Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Travel and Tourism (Equivalent to 1 A Level)
* 5 units of which 3 are mandatory and 2 are external.
What does the qualification cover?
This qualification includes three mandatory units covering the following content areas:
* Unit 1 – The travel and tourism industry (external exam) – the travel and tourism industry in the UK is growing and is of major importance to the economy. Learners will develop the skills needed to examine, interpret and analyse a variety of statistics that measure the importance of tourism to the UK.
* Unit 2 – Different types of destinations and their importance (external exam) – learners will investigate the features and appeal of global destinations.
* Unit 3 – Principles of marketing in travel and tourism (internal coursework) – learners will explore how to develop a successful marketing plan for use by travel and tourism organisations to attract and engage with customers using research data.
The two optional units you will cover are:
* Unit 9 – Visitors attractions (internal coursework) – Learners develop analytical skills as they investigate the nature and role of both built and natural visitor attractions, their commercial success, appeal, response to diverse visitor needs and the importance of delivering a memorable visitor experience.
* Unit 11 – Events, Conferences and Exhibitions (internal coursework) – Learners will develop knowledge and skills in resource and financial planning as they gain an insight into a wide range of events, conferences and exhibitions that are relevant to the travel and tourism industry.
What could this qualification lead to?
In addition to the travel and tourism sector-specific content, the requirements of the qualification will mean that learners develop transferable skills, which are highly regarded by higher education providers and employers. The qualification will give learners transferable knowledge, understanding and broad skills such as communicating and presenting ideas.
All of the content in the qualification will help prepare learners for further study and employment.
The qualification carries UCAS points and is recognised by higher education providers as contributing to meeting admission requirements for many courses.
How does the qualification provide employability skills?
In the BTEC National units, there are opportunities during the teaching and learning phase to give learners practice in developing employability skills. Where employability skills are referred to in this specification, we are generally referring to skills in the following three main categories:
Cognitive and problem solving skills: using critical thinking, approaching non-routine problems applying expert and creative solutions.
Interpersonal skills: communicating, working collaboratively, negotiating and influencing, self-presentation.
Intrapersonal skills: self- management, adaptability and resilience,self-monitoring and development.
There are also specific requirements in some units for assessment of these skills where relevant, for example, where learners are required to undertake real or simulated activities.
How does the qualification provide transferable knowledge and skills for higher education?
All BTEC Nationals provide transferable knowledge and skills that prepare learners for progression to university. The transferable skills that universities value include:
1. The ability to search independently.
2. The ability to research actively and methodically.
3. The ability to give presentations and be active group members.
BTEC learners can also benefit from opportunities for deep learning where they are able to make connections among units and select areas of interest for detailed study. BTEC Nationals provide a vocational context in which learners can develop the knowledge and skills required for particular degree courses, including:
• Effective writing
• Analytical skills
• Creative development.