Skills for Work: Applying for Jobs
Applying for Jobs is a set of 5 Open Awards Skills for Work units, Entry 1 to Level 2, each 10 guided learning hours and 1 credit, for 14 to 16 year olds in Wales. Learners identify their skills and interests, find vacancies and support such as Careers Wales, and complete applications, from typing their name into an interest form at Entry 1 to a tailored CV, application form and personal statement for a specific vacancy at Level 2. The provider designs and marks the tasks, real or simulated, and Open Awards quality assures them. Digital demand is medium: Digital is a named cross-curricular skill, and job websites and apps, formal emails with attachments, CVs and digital profiles run through the criteria and examples at most levels.
- Awarding body
- Open Awards
- Level
- Entry Level 1 to Level 2
- Guided learning hours
- 10
- First taught
- September 2027
- Amount of digital work
- Medium
- Specification
- Open the specification
How this unit is assessed
- Entry Level 1 (CBM186), Entry Level 2 (CBM187) and Entry Level 3 (CBM188): Each Entry level is a separate 1 credit, 10 guided learning hour unit with 3 learning outcomes: personal skills and job interests, where to find jobs and support, and taking part in an application. Entry 1 learners identify a job of interest, a skill, a local job source and a person who can help, then complete a simple application such as typing their name into an interest form. Entry 2 learners identify skills, job types, places to find vacancies, a person and an organisation that give guidance, the information needed for an application and ways to contact an employer. Entry 3 learners explain 3 skills, link 3 job roles to interests, use a resource such as the Careers Wales website to find a local vacancy, explain how Careers Wales helps, complete an application form or CV and use formal communication such as an email or scripted phone call. Tasks are designed by the provider, the learner builds a portfolio, and every criterion must be met for a Pass.
- Level 1 (CBM189) and Level 2 (CBM190): Each level is a separate 1 credit, 10 guided learning hour unit with 4 learning outcomes. Level 1 learners outline their skills, qualities and aspirations, describe the requirements of 2 job roles, outline 4 job search resources in Wales with a benefit of each, explain 2 types of support, produce a structured CV or profile and a formal letter or email, apply for a job or placement adapting their materials, and review their performance. Level 2 learners assess their skills against 3 job roles, describe local employment trends, compare 2 job search methods, describe specialist guidance including Careers Wales, create a tailored CV, complete an application form and a personal statement or cover letter for a specific vacancy, and evaluate their performance using feedback. Real or simulated applications are allowed.
Skills that use Sourcing, searching and planning digital content
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Searching job websites, apps and social media for vacancies
Entry 1 and Entry 2 learners identify places to find job information, such as the Careers Wales / Gyrfa Cymru website, Entry 3 learners use a resource such as the Careers Wales website or the Job Centre Plus app to find a local vacancy, Level 1 learners outline 4 resources such as company websites and social media business pages with a benefit of each, and Level 2 learners compare methods such as the Careers Wales digital platform, Indeed or LinkedIn against in-person routes. These are assessment criteria with online examples at every level.
DCF: Sourcing, searching and planning digital content
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils explore the Careers Wales website to find one job linked to a hobby and note 2 facts about it.
- Year 8
- Pupils search a job site for weekend jobs within 10 miles, use the filters, and bookmark 2 suitable adverts.
- Year 9
- Pupils compare finding a vacancy on a job site with asking at local shops, listing 2 advantages and 2 disadvantages of each.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Entry 1, AC 2.1, page 12; Entry 3, AC 2.1, page 18; Level 1, AC 2.1, page 21; Level 2, AC 2.1, page 25
“finding jobs via social media (LinkedIn) versus visiting local business parks in person.”
Progression step 3
I can adjust keywords and search techniques to find relevant information.
I can store search results for future use, e.g. bookmark, add to favourites.
Progression step 4
I can search a variety of sources using relevant search techniques with increased complexity.
I can evaluate the reliability of sources of information, justify my opinions and reasons for choices, and reference using appropriate methods.
Good to know
- Each level is its own unit with its own code: "Unit Reference Number: CBM186" at Entry 1 to CBM190 at Level 2, each "Credit Value: One (1)" and "Guided Learning Hours: 10" (Unit Content, pages 11, 14, 17, 20 and 24).
- Only one level can count in a qualification: "units with the same title at different levels are barred for completion within the same qualification" (Level 1 Qualification Guide, Qualification Units, page 17), and this is a Skills for Work unit, so it counts towards the Skills for Work group (Rules of Combination, page 16).
- The provider writes the assessment: "This suite of units has been designed to be assessed through assessment tasks and activities designed by the provider", with pre-course verification, internal quality assurance and external quality assurance by Open Awards (Assessment Approach, page 8).
- There is no partial credit: "All assessment criteria must be met in full for the learner to be awarded a 'pass'" (Assessment Approach, page 8).
- Evidence goes in a portfolio, paper or digital: "Wherever possible, e-portfolios are encouraged." (Assessment Approach, page 8).
- Digital resources are expected where appropriate: access to "online job sites (where appropriate)" and devices to "search for jobs", "create CVs or application materials" and "record evidence" (Physical Resources, pages 6 and 7).
- Safeguarding applies to real applications: providers must ensure "Any real job applications are appropriate and supported", "Simulated tasks are used where necessary" and "Learners are supported when sharing personal information" (Safeguarding and Appropriateness, page 7).
- The content is set in Wales: Careers Wales / Gyrfa Cymru appears at every level and must be one of the Level 2 sources of specialist guidance (Level 2, AC 2.2, page 25).
- The unit specification does not mention AI tools; the Open Awards Provider Handbook, which must be read alongside it, sets wider rules.
- The Level 2 criteria look unfinished: 2 criteria are both numbered "3.2" (page 24), the only criterion in learning outcome 4 is AC 4.1 while the content calls it "AC 4.2" (pages 24 and 26), and the outcome title mentions preparing for applications with no matching criterion. Other slips include "jo vacancy" (Level 1, page 22) and calling Indeed "a generic search engine" (Level 2, page 25).
Links with other qualifications
Applying for Jobs sits well beside the Skills Challenge Certificate and Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales, the VCSE and Foundation in Business, GCSE Business, and the Open Awards Work Experience unit, which it naturally precedes. Searching job sites, writing formal emails and producing a CV link to GCSE Digital Technology and to the DCF Producing and Interacting and collaborating strands. Compared with the Pearson Applying for jobs unit, the Open Awards version is half the size, is rooted in Welsh services such as Careers Wales, Working Wales and the Apprenticeship Matching Service, and asks Level 2 learners to compare online and in-person job search methods.
Source: Open Awards Skills for Work Unit Specification, Applying for Jobs, Entry Level 1 to Level 2.