What Learners Receive
Upon successful completion of a QLS-endorsed course, learners receive a jointly-branded Certificate of Achievement and a Learner Unit Summary (LUS). The Learner Unit Summary lists the components the learner has completed as part of the course and can be used as evidence towards Recognition of Prior Learning, should the learner wish to progress their studies in the relevant sector.
While completion of a QLS-endorsed course alone does not lead to an Ofqual-regulated qualification, the certificate can be used as evidence of knowledge and skills towards regulated qualifications in the future. Many courses are benchmarked at specific QLS levels against Ofqual’s descriptors, indicating the depth of study and level of demand involved. Providers may also offer CPD-accredited certificates alongside the QLS endorsement.
Recognition and Value
The QLS Certificate of Achievement is a highly recognised brand in the education sector. It demonstrates to employers, clients, and peers that a learner has successfully completed a course of genuine quality. For providers, joining the scheme increases business, enhances marketability, and helps recognise areas where processes can be improved. Providers can use the Quality Licence Scheme logo and jointly-branded certificates to recognise their learners’ achievements.
Conclusion
The Quality Licence Scheme Certificate of Achievement occupies a vital space in the education ecosystem. It provides formal recognition for high-quality courses that fall outside the regulated framework, offering learners a credible, respected credential that enhances their CV and supports their professional development. For providers, it offers a pathway to demonstrate their commitment to quality and to stand out in a crowded marketplace. In a world where lifelong learning is increasingly essential, the QLS Certificate of Achievement ensures that excellence in non-regulated education does not go unrecognised.