Skills for Work: Working in Wales
Working in Wales is an Agored Cymru Skills for Work unit about why Wales is a good place to work, how Wales earns its living in an international economy through exports, tourism, trade routes, infrastructure, geography and culture, and which sectors, jobs, skills and qualifications are found across Wales and in the learner's own area, with bilingualism given as an example of a workplace skill. It is one 20 hour unit, offered at Entry 1, Entry 2, Entry 3, Level 1 and Level 2, that learners combine with others into an Agored Cymru Skills for Work or Skills for Life and Work Award, Certificate or Diploma. It is assessed through one centre-devised task under direct supervision. Digital demand is low: no assessment criterion asks for technology. Digital work sits in the basic internet research the specification expects learners to do, in making their own reference notes without AI, and in the option to submit evidence as a digital document, audio, video or e-portfolio.
- Awarding body
- Agored Cymru
- 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 1 CDS113 RF4E1CY002, Entry 2 CDS112 RF4E2CY002, Entry 3 CDS111 RF4E3CY005): Three learning outcomes at every Entry level: the benefits or advantages of working in Wales, Wales as an international economy, and job opportunities in Wales. Entry 1 has 6 criteria: name a benefit of working in Wales, name at least 3 things from Wales sold in other countries, name a place tourists like to visit, name a way people travel to Wales from a different country, and list at least 2 jobs in own area and 2 in another part of Wales. Entry 2 has 8 criteria: list at least 2 benefits, at least 3 goods and services sold abroad, 3 places tourists visit, 3 ways people travel to Wales, 3 ways to get Welsh goods to other countries, at least 2 job sectors in own area, 2 jobs in a sector, and name 2 skills and 1 qualification for those jobs. Entry 3 has 9 criteria: list at least 3 advantages, 4 goods or services sold abroad, 3 attractions, 3 ways to travel to Wales and 3 ways to send goods overseas, identify 2 job sectors in own area and 2 in another part of Wales, list 2 jobs in a sector, and identify 3 skills and 1 qualification. There are no prescribed assessment methods. One centre-devised summative task in the mandatory Summative Assessment Package, completed under direct supervision in no more than 60 minutes, with evidence as digital or written documents, audio, video or an e-portfolio. Internally assessed by the centre and moderated by Agored Cymru, graded Pass or Fail. 20 guided learning hours and 2 credits at each level.
- Level 1 and Level 2 (Level 1 CDS110 RF41CY011, Level 2 CDS109 RF42CY034): Three learning outcomes, each with 9 criteria in total: the advantages of working in Wales, Wales as an international economy, and career opportunities in Wales. Level 1 learners know these topics: they outline at least 3 advantages, identify at least 2 sectors that contribute to the international economy, outline how infrastructure, geography and Welsh culture support economic activity, outline at least 3 employment sectors across Wales, identify 2 in own area and 2 jobs in a specified sector, and identify at least 4 skills and 1 qualification for those jobs. Level 2 learners understand them: they describe at least 4 advantages and 3 international sectors, describe how infrastructure, geography and culture support economic activity, describe at least 4 sectors across Wales and 3 in own area, describe 2 jobs, and describe at least 5 skills and 1 qualification. There are no prescribed assessment methods. One centre-devised summative task in the mandatory Summative Assessment Package, completed under direct supervision in no more than 60 minutes, with no AI and no drafting, and evidence as digital or written documents, audio, video or an e-portfolio. Internally assessed by the centre and moderated by Agored Cymru, graded Pass or Fail. 20 guided learning hours and 2 credits at each level.
Skills that use Storing and sharing
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Presenting evidence as a digital document, audio, video or e-portfolio
Learners may submit their evidence as a digital or written document, audio, video or an e-portfolio submitted online, and there are no prescribed assessment methods. A digital format suits lists of jobs, goods and sectors and descriptions of the Welsh economy, but written evidence is equally acceptable, so digital production is not assessed.
DCF: Creating digital content, Evaluating and improving digital content, Storing and sharing
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils make a digital poster of 3 things from Wales sold in other countries, with a picture and caption for each.
- Year 8
- Pupils record a short audio clip naming 2 jobs in their area and the skills each needs, then save it to the class online folder.
- Year 9
- Pupils create a short slide presentation or video describing 2 jobs in a Welsh sector and the skills and qualifications needed, choosing a layout that suits the audience.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Appendix A, section 4, Permitted evidence types, page 106; Prescribed Assessment Methods, page 58
“E-portfolio, through online submission”
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.
I can upload files from a local drive to online storage.
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 explore and develop a range of formal text document structures for different audiences and purposes.
Good to know
- The unit is the same size at every level: each has its own Unit ID and code, "Credit: 2" and 20 GLH (pages 57, 59, 61, 63 and 65), and "the 19 Skills for Work units are all available in a 20 GLH format" (Unit and Assessment structure, page 14). The WJEC and Pearson Working in Wales units are 10 hours.
- A learner can count the unit once only: "multiple levels of the same unit title are not permitted" (Unit aggregation, page 9).
- The centre chooses the task: "There are no prescribed assessment methods for this unit" (Prescribed Assessment Methods, pages 58, 60, 62, 64 and 66), but it must follow the mandatory Summative Assessment Package in Appendix A.
- No special equipment is listed: "There are no minimum resource requirements for this unit" (page 58). Even so, learners need digital technology to "conduct basic internet-based research to assist the generation of assessment evidence" (Resource Requirements, page 7).
- The task is short and supervised: "All assessment production must be completed under direct supervision" and "20 GLH incorporates assessment time of no more than 60 minutes" (Appendix A, section 4, page 106).
- AI is banned outright: "AI tools must not be used at all." (Appendix A, section 4, page 106). The Pearson and WJEC units allow AI if it is acknowledged.
- Learners write their own notes for the task: "Learners must produce their own reference materials, in preparation for completing their summative assessment." (Appendix A, section 4, page 106).
- There is one attempt: "Drafting and redrafting are not permitted in this summative task." (Appendix A, page 106) and "There are no resubmission opportunities available for these qualifications." (Resubmissions, page 99).
- Evidence can be digital but does not have to be. The permitted types are "Digital (or written) documents", audio content, video content and "E-portfolio, through online submission" (Appendix A, section 4, page 106).
- The task may be split: "Learners are permitted to complete each summative assessment in more than one sitting." (Section Five, page 97).
- The unit's cross curricular skills table names Literacy and Digital Competence (page 66), and the mapping says the unit "Promotes confident use of digital tools for research, communication, and productivity" (page 67). No criterion asks for this.
Links with other qualifications
Work on infrastructure, transport, the geography of Wales, trade routes and tourism links with GCSE Geography, and growing sectors, exports and cultural branding link with GCSE Business. The sectors and jobs named in the amplification give bridges to vocational qualifications on the page, for example tourism with VCSE Travel and Tourism, food and drink with VCSE Hospitality and Catering, and creative industries and television programmes with VCSE Creative and Media Production and Technology. Bilingualism as a workplace skill links with Core Cymraeg and Cymraeg Language and Literature. Within the Skills Suite, Rights and Responsibilities in the Workplace and Business Finance are in the same Agored Cymru specification, and Exploring Career Pathways, Understanding the Changing Labour Market, Jobs of the Future and Sustainable Economic Development sit alongside it. Compared with the WJEC and Pearson Working in Wales units, both 10 hours, the Agored Cymru unit is 20 hours with 6 to 9 criteria per level and fixed minimum numbers of answers. Like Pearson, it gives Wales in the international economy a full outcome and has no Welsh language outcome, unlike WJEC. It adds geography, infrastructure and culture at Level 1 and Level 2, and exports, tourist attractions and travel at Entry level. It is stricter than both on digital tools, because AI is banned and the task is one supervised sitting of up to 60 minutes.
Source: Agored Cymru The Skills Suite: Skills for Life and Work Specification, version 1.0, October 2026, Working in Wales.