Innovative Qualification will see south Wales businesses reap rewards, says store boss

25 Jul 2008


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Steve Robb, manager of Burton's Newport with Welsh Baccalaureate student Adam Hedges

South Wales employers will reap the benefits of a new qualification that is giving teenagers first-rate employment prospects by preparing them more thoroughly for the workplace.

That’s the opinion of a Newport store manager who has hailed the increasingly popular Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification as helping to make easier the job of selecting potential employees.

The Welsh Baccalaureate formally recognises a number of activities such as work experience, personal and social education and voluntary work.

It also encompasses established qualifications like A levels, GCSEs and NVQs and adds breadth and balance through a core programme of activities including all six Key Skills training.

Steve Robb, manager of Burton Menswear in Newport city centre said the qualification is helping him and fellow business bosses to find youngsters with the commitment needed to face the challenges of the workplace. The store recently recruited a pupil from local St Julian’s Comprehensive School, which has been piloting the innovative qualification.

Mr Robb is one of a growing number of employers in south Wales to recognise the additional skills and capabilities the Welsh Baccalaureate is giving young people.

From this September 21 schools and colleges across south east Wales will deliver the qualification, bringing the total number of young people in the region studying for the qualification to around 3,300.
St Julian’s already has 27 students taking the Welsh Baccalaureate at Intermediate level, with around a further 35 set to sign up in September this year.

Mr Robb recently took on 17 year-old Adam Hedges as a sales assistant after the Welsh Baccalaureate student performed ‘head and shoulders above’ other candidates who turned up for job interviews.

He said: "We treat students who come here for work experience exactly as we would anyone applying for a post. Very often we get youngsters who admit they know nothing about the company and obviously have not done any research.

"Adam was one of the best we’ve ever had. He’d done his homework, knew about the business and it opened the door for him."

Mr Robb said it appeared the Welsh Baccalaureate had given Adam more confidence in his interpersonal skills. "He was interested in retail, was sharp, came up with all the right answers and was clearly able to do what the job entailed."

Adam, of Durham Road, Newport, said he was pleased the course had prepared him so well for the interview. "I was told that carrying out some research would help and I’m glad that I took the time to do that. I’m enjoying the work – it’s really opened my eyes," he added.

St Julian’s Vocational Co-ordinator Jean Ritter said: "We are totally committed to the Welsh Baccalaureate, which is proving such an enjoyable challenge and providing so many different experiences for the students.

"It has definitely boosted their confidence and helped them develop all their key skills. Our Welsh Baccalaureate students have become independent learners who are relishing going out to work because they are so well prepared for it before they leave school."

From September 2008, the Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced level Welsh Baccalaureate will be available from 106 centres across Wales and will be delivered to some 23,000 learners.


Jane Hutt, Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills, welcomed the increasing employer support for the programme.

She said: "One of the key aims of the qualification is to help make the Welsh economy more competitive by enabling young people to become more confident and effective in the workplace. It’s very encouraging that employers recognise the value of this new approach to learning."

The Minister this week announced that the Welsh Baccalaureate will be rolled out at Foundation level in post 16 and foundation and intermediate levels in Key Stage 4 from September 2009.

The Minister also announced that the Principal Learning and Project Qualifications being developed for the 14-19 Diplomas in England will be available within the Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification framework from September 2009. Applications to participate in the delivery of this new provision will be invited from 14-19 Networks.