1. NCC Education Newsletter April 2014
Orbit
Centre spotlight | event highlights | and more ...
The Future of
DigitalLiteracy
News from NCC Education
University Partnerships
Success Stories

2. As our operating year closes, I am excited by
the clarity of our mission and by a set of values
and aspirations shared by our partner centres
across the globe, by our community of staff and
by our examiners. In recent months I have had the
opportunity to meet with colleagues from a range of
centres in Africa, Asia and Europe and want to thank
everyone for their interest, goodwill and commitment
to NCC Education. Of course there have also been
suggestions on how we can improve our working
practices and enhance our products and services.
To this end we have now set up a dedicated Customer
Service Team who are the first port-of-call for all
information, contact customer.services@nccedu.com
As part of our new focus on centre support we have also introduced
a range of seminars for centres which are designed to strengthen
centre performance and to foster best practice. We recognise the
importance of listening to our centres and accordingly have begun
to extend our university recognitions globally to complement those
in the UK.
Our extensive range of university recognitions is growing alongside
an increasing number of students accessing UK Higher Education.
In January UCAS published the 2013 Higher Education entrants
data, showing that overall applicant numbers are up by 4% on last
year to 580,000, while the number of applicants aged 20 and over
increased by 5% to 133,950. Although 15 January is the “equal
consideration” deadline, students can still apply until 30 June
for courses starting in Autumn 2014. Interestingly, around 65%
of international student applications are usually received by the
January deadline.
While there are encouraging signs in the Higher Education market
there are similarly enthusing developments occurring in relation to
the next generation of students. Last month in the UK the Education
Secretary and the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a new
£500,000 fund to train teachers in software coding so that schools
can inspire the next generation of tech entrepreneurs. This will
support the new school computing curriculum and forms part of
the Year of the Code, a campaign running throughout 2014 to “get
young people excited about the power and potential of computer
science”. Of course, this is a subject to which NCC Education has
a great deal to contribute. And I am delighted that in this edition
of Orbit we are able to showcase our new Digi-Qualifications
which were launched in January to directly support these exciting
educational initiatives (see pages 6 and 7).
Introducing children to skills like computing and coding from an
early age is all part of the long-term plan to provide a first-class
education to ensure that Britain is at the forefront of the global race
in innovation. In the UK one in six people do not currently have
basic digital skills and nearly 50% would like to learn computer
coding (source, www.yearofcode.org).
The Year of the Code campaign included a week-long programme
in March to encourage all schools to teach every pupil at least one
hour of coding in that week. At the same time the government is
delivering initiatives to ensure that teachers at both primary and
secondary level are equipped with the teaching skills needed for the
new curriculum.
NCC Education’s unique positioning and provenance enables
us to make a difference through innovation and to influence by
reflecting our traditional strengths in IT. We have a powerful brand
and a strong track record. Like other companies in today’s global
environment we have had to change in recent years and this
process will continue as we evolve in line with an evolving world. I
can assure you that we are committed to listening and to creativity.
We are looking ahead to ensure we continue to shape and develop
qualifications which empower learners and equip them with the
skills to succeed in a global marketplace.
Dawn Postans
Managing Director
03 Recent Developments in Education
04 News from NCC Education
05 University Partnerships
06 Digi-Qualifcations
08 Centre Spotlight: Softwarica College
09 Success Stories: Matthew Borg Carr
10 Event Highlights: Sponsorship Activities
11 Event Highlights: Digi Launch Events
Welcome:
02
UK
In 2013 the UK government announced details of
significant changes to the UK national curriculum for
schools which will come into force from September
2014. These changes included a shift of focus from
traditional IT teaching to a new computing curriculum,
designed to encompass a wider range of digital
literacy aspects.
Speaking at the BETT learning technology show in January,
Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove said, “This new
curriculum will be... much shorter and less prescriptive than the old
ICT curriculum and it will allow schools to innovate and be much,
much more ambitious”.
NCC Education recently launched a set of computing qualifications
mapped to this new curriculum. The Digi-Qualifications cover Key
Stage 1, 2 and 3 and are ideal for schools and colleges getting to
grips with September’s changes.
The qualifications cover a range of elements including Programming,
Digital Citizenship, Digital Design and Creation and Computational
Thinking. Michael Gove believes the skills taught through the new
curriculum will develop a generation primed for future success,
“These are precisely the sorts of skills which jobs of the future, and
for that matter the jobs of the present, demand and from now on
these changes will ensure that every child gets a solid grounding in
these essential skills”.
International
Horizontal mobility and vertical progression
for students in South East Asia
The pilot for a new credit transfer scheme, similar to the European
Erasmus programme, is due to be rolled out across South East Asia
this year. The Academic Credit Transfer Framework for Asia (ACTFA),
supported by the Asian Development Bank, has been designed to
facilitate the movement of students within educational institutions
across the region.
The common credit transfer system will provide a recognised
standard of education based on comparable workloads and the
number of teaching and self-study hours offered to students across
the region. Students will benefit from the offer of “horizontal mobility
and vertical progression” while South East Asian education will profit
from a flourishing inter-country, regional education market.
Costing around £300,000 the scheme encompasses Cambodia,
China, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, Brunei, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Japan and South Korea. The
pilot’s initial remit is “to develop a common platform that compiles
best practices and lessons learned from previous experiences and
to develop a framework valid for all universities and other higher
education institutions in the region”.
The project is currently in an exploratory phase which includes
the participation of ten resource persons, one for each country in
the study (Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Lao PDR,
Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam), to complete a research
report on credit transfer systems in their country.
Beginning this year the pilot will support student exchange
among universities in Southeast and Northeast Asia for one to
two semesters. The South East Asian Ministers of Education
Organisation – Regional Centre for Higher Education and
Development envision that a regional framework for credit transfers
is “a key mechanism to create and consolidate an education
common space for the region”. Previous initiatives in this area
have seen credit transfer schemes explored between Thailand and
Australia on behalf of the University Mobility in Asia and the Pacific
association.
www.rihed.seameo.org
educational news
03
Educational Developments
Contents
Orbit April 2014
What is Code?
Code provides the basis for all computing technology, from
simple calculations to video conferencing with someone
in another continent, all of this relies on code for direction.
Code is the language that is used to compile instructions for
computers to perform their various functions.

3. Centre Co-ordinator Event
NCC Education held a free training event on 11 December 2013
in London for UK/EU centre co-ordinators; colleagues who play
an invaluable part in the successful delivery of our qualifications.
New and existing centres attended, coming from as far afield
as Malta. The day comprised interactive learning, discussions,
guidance, handy tips and hints across the operations lifecycle as
well as providing a great networking opportunity. Centre colleagues
attending valued the opportunity to meet and work with NCC
Education Centre Support and Academic staff as well as other
co-ordinators. Mauro Spiteri from STC Training, Malta thought it was
“good to meet staff and other institutions, and get updates face to
face”.
The aim of the day was to pilot the centre co-ordinator event and
develop accompanying materials to improve the consistency and
accuracy of centre administration. It also aimed to support centre
co-ordinators in working with and complying with key administration
policies relating to registrations, payments, assessment submissions,
marking and moderation sampling, results, certificates, appeals, and
special considerations. All this key information is to be found in the
Centre Handbook.
Feedback from the event was excellent with attendees praising
the quality of the presentations, “NCC Education’s event was very
well prepared. The presenters made the day interesting and the
discussions throughout helped the flow of the event”. The long-term
benefits to attendees and other centre staff who may not have been
able to attend were also stated, Lynne Strugnell of the City of Bath
College observed “The event gave concise information which will be
very easy to pass over to other colleagues”.
Speaking after the event, Emma Dawkins, Director of Qualifications
and Academic Delivery, commented, “The co-ordinators that
attended participated with enthusiasm and commitment, working
together sharing their best practice and ideas for how NCC
Education can build on this type of event. For those UK/EU region
centres who were not able to join us on the day, the resources
used have been made available through their Customer Support
Executive. Given the great feedback we have had we now plan to
run similar events in our other regions later this spring”.
Teacher Standardisation Event
A further Centre Support event which took place was the Teacher
Standardisation Event in London on Tuesday 25 March. This event
offered delegates the opportunity to attend two workshops delivered
by NCC Education Senior Examiners, as well as Preparation for
Internal Moderation and Managing Plagiarism workshops.
Anniversary Plaques
NCC Education awards anniversary plaques to centres upon each
five year anniversary. In the past year the following centres have each
received a plaque to commemorate a key milestone in their ongoing
partnership with us.
5 Year Anniversary
• Charleston Management Centre, Asia
• Guangdong Country Garden School, Asia
• National University of Mongolia, Asia
• Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Asia
• Afrihub Nigeria Ltd, Africa
• Ipmc Labone, Africa
• Gaborone Institute of Proffesional Studies - Francistown, Africa
• Gaborone Institute of Professional Studies - Lobatse, Africa
10 Year Anniversary
• London Academy Of Management Science (Lams), Europe
• Computer Pride Training Centre, Africa
• IMIT - Institute of Management and Information Technology, Africa
• IPMC - Kumasi, Africa
20 Year Anniversary
• KMD Company Yangon, Asia
• The Hong Kong Management Association, Asia
• Micronet International College, Asia
04 05
UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS
NCC Education has welcomed a further seven
institutions into its current extensive network
of universities which recognise NCC Education
qualifications.
Southern Cross University in Australia, the University of Idaho,
Humboldt State University, Southern Oregon University, Heidelberg
University and the University of North Alabama in the United States
and Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia, Canada join
over 60 other worldwide universities in offering NCC Education
students a pathway to applying for study following the successful
completion of qualifications such as the International Foundation
Year (IFY) or a range of Level 4 and Level 5 Diplomas in Business
and IT.
Southern Cross University offers excellent online learning options
and has campuses across the east coast of Australia including
Sydney, Lismore and Gold Coast.
The University of Idaho is a top 100 ranked public university which
was recently awarded Best Business Programs 2013 by US News
and World Report.
Humboldt State University is situated in northern California
and is one of the universities listed in The Princeton Review’s
book, Colleges with a Conscience. The university was chosen for its
record of excellent community work.
Southern Oregon University is situated in a unique location
with Crater Lake National Park and Redwood National Park offering
learning laboratories within an hour or two of campus.
Based in Ohio, Heidelberg University is ranked at 53 in the US News
rankings for regional universities. Ohio is one of the states in which
great interest has been expressed by our students so we have
specifically targeted universities in this region. Ohio is one of the
country’s more wealthy states with a GDP similar to Belgium and
are a top 10 state for prosperity, with manufacturing and financial
services leading the way.
The University of North Alabama is ranked 80th in the US News
Rankings of Regional (South) Universities and hosts a diverse
population, including about 900 international students from more
than 50 countries.
Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia, Canada is a world
renowned university that regular features in the list of the top 40
universities in the world. Canada is one of the top five destinations
for international students and with the ability to stay on up to two
years after graduation, it is fast becoming more and more popular
amongst our students as a choice destination. This is NCC
Education’s first university in Canada and we hope it proves popular
with our centres and students.
NCC Education’s Collaborations Manager, Janette Lister, is keen to
increase the growing network of university partners, “The University
Partnerships Team at NCC Education is focussing on building
more partnerships with universities across the world including the
United States of America, Canada and Australia. These university
destinations have a great deal to offer international students. With
each new partnership NCC Education students have access to an
even greater range of bachelor’s degree courses with nationally
accredited universities in popular locations such as California and
Australia’s Gold Coast. NCC Education is successfully continuing to
expand this network of international university partners”.
Our qualifications open up a range of global options for further
study. For in-depth information on the universities which recognise
NCC Education qualifications check our website for our full
progression routes table www.nccedu.com/university-recognition
We also offer the opportunity to study university-level courses online
through NCC Education University Partners. For information on the
various pathways for continuing study with NCC Education visit our
qualifications page at www.nccedu.com/our-qualifications
The University Partnerships Team at
NCC Education is focussing on
building more partnerships with
universities across the world
including the United States of
America, Canada and Australia
“
”
• Humboldt State University
• Australia’s Gold Coast
News from NCC Education
Orbit April 2014

4. In January 2014 NCC Education launched an exciting
new suite of computing qualifications: Digi-Explorers,
Digi-Navigators and Digi-Trailblazers. These
qualifications are aimed at, but not exclusive to,
primary and lower secondary students. With a wealth
of experience in offering young learner Computing
qualifications around the world and as a UK awarding
organisation with an established range of specialist
IT qualifications, NCC Education used its significant
expertise in developing these innovative and highly
relevant computing qualifications.
For students at Key Stage 1, Digi-Explorers not only introduces
students to the key concepts of digital citizenship and online safety
but also explores the basic knowledge required to write and test
simple programs. The Digi-Explorers syllabus provides teachers
with all the concepts and activities to be able to deliver the new
programming elements of the national curriculum with complete
confidence.
For students at Key Stage 2, Digi-Navigators consolidates
and extends students’ understanding of Digital Literacy and
programming and, as the qualification’s title would suggest,
students begin their ‘journeys into the unknown’ by setting goals
and then using a range of software to design and test programs
which achieve those objectives. Teachers are provided with a fresh
new syllabus containing level-appropriate activities specifically
targeted to present and practice the application of logical reasoning
in Computing.
For students at Key Stage 3, the Digi-Trailblazers syllabus
provides teachers with the information necessary for their students
to continue exploring and expanding their understanding of
programming environments. For example, students are introduced
to simple Boolean logic through fun code-breaking activities and will
explore different programming languages, such as Python. Students
will be able to use their knowledge of Computing and the digital
world to increasingly creative effect and many activities can draw on
and assist students in other areas of their curriculum.
NCC Education continues to recognise that knowledge of our
ever-changing technological world empowers learners and allows
individuals to make unique contributions to the world we live in.
We are committed to providing leading qualifications to UK and
international learners.
Our innovative range of Digi-Qualifications allows schools and
centres to demonstrate that their learners meet the English National
Curriculum standard in Computing. An expected rise in Computing
in schools appears set for yet further growth under new curriculum
changes. Following a steady decline, 2014 will see a 23% increase
in ICT spending in UK State Schools compared with 2011, where
the overall figure has risen by £73.5m from £246.5m to £320m. The
investment will cover hardware, peripherals, software and technical
support and works out as the equivalent of 138,750 iPads.
Key Features of the Qualifications:
• Syllabus sections: The relevant National Curriculum Learning
Descriptors for each qualification are translated into a set of
key topics. Each topic is then divided into one or more syllabus
sections, which contain universal features (as described below),
including a range of suggested warm-up activities and core
activities to meet the topic learning outcomes.
• Key terminology: Each syllabus section contains a list of key
terminology relating to the themes covered in that particular
section. This will assist teachers in making decisions about the
requirement to pre-teach or review particular words and phrases
as a separate activity or whether they can be reviewed and taught
in context.
• Warm-up activities: These are suggested activities which are
intended to get students thinking about the concepts and skills
which the topics will focus on. Warm-up activities are designed to
provide teachers with ideas for fun, resource-light, activities which
are relevant to the main learning focus but do not require students
to ‘jump straight on their computers’.
• Core activities: Teachers can select the suggested activity or
activities which best suit their teaching preferences, the wider
curriculum areas and their own students’ learning styles or
interests. The activities are designed to specifically meet the
learning outcomes in each syllabus section.
• Cross-curricular links: Cross-curricular links are highlighted in
each syllabus section. It is often a criticism that subjects can be
taught in isolation, to the detriment of students. By providing
both explicit and suggested cross-curricular links the intention
is to demonstrate how the learning is or may be embedded within
wider curriculum areas.
• Resources: Each suggested resource has been carefully
selected and tested by professionals with a wealth of experience
in computing education. The resources suggested are,
overwhelmingly, freely available and all activities may be completed
using freeware.
Benefits of Digi-Qualifications
• Qualifications are mapped to the new English National Computing
Curriculum.
• NCC Education is a well-established provider of IT and Business
Qualifications.
• Provides your centre with a full syllabus with all the concepts,
activities and resources to be able to deliver the new
programming elements of the national curriculum with complete
confidence.
• Emphasis on Digital Citizenship introduces and builds learners’
core understanding of the online world and e-Safety.
• Formal assessments and certificates provide evidence of student
performance and qualifies their understanding.
• 35 Guided Learning Hours means teachers have a realistic
timeframe to deliver the qualification.
• Provides independent evidence to Ofsted, or similar regulatory
agencies, that the school is continuing to measure performance
standards.
• Suitable for candidates at Key Stage 1, 2 and 3 as well as older
(including adult) learners.
Digi-Qualifications are fun to learn and easy to teach with full
syllabuses provided to teachers explaining all the concepts,
activities and resources to be able to deliver the new programming
elements of the National Computing Curriculum with complete
confidence.
For more information visit www.nccedu.com/digi
DIGI qualifications
06 07
The Future of Digital Literacy
ICTFundingin
UKStateSchools
616,250-iPads
Primary£14,220
2011-£246.5m
800,000-iPads
Secondary£65,000
2014-£320m
2014
2011 23%Increase
inexpenditure
Orbit April 2014

5. Softwarica College of IT and E-commerce, an
IT College based in Kathmandu, Nepal has been
providing internationally recognised IT qualifications in
partnership with NCC Education since October 2010.
Recognising the gap between the IT education available in the
country and the requirement of IT skills in the global economy, the
founders of this college have aimed to utilise local resources in
preparing students to become global IT professionals.
The centre has sought to raise awareness of the value of
international education and its global prospects for local students.
Since 2010 the college has successfully recruited hundreds of
students each year. The new student enrollment figures for NCC
Education programmes at the college number over 250, a figure
they expect to keep growing year on year.
Many of Softwarica’s students, following the first year of their
diploma studies, are already employed in relevant industry positions
by local companies, with some even having established their own IT
companies.
The college strictly adheres to UK standards of education, the
guidelines of which are provided by NCC Education. In addition to
the traditional lecture-based system, classes are made dynamic
by conducting seminars and group discussions. Students are also
encouraged to become research oriented rather than relying on a
particular textbook. Students are made as familiar with the core
concepts of IT as they are with advancements and emerging global
trends in the industry.
Softwarica boasts faculties with over 10 years’ experience in
industry ranging from the Nepalese Police, hydropower, banking,
telecommunication and internet service providers. Aside from
professional experience, these faculties also have many years of
teaching experience.
Softwarica offers the lowest fees among foreign education providers
in Nepal. This is part of their long term goal of becoming the
preferred destination in Nepal for British education. They aim to
keep the fees as low as possible so that international education is
accessible to students from a variety of backgrounds.
Students studying for degrees are encouraged to explore
entrepreneurial ventures during their final year. Augusta Information
Solutions is a company that has been set up by a group of
Softwarica students. The company is primarily a web design
company, however they have recently embarked on projects
in mobile application development and software development.
Managing Director and current Softwarica student, Mr. Anish Ratna
Manandhar, hopes to recruit another 20 personnel within the next
couple of years.
Domain Nepal is another IT company formed by Softwarica
students. Students on the Level 5 Diploma in Computing have
created the company which provides web design and development,
web design for mobile devices, search engine optimisation, software
development, and android application development services to its
clients.
These companies are supported by Softwarica College by providing
free office space within the college premises. In the near future the
college plans to allocate a separate block dedicated to fostering the
next generation of IT entrepreneurs. They propose to provide free
technology equipped office space to these start-up companies until
they prove self-sustainable.
centre spotlight: Softwarica college
08
Softwarica College: international IT
and Business education peaks in Nepal
09
An Aviation Engineer and current student of
Middlesex University, Malta, Matthew Borg Carr is
a 26-year-old whose own career is preparing for
take-off in a new direction. Despite the reward of
watching an aircraft lifting off after it has undergone
maintenance by his team of engineers, Matthew
remains grounded with plans for the completion of
his Internet Application Development degree and a
future in the IT industry.
Though focussed on his education outside of aviation, working
as an engineer is a full-time job for Matthew. He is in charge of
the aircrafts’ systems such as landing gear and hydraulics.
Overseeing a team of four he is their supervisor. “My role is
basically certifying the job my team does, I also manage them on
a day-to day basis. I do so by attending meetings, planning tight
schedules and reaching deadlines efficiently. I distribute work,
co-ordinate with my manager and other team leaders, keep
control on housekeeping, perform inspections and certify work
done on the aircraft”.
Beginning his IT education with NCC Education’s International
Diploma in Computer Studies, now the Level 4 Diploma in
Computing, Matthew was able to study part-time alongside his
job with Lufthansa. “I feel that achieving the diploma certificate
was highly rewarding because it gave me the opportunity to
start my degree in Internet Application Development. Since I
undertook the diploma on a part-time basis, sometimes I found it
challenging to balance studying and working full-time, however,
the help and support I received, both from the lecturers and the
administration of the institute, helped me achieve the diploma
anyway”.
Following the successful completion of his diploma Matthew
was able to enrol at Middlesex University, Malta, where he hopes
his current degree will open up opportunities in both the rapidly
expanding IT industry of Malta and the industry globally. Malta is
a country well suited to IT study having one of the highest levels
of household computer ownership and broadband connections in
the world, whilst attracting hundreds of overseas companies to
set up businesses there. NCC Education boasts a longstanding
relationship with STC Training Malta dating back to 1995, and
aims to ensure the future provision of quality IT, Business and
English education in the region with the European School of
English also accredited to run NCC Education qualifications.
Malta’s IT industry is integral to the island’s economy. The
flourishing online gaming industry and the development of a
dedicated ‘global knowledge based township’, Smart City Malta,
aims to place Malta amongst the top IT industry locations in
the world. The upside for students, like Matthew, studying IT
qualifications in Malta is an expanding and competitive industry
that will provide excellent working and learning opportunities.
For Matthew to redirect his career from Aviation to IT reflects
his ambition to develop himself, improve his skills and take
advantage of the opportunities provided by his location, “my job
is somewhat specific, in the sense that if I want to change the
company I work for or to improve in my career it has to be either
aviation or nothing. Whereas in the IT industry the opportunities
are spread widely and I am perfectly sure that the opportunities
will never cease to exist in the IT industry”.
Matthew’s ambition is to study for a master’s in Programming.
The initial journey he embarked upon part-time stands to
become his full-time occupation. He has proven himself capable
of balancing the rigours of a busy job and the requirements of
continued study, “it was a major challenge trying to cope both
with studying and working at the same time. However by using
good time management, by planning ahead, with a lot of effort
and determination I made it happen. If anyone asked me “Would
you do it again?” I would say “Definitely, yes!”
SUCCESS STORIES
it was a major challenge trying to
cope both with studying and working
at the same time. However by using
good time management, by planning
ahead, with a lot of effort and
determination I made it happen
“
”
Sky’s the limit for IT student
Orbit April 2014

6. EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
Orbit April 2014 10 11
event highlights
Sri Lanka Launch
In February this year NCC Education held a launch
event in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The event showcased
NCC Education’s portfolio of new and existing
qualifications and demonstrated how these products
are suited to the needs of Sri Lankan students.
In February this year NCC Education held a launch event in
Colombo, Sri Lanka. The event showcased NCC Education’s
portfolio of new and existing qualifications and demonstrated how
these products are suited to the needs of Sri Lankan students.
NCC Education chose the Galadari Hotel in Sri Lanka’s capital
city of Colombo to stage the launch of the new Digital Literacy
qualifications in the country. Joined by key members of the Sri
Lankan Government and well established schools and academic
institutions, notable attendees included Mr Sunimal Fernando,
Advisor to the President and Mr Damith Hettihewa, Co-ordinator IT,
Presidential Task Force on English and IT.
Guests were welcomed in entertaining style to a fusion of bagpipes
and traditional music, supported by a troupe of traditional Sri Lankan
dancers. After being invited to perform the Sri Lankan ceremony of
‘The Lighting of the Lamp’ NCC Education’s Director of Sales, Chris
Wall, opened the event by outlining NCC Education’s commitment to
offering quality education globally and in Sri Lanka itself.
Sri Lanka has a population of 21.5 million people and boasts a
diverse range of cultures, languages and religions. With recent
figures indicating a spend of 3.1% of the country’s GDP on
education, the literacy rate is nearing the highest (91%) amongst
similarly developing nations.
The education system in Sri Lanka comprises nine years of
compulsory schooling for every child. Many of the schools are
government maintained and benefit from Sri Lanka being one of the
few countries in the world that provides universal free education
from primary to tertiary stage.
The country’s non-government schools consist of private and
international educational institutions, with English-medium schooling
also being encouraged. There is a further demand for Information
Technology education in the region as the availability of Internet
access increases.
Showcased during the event and designed for domestic and
international students, NCC Education’s new Digi-Qualifications
available to children aged five years and upwards, aim to provide
digital literacy skills to students in these technologically emerging
areas as well as mapping to the new English Computing Curriculum.
In attendance from NCC Education were Marketing Manager, Lucy
Nixon, Academic Support Manager for South Asia, East Asia and
Middle East, Nazlin Abdul and Business Development Manager for
South Asia, Sanjeev Ganeshan.
Lucy Nixon, Marketing Manager, commented on the success of
the event:
“it was wonderful to have the opportunity to visit this beautiful part
of the world and meet some of our existing centres, and potential
new centres. We are very excited about our new computing
qualifications and are looking forward to providing a syllabus to
help teachers develop children so that they will become the next
generation of computer programmers and act responsibly online”.
Malaysia Launch
NCC Education’s international launch of the new
Digi-Qualifications continued in Malaysia. On 17
February, Managing Director, Dawn Postans with
Director of Sales, Chris Wall and Product Manager,
Martin Buck joined Asia’s Regional Director, BeeBee
Gan for the event in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.
Hosted at the One World Hotel, the event was attended by a
selection of International and Private schools either delivering a
computing curriculum or seeking to do so through partnership with
a trusted Awarding Body.
After a presentation from Dawn Postans regarding the global market
for ICT qualifications, Martin Buck provided an in-depth analysis
of the three Digi-Qualifications, which provided the opportunity to
generate significant interest in the Key Stage 1 – 3 Digital Literacy
qualifications.
The subsequent question and answer session provided attendees
with the opportunity to explore the suitability of these English
National Curriculum mapped qualifications for use in their region,
with ICT experts from the schools invited to examine the content
and delivery of the qualifications in detail.
The Association of Colleges (AOC) Annual Conference
and Exhibition 2013 took place on 19-21 November
at The International Convention Centre, Birmingham.
NCC Education was delighted to be sponsoring the
Business Lounge at this well established further
education event.
The AOC Annual Conference is a key event in the Further Education
calendar, bringing many College Principals together to discuss the
future of FE and the changes we can anticipate. From discussion
around developing technologies and learning environments through
to international student recruitment the agenda is crammed with
stimulating debate.
Birmingham’s ICC has played host to Conservative and Liberal
Democrat party conferences in the past and there were again
members from all of the major political parties speaking at this
year’s conference. Guest speakers included; Secretary of State for
Business, Innovation and Skills, Vince Cable; Shadow Secretary of
State for Education, Tristram Hunt; and Matthew Hancock, Minister
for Skills.
The three day exhibition attracted over 1800 attendees and offered
the 90 exhibitors the opportunity to meet with around 750 college
delegates. NCC Education was represented at the exhibition by
Marketing Manager, Lucy Nixon and Regional Manager, Steve Smith.
Managing Director, Dawn Postans was also in attendance.
Lucy Nixon, NCC Education’s Marketing Manager commented,
“We were proud to sponsor the business lounge area and found
the event very successful. Our International Foundation Year (IFY)
is the ideal qualification for FE Colleges who are looking to attract
international students from all over the world. College Principals
understand the benefits of this qualification which provides students
with English, Maths and Cultural Skills which they require when they
arrive in the UK. It also opens up a wide range of progression routes
for them to globally leading universities”.
Future of Computing
NCC Education attended The Future of Computing in the Curriculum
event held at No. 4 Hamilton Place, London on 14 November 2013.
Delegates from across the education and technology sectors, along
with key policy makers were able to study and discuss the new
computing curriculum put forward by the government. The event
also offered the opportunity to share best practice case studies
and strategies in order to adequately prepare and implement these
proposed curricular changes.
Amongst the attendees were local authorities, central government
departments and bodies, schools, academia, private and voluntary
sectors, including head teachers and principals, ICT teachers,
ICT providers, directors of education, children and youth services,
awarding bodies, examination officers, school improvement
advisors, and education consultants.
Through this key forum we were delighted to be in a position
to introduce our exciting new suite of computer qualifications
launching in 2014. Managing Director, Dawn Postans, Regional
Manager, Steve Smith and Product Manager, Martin Buck were
in attendance and shared details of our new qualifications with
delegates, exchanging ideas and plans for best implementing the
new computing curriculum in 2014.
The timing of the event came at a stage of relative reform in
educational policy, as Steve Smith outlined, “It’s a tremendously
exciting but also an immensely challenging time in many education
sectors at the moment, not least in Primary and Secondary
education with the new national curriculum firmly on the horizon”.
Highlighting the success of the event, Steve Smith continued,
“The event was a great opportunity. We had the chance to share
information with a number of teachers who are tackling the
changes head on. Our new syllabus is designed to match the 2014
curriculum and offer a fun and engaging format in which to teach it”.
The event provided the perfect opportunity for others to learn about
NCC Education’s new exciting suite of computing qualifications. We
have used our wealth of experience in providing ICT qualifications
to develop these innovative and highly relevant computing
qualifications for 2014 and received useful and positive feedback
through our attendance at the event.
In preparation for the upcoming September 2014 curriculum
changes NCC Education has launched a new set of computing
qualifications. Launched on 01 January 2014, the Digi-Qualifications
cover Key Stage 1, 2 and 3 of the computing curriculum.
The qualifications were officially launched in January with a further
launch event which took place in March at the Museum of Science
and Industry in Manchester. The event provided information and
support to teachers.
NCC Education has drawn on 37 years of specialist experience in
delivering and awarding IT qualifications to design this new set of
Digi-Qualifications so that they accurately match the requirements
of the new curriculum, and can be taught suitably by primary and
secondary teachers with or without IT and computing teaching
experience.
For more information contact us at info@nccedu.com
Sponsorship Activities Digi Launch Events

7. Learn about our
International Foundation Year
Strong progression routes
Recognition with universities globally
Quality
An awarding body regulated by Ofqual
International learners
Qualifications that are tailored to suit
both UK and international learners
Flexibility
Study full-time or part-time
NCC Education
The Towers
Towers Business Park
Didsbury
Manchester
M20 2EZ
T: +44 (0)161 438 6200
E: info@nccedu.com
www.nccedu.com
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