Skills for Work: Jobs of the Future
Jobs of the Future is an Open Awards Skills for Work unit offered at 5 levels from Entry Level 1 to Level 2, each 20 guided learning hours, in which learners explore how jobs change, emerging roles, the skills they need and how to prepare, ending at Level 2 with a justified job choice and a structured plan. The provider designs the tasks and learners build a portfolio assessed Pass or Fail. Digital demand is low: internet access is listed for research, but no criterion needs a computer. Digital work sits in online job research, understanding technology’s effect on work, an optional digital presentation and the e-portfolio.
- Awarding body
- Open Awards
- Level
- Entry Level 1 to Level 2
- Guided learning hours
- 20
- First taught
- September 2027
- Amount of digital work
- Low
- Specification
- Open the specification
How this unit is assessed
- Entry Level (Entry Level 1 CBM181, Entry Level 2 CBM182, Entry Level 3 CBM183): Each Entry level has 3 learning outcomes and 6 criteria. Entry Level 1 learners identify familiar jobs and newer jobs, identify skills used in jobs and their own skills, explore future jobs through activities and identify a job they would like. Entry Level 2 learners identify new or changing jobs, skills for them and their own strengths and areas to improve, match skills to at least 3 job types and outline a job of interest. Entry Level 3 learners describe how jobs have changed, outline future job roles, describe and explain the importance of employability skills, identify actions to prepare and present information about a future job. Tasks are designed by the provider and evidence goes in a portfolio, assessed Pass or Fail. Each level is 2 credits and 20 guided learning hours.
- Level 1 and Level 2 (Level 1 CBM184, Level 2 CBM185): Level 1 has 4 learning outcomes and 8 criteria: describe at least 3 factors that influence job change and jobs linked to them, describe at least 3 employability skills and ways to develop them, describe the requirements of a job of interest, outline steps to prepare for it, and describe own strengths and areas for development. Level 2 has 3 outcomes and 8 criteria: explain how local, national and global trends influence jobs, analyse at least 2 future job roles and at least 4 skills, evaluate ways to develop the skills, select and justify a job linked to future trends, analyse its requirements, evaluate own strengths and gaps and produce a structured plan to improve readiness. Tasks are designed by the provider and evidence goes in a portfolio, assessed Pass or Fail. Each level is 2 credits and 20 guided learning hours.
The digital skills in this qualification
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Researching future jobs online
The minimum equipment includes digital devices and internet access to research jobs, skills and future trends, and the task tables suggest research tasks at Level 1 and Level 2 to identify future job roles and analyse the skills they need. Learners therefore need to search for and select job information. The research supports the criteria but the searching itself is not assessed.
DCF: Sourcing, searching and planning digital content
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils use a careers website to find 2 jobs that did not exist 20 years ago and bookmark the pages.
- Year 8
- Pupils search for the skills needed for a green job, trying different keywords and saving the most useful pages.
- Year 9
- Pupils research one emerging job from at least 3 sources, check who wrote each and when, and record the references.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Equipment, page 7; Level 1 and Level 2 assessment tasks, page 10
“internet access to support research into jobs, skills, and future trends”
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.
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Understanding how technology changes jobs
Entry Level 1 examples of newer jobs include working with computers, robots or technology. Entry Level 3 learners describe how jobs have changed, for example more use of technology and new jobs such as social media influencer, and Level 1 learners describe factors such as automation and technology. Digital skills and digital literacy appear as employability skills from Entry Level 3 to Level 2. These are examples, so they are taught rather than required, though technology is the most obvious factor for learners to choose.
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils sort pictures of jobs into those that use computers or robots and those that do not.
- Year 8
- Pupils discuss how online shopping has changed jobs in shops and warehouses.
- Year 9
- Pupils reflect on the digital skills they already use, such as spreadsheets or video editing, and link each to a future job that needs it.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Entry Level 1 indicative content, page 12; Entry Level 3 indicative content, page 18; Level 1 indicative content, page 21; Level 2 indicative content, page 24
“working with computers, robots or technology”
Progression step 3
I can identify the wider positive and negative influences of technology, e.g. on my life, on society, on the environment.
Progression step 4
I can reflect on the role of digital media in my life and habits.
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Presenting a job as a simple digital output
Entry Level 3 learners must present information about a future job they are interested in, including what it involves and the skills needed. The format can be a poster, a talk or a simple digital output. The presentation is required, but the digital format is optional.
DCF: Creating digital content, Evaluating and improving digital content
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils make a one slide profile of a job with a title, a picture and 3 skills.
- Year 8
- Pupils create a short slide show about a future job, with what it involves and how to get into it.
- Year 9
- Pupils produce a short video or presentation about a future job for a Year 9 audience and explain why they chose that format.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Entry Level 3 criterion 3.2, page 17, and indicative content, page 18
“Learners must present basic information e.g., poster, talk or simple digital output.”
Progression step 3
I can use a range of software to select, produce and edit a range of multimedia components for a purpose, such as:
- text and images, e.g. format text (bold, underline, italics, highlight); insert and edit text boxes; columns; use refine tools (spellchecker, find and replace); word wrap; crop; alter size and shape; alter images; add effects; trim and split sound and video clips; transitions; onion skin
- presentation, e.g. page orientation; animations; transitions; remove and alter images; use background; use action buttons to create hyperlink; embed objects.
I can ensure my output is appropriate for specific purposes.
Progression step 4
I can select and use a variety of appropriate software, tools and techniques to create, modify and combine multimedia components for a range of audiences and purposes, such as:
- text and images, e.g. explore and use effectively image manipulation techniques; explore and use appropriately the many aspects of document layout; use animation, video and audio effects such as echo, tempo, envelope, layering, frame rate, key frames
- presentation, e.g. use design tools; adapt themes and colours to suit the purpose; create master templates.
I can justify the reasons for choices and explain the advantages and disadvantages of the different digital outputs I create.
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Keeping evidence in an e-portfolio
Learners must collect evidence in a portfolio, and Open Awards encourages e-portfolios wherever possible. Evidence for this unit includes research notes, presentations and preparation plans, which learners may save and upload digitally. The portfolio is required, but the digital format is optional.
DCF: Storing and sharing
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils save a careers worksheet into a named folder in the school cloud storage.
- Year 8
- Pupils upload their job research and slides to an online folder and name the files clearly.
- Year 9
- Pupils keep a careers e-portfolio with a folder per term, update their plan using version history and share a view-only link with their tutor.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Assessment Approach, page 8
“Wherever possible, e-portfolios are encouraged.”
Progression step 3
I can manage files and folders locally or online, e.g. move files to a folder.
I can upload files from a local drive to online storage.
Progression step 4
I can use appropriate advanced file management techniques, e.g. version history, restore previous version, tagging, compression.
I can manage links to files, taking permissions and file locations into account, e.g. some file storage systems will utilise dynamic hyperlinks so that if a file location is changed the links remain intact, whereas changing file location could result in a broken hyperlink.
Good to know
- Each level has its own unit code and the same size: CBM181 to CBM185, "Credit Value: Two (2)" and "Guided Learning Hours: 20" (Unit Content, pages 11, 14, 17, 20 and 23). The Pearson unit of the same name is 10 hours.
- Units at different levels cannot be combined: "with the exception of British Sign Language (BSL), units with the same title at different levels are barred for completion within the same qualification" (Open Awards Level 1 Qualification Guide, Qualification Units, page 17).
- Every criterion must be met: "All assessment criteria must be met in full for the learner to be awarded a ‘pass’" (Assessment Approach, page 8). There is no grade above Pass.
- The provider writes the tasks: the unit is "assessed through assessment tasks and activities designed by the provider", and providers must "undertake pre‑course verification" to confirm the tasks cover all criteria (Assessment Approach, page 8).
- Evidence goes in a portfolio, paper or digital: "Wherever possible, e-portfolios are encouraged." (Assessment Approach, page 8). Assessments are subject to internal quality assurance and external quality assurance by Open Awards.
- The unit specification says nothing about AI or referencing. The qualification guide requires assessment evidence to "Be the learner’s own work" (Open Awards Level 1 Qualification Guide, Assessment Conditions, page 31).
- Internet access is part of the minimum equipment: "access to digital devices, e.g., computers, laptops, or tablets" and "internet access to support research into jobs, skills, and future trends" (Equipment, page 7).
- Labour market data is kept general on purpose: providers use "simple labour market or trend summaries (non-localised to avoid overlap with other units)" (Equipment, page 7).
- Parts of the document look unfinished. The Entry Level 3 task table on page 9 repeats the Entry Level 2 table word for word. The Entry Level 3 progression statement has no step number, criterion 2.2 is printed "2.2 2.2" (page 17), and the Entry Level 2 skills list includes "long working/ self-motivation" (page 15), which reads like a slip.
Links with other qualifications
Jobs of the Future links with the careers and work-related experiences in the Curriculum for Wales and with GCSE Business on changing industries and technology. The roles named in the content, such as renewable energy, digital content, health technologies and construction, give bridges to the VCSEs in Engineering, Creative and Media Production and Technology, Health and Social Care, and Construction and the Built Environment. The Pearson unit of the same name is 10 hours and the WJEC Jobs of the future unit is 20 hours, like this one. Within the Open Awards suites, Exploring Career Pathways, Understanding the Changing Labour Market, Applying for Jobs and Personal Development Planning are the closest units.
Source: Open Awards Skills for Work Unit Specification, Jobs of the Future, Entry Level 1 to Level 2.