Wales has its own regulator, Qualifications Wales, and its own framework, the Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales (CQFW). Qualifications for use in Wales run through approval and recognition routes that Qualifications Wales operates, and the CQFW places a qualification at a level with a credit value. A qualification regulated in England does not automatically apply in Wales, so if your learners are in Wales, this is the route to plan for.
Wales runs its own framework
Like Scotland, Wales is not covered by an England decision. Qualifications Wales is the independent regulator of qualifications and the qualifications system in Wales, and the Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales, the CQFW, is the framework that places a qualification at a level with a credit value. A provider serving Welsh learners plans the Welsh route on its own terms.
Qualifications Wales operates approval and recognition arrangements: it recognises awarding bodies and approves qualifications for use in Wales, particularly those funded for learners up to a certain age. The exact route depends on the qualification and the learners it is for, which is one of the first things to establish rather than assume.
What the CQFW does
The CQFW brings qualifications and other learning in Wales into a single framework of levels and credit, so a qualification can be read at a consistent level. For a training provider the practical effect is the same as the other UK frameworks: the outcomes have to be written at the CQFW level claimed, the credit value has to reflect the notional learning hours at that level, and the assessment has to evidence the level rather than assert it.
| Element | In Wales |
|---|---|
| Regulator | Qualifications Wales |
| Framework | Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales (CQFW) |
| Route | Recognition of the awarding body and approval of qualifications for use in Wales |
| Relationship to England | Separate. An RQF qualification does not automatically apply in Wales |
What a provider needs to get right
The submission stands or falls on the same things as anywhere: outcomes at the level, credit values that match the hours, and assessment with real internal quality assurance behind it. What is specific to Wales is establishing which route applies to your qualification and your learners, because the approval and recognition arrangements differ by case, and building to the right one from the start.
- Outcomes and credit values built to the CQFW level.
- The correct Qualifications Wales route identified before you build.
- Assessment and internal quality assurance that produce records.
- Current requirements confirmed with Qualifications Wales before submission.
Wales alongside the rest of your market
If your learners are not only in Wales, you may need a Welsh route and a separate route for England, Scotland or Northern Ireland, mapped so they do not overlap. Where part of your market is in the EU, accreditation through Malta adds an EQF-referenced level that a UK qualification no longer carries automatically after Brexit. We plan the whole picture so the routes complement each other.
Where we fit
We build the qualification to the CQFW level and the Welsh criteria, identify and follow the correct Qualifications Wales route, and manage the submission to a decision. We are a consultancy, not a regulator or an awarding body, and we do not award qualifications ourselves. We confirm current requirements with Qualifications Wales before we submit.
Funded provision and where the routes differ
The Welsh route is not one door. Qualifications Wales pays particular attention to qualifications funded for learners up to a certain age, where approval and designation arrangements are more involved, and treats other provision differently. Which arrangement applies depends on the qualification and, importantly, on who the learners are and how the provision is funded.
This is why establishing the route comes before any building on the Welsh side. A qualification aimed at funded younger learners follows a different path from one aimed at adults in the workplace, and building to the wrong one is expensive to unpick. It is also why a claim that a qualification is simply recognised in Wales is worth questioning: recognised through which arrangement, for which learners. We work out which Qualifications Wales route your qualification and your learners actually fall under, confirm it with the regulator, and build to that from the start.
Common questions
Who regulates qualifications in Wales?
Qualifications Wales is the independent regulator of qualifications and the qualifications system in Wales. It recognises awarding bodies and approves qualifications for use in Wales.
What is the CQFW?
The Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales places qualifications and other learning at a level with a credit value, in a single Welsh framework. It is separate from the RQF used in England and Northern Ireland.
Does an English qualification work in Wales?
Not automatically. Wales runs its own framework and regulator, so a qualification regulated in England does not carry across to Wales by default. If your learners are in Wales, plan the Welsh route.
How do I know which Welsh route applies?
It depends on the qualification and the learners it is for, particularly whether it is funded provision for younger learners. Establishing the correct route is one of the first things we do, before any building starts.
Do you award the Welsh qualification?
No. We build the qualification to the CQFW level and manage the submission through the correct Qualifications Wales route to a decision. We are a consultancy, not an awarding body or regulator.
FreeCourse diagnostic
Send us one course. We'll tell you what it needs, free.
Share one course or programme you already run, or the slides and notes behind it. After a short first call, we review it at no charge and send you a written note on what it needs and which package fits, within a few working days.
- One course or programme, reviewed by a named person
- A written note on what it needs
- The package that fits, so you know where to start
- No charge and no obligation
Get in touch
Tell us what you want recognised.
Send a short note on what you are trying to get recognised, who it is for and any deadline. We will come back with the route, the standards that apply and what the work involves.
Prefer to write instead?
Send an enquiry
Takes about a minute. It reaches us directly.
We use what you send here only to answer your enquiry. See the privacy notice.