BTECs – the big benefits

To decide if a BTEC is right for you, you’ll need to know how BTECs differ from other qualifications and what advantages they have.

A practical approach to study

Students have to undertake a number of units for which they present evidence, based on real-life work and studies. This allows them to demonstrate their skill and knowledge in practical situations. If you think you would succeed better working in this way, the BTEC route may be the one to take.

Some students thrive on the pressure of exams, but others often fail to achieve their potential due to worries or nerves. With a BTEC, progress is measured throughout the course, allowing students to gauge their own performance on a continuing basis, just like in a real workplace. As a result, students are more engaged and motivated, as they can see the progress they’ve made through the course rather than waiting until the end to sit an exam.

Keep your options open

There are many options available to school-leavers: further education, vocational degrees and apprenticeships and jobs that offer workplace learning. If you are not sure about the path you will wish to take, the flexibility of BTECs makes them a good choice, as they offer useful practical experience as well as a recognised qualification.

Inspiring confidence

Learning should be fun, not daunting. In our experience, students enjoy BTEC programmes because they can specialise in areas of learning linked with work that they are interested in, like sport or the music business. Courses tap into what they enjoy, feel good at and find familiar.

Students build their confidence because they are developing practical skills that will help them secure a job in the future. Answers to assignments may be in written form, but it’s just as likely they will be in other forms – such as film clips, project proposals, business plans and structured databases. Students are always given clear guidelines so they know what they have to achieve and how to do this.

Rewarding effort

Students will have to meet deadlines set by teachers, but can do this at their own pace rather than having to perform to the time constraints of an exam. Progress is monitored individually by teachers who provide personal support and guidance, helping students develop their learning skills and reach their potential. Learning is progressive, from small-scale and simple topics to larger and more complex themes.

Working together

Teamwork is an important aspect in the world of work. Not surprisingly, it is also a key feature of BTECs. Students work on assignments - such as a group drama production or manager-employee role-play - both individually and in groups. Some students may take time to adapt to these new ways of working, but they gradually understand what is expected of them. They learn even faster if, at Key Stage 4, they take more than one BTEC course, because they make connections and apply approaches to learning from one subject to another.

Fitting study around other things

BTECs are flexible. They can be studied for full time or part time. BTECs can be taken as part of an Apprenticeship programme or alongside work commitments and other qualifications.

Staying up to date

An important consideration when deciding on a course to follow is whether the content is relevant and the course has been revised recently. If it is a BTEC, you can be assured that it has. We are continually developing and updating BTECs in response to the needs and skills required by employers. This ensures that learners gain maximum benefit from their work while qualifying, and that the qualifications stay up to date and relevant. All BTEC qualifications are now developed in co-operation with the relevant Sector Skills Council (SSC), ensuring they meet the needs of employers.