New Digital Functional Skills qualifications will be available from September 2021 to replace existing Functional Skills qualifications in ICT.

Proposals for the new qualifications have been released in the form of two consultations. The first from Ofqual sets out the proposals for the design, delivery, awarding and maintenance of the standards, and the second from the DfE asks questions on the proposed content for new Digital Functional Skills Qualifications which is based on the national standards for essential digital skills.

The purpose of the new qualifications, set out by the Government, is “to provide reliable evidence of students’ achievements against demanding content that is relevant to the workplace and real life”. Digital Functional Skills qualifications should also aim to provide a foundation for progression into further study or employment.

Ofqual’s plans for Digital Functional Skills include the intention to promote comparability between awarding organisations and over time, using improvements made to Functional Skills in English and Maths to do this.