Advice & Guidance

DFA offers a wide range of professional qualifications, apprenticeships and bespoke development programmes for all levels within organisations. We invite you to contact us to discuss your individual or organisational requirements and we will provide information Advice and Guidance on how to choose the most beneficial development opportunities.

Programmes Explained

Apprenticeships
An apprenticeship is a real job where you learn, gain experience and get paid. You’re an employee with a contract of employment and holiday leave. By the end of an apprenticeship, you’ll have the right skills and knowledge needed for your chosen career. Apprenticeships are for new recruits and for employees wishing to up-skill, and progress within their chosen career.

They are funded through contributions made to the government by your employer ( The Apprenticeship Levy)

DFA offers apprenticeships in Housing, Leadership and Management, Coaching, Business Administration and Customer Service.

For more information follow this link Becoming an apprentice (apprenticeships.gov.uk)

Accredited Qualifications

Accreditation is the official certification that a course has met standards set by external regulators. In England, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) is a regulator of qualifications, examinations and assessments. Ofqual’s role is to maintain standards and confidence in qualifications. They oversee all qualifications including vocational and technical qualifications which includes all professional Qualifications offered through the Awarding Bodies that DFA work with including

• The Chartered Institute of Housing
• The Chartered Manager Institute
• The Institute of Leadership and Management
• City And Guilds

An awarding body is an examination board which sets exams and awards qualifications.

This means if you complete an accredited programme with DFA it will be recognised across the UK and is official confirmation you have gained an Ofqual approved qualification

Levels or Qualifications

Most qualifications have a difficulty level: the higher the level, the more difficult the qualification. The levels reveal the difficulty of the acquired qualification commensurate with the academic requirement. However, within a particular level, qualifications can cover a wide range of subjects and take varying amounts of time to complete. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland there are nine levels of qualification, which you can review following this link:

What qualification levels mean: England, Wales and Northern Ireland – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Bespoke Programmes

A bespoke programme is a programme that is designed specifically for you or your organisation. DFA will work with you to agree the desired outcomes of the development, the delivery methodology, timescales and intended audience.