Links
Qualifications: What the different levels mean
How different qualifications compare
Guidance on the right qualification
The main portal to search University Courses and how to apply:
Higher Education Websites:
Direct Government Careers Advice - Advice on learning and career development
Direct Governement website for Citizens - providing information and online services for the public all in one place
Department for Education and Skills (DfES) - Courses for Children, Schools and Families
The Higher Education Academy - For students in higher education to enjoy the highest quality learning experience
Higher Education Funding Council (HEFCE)- promotes and funds high-quality, cost-effective teaching and research
Higher Education Research Opportunities in the UK (HERO) - Official gateway to higher education and research information
HERO (Higher Education Research Opportunities in the United Kingdom )
Leadership Foundation for Higher Education - Provides a dedicated service of support and advice on leadership, governance and management
NUCCAT (Northern Universities Consortium for Credit Accumulation and Transfer)
A federation of 40 higher education institutions in the UK, which seeks to share and promote best practice in the development of modularity, credit frameworks and academic frameworks; promote staff development in these areas; debate issues of common interest; and undertake specific projects on credit for external sponsors. NUCCAT works with other UK credit consortia to a) develop guidelines for the development and implementation of a national credit framework to harmonise with the QAA National Qualifications Framework for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and to b) contribute to the UK Credit Equivalence Project, which aims to establish the credit value of qualifications not currently credit-rated.
QAA (Quality Assurance Agency)
Aims to safeguard the public interest in sound standards of higher education qualifications and to encourage continuous improvement in the management of the quality of higher education. It does this by working with higher education institutions to define academic standards and quality, carrying out and publishing reviews against these standards. The QAA is an independent body funded by subscriptions from UK universities and colleges of higher education, and through contracts with the main UK higher education funding bodies
THES (Times Higher Education Supplement)
Online newspaper for everyone involved in higher education and research featuring jobs, news, reviews, opinions. Many articles and services are available by subscription only.
Represents all UK universities and some higher education colleges. Its 121 members are the executive heads of these institutions. It works to advance the interests of universities and to spread good practice throughout the higher education sector. Its mission is to be the essential voice of UK universities by promoting and supporting their work.
Career Learning Cafe - packed with ideas, practical resources including Game for a Career, careers stories, guides for principles and practice including ideas for using narrative, developing portfolios, theories for Connexions work, conference papers and articles, reviews of professional material, other materials added regularly, for all advisers working with careers and guidance.
Career Development - from National Grid for Learning, includes news, key documents and information for careers practitioners, adults, parents, young people, employers and trade unions, find information mainly through site search engine.
http://www.hero.ac.uk/uk/home/index.cfm
This is the Guide to universities and HE institutes in GB.
University of Birmingham
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/ier/glacier/qual/compare/
Qualifications Comparison Chart for the United Kingdom
The magazine of the ELC Administration Service offering lots of useful inspiration for those wishing to undertake study.
http://www.courses4forces.co.uk/
The Defence Learning Portal.
Books 24x7. An on-line Library with 1000s and 1000s of books to view. Register on the DLP courses page to get a log-in and you can access books on-line for free.
http://www.books24x7.com/login.asp?ic=0
The DELC service is provided by the MOD to deliver elearning to the Defence Community wherever it is located. It provides a network of Walk-In DELCs delivering on-line learning MOD-wide, and a pool of Rapid Reaction DELCs to support deployed forces.
Learndirect providing on-line courses and course advice.
Lifelong Learning UK providing comment on all lifelong learning matters.
Useful article on free courseshttp://www.moneymagpie.com/article/boost-your-job-prospects-for-free#Vision
Organisations that support Lifelong Learning:
LLUK are the sector skills council responsible for the professional development of staff working in the UK lifelong learning sector:
NIACE (National Institute of Adult Continuing Education) encourages adults to engage in learning of all kinds:
British Institute for Learning and Development:
The Stamford Test - a short questionnaire which can help to match your interests and abilities to possible higher education subjects. Many students find this extremely helpful when trying to make up their minds.