Employability & Work Skills Open Awards Vocationally-Related Qualification Revision
Complete topic breakdowns, revision notes, exam practice questions, and adaptive quizzes for the Open Awards Vocationally-Related Qualification Employability & Work Skills specification.
Specification Topics
- E-Safety
- Dealing with Customer Queries and Complaints
- Customer Service Skills
- Communication in Teamwork
- Exploring Business and Enterprise
- Applying for Jobs and Courses
- Customer Care
- Appraisals and Setting Targets
- Assertiveness and Decision Making
- Planning an Enterprise Activity
- Customer Service
- Following Instructions
- Discrimination at Work
- Following Instructions
- Job Searching
- Responsible Work Practice
- Information, Advice and Guidance in the Workplace
- Resilience Skills
- Summarising Documents
- Community project
- Making Choices
- Getting the Most Out of Training
- Participation in Team Activities
- Job Applications and Cover Letters
- Job Search
- Personal Presentation
- Managing Your Time
- Teamwork Skills
- Communication Skills in Preparing for Work
- Making the Most of Appraisals and Reviews
- Health and Safety in a Practical Environment
- Participation in Team Activities
- Job Applications
- Preparation for Work
- Time Management
- Preparing for Work Placement
- Writing Persuasive Text
- Manage Own Performance in a Business Environment
- Managing Stress in the Workplace
- Preparing For and Taking Part in an Interview
- Setting Work Related Targets
- Writing to Convey Information
- Taking Part in an Interview
- Managing Study
- Managing Your Money
- Peer Mentoring
- Understanding what Money is Used For
- Using a Computer Keyboard in a Workplace Setting
- Personal Skills Auditing
- Using a Telephone in a Workplace Setting
- Using Communication Skills in a Work Place
- Planning and Completing a Project
- Planning for Progression
- Introduction to Undertaking an Enterprise Project
- Dealing with Customers Queries and Complaints
- Communicating With Others at Work
- Participating in an Enterprise Project
- Approaches to Learning
- Oral Presentation Skills
- Bullying and Harassment
- Causes of Stress
- Critical Thinking
- Running an Enterprise Activity
- Developing Customer Service Skills
- Dealing with Queries and Requests
- Preparing for a Recruitment Interview
- Preparing for Interviews
- Using ICT Skills in a Work Place
- Using Number Skills in a Work Place
- Using Reading Skills in a Work Place
- Presentation Skills
- Prioritisation Skills
- Using Writing Skills in a Work Place
- Writing a Curriculum Vitae
- Recognising and Supporting Equality and Diversity at Work
- Problem Solving Skills for Work
- Recognising Equality and Diversity at Work
- Recognising Leadership Skills
- Reskilling into Different Sectors
- Reviewing Your Situation
- Speaking and Listening at Work
- Responsible Work Practices
- Speaking Confidently at Work
- Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship
- Understanding Cultural Differences
- Time Management Skills
- Understanding Professional Relationships
- Decision Making Skills
- Assertiveness and Decision Making Skills
- Coaching Skills
- Understanding Business and Enterprise
- Completing a Job Application Form
- Dealing with Problems
- Financial Literacy: Budgeting and Money Management
- Understanding Cultural Differences in the Workplace
- Understanding Progression Opportunities
- Understanding your Pay
- Understanding Pensions
- Using Communication Skills in a Workplace
- Working with Others in a Workplace
- Writing a Cover Letter
- Writing for Different Purposes in the Workplace
- Using ICT to Support Writing
- Writing Needs at Work
- Work Aspirations and Goals
- Working as a Team
- Writing for Different Purposes
- Bullying and Harrassment
- Community Project
- Work Experience
- Improving Own Learning and Performance
- Completing Tasks at Work
- Developing Communication Skills
- Undertaking an Enterprise Project
- Curriculum Vitae Writing
- Practical Presentation Skills
- Dealing with Problems at Work
- Developing Skills for the Workplace: Getting Things Done
- Dealing with Problems in daily life
- Developing Skills for the Workplace: Health and Safety
- Dealing with Change
- Recognising and Respecting Diversity in the Workplace
- Dealing with Change in Employment
- Dealing with Stress
- Referencing and Plagiarism
- Report Writing
- Dealing with Difficult Situations
- Dealing with Difficult Situations in a Workplace
- Decision Making in the Work Place
- Planning and Reviewing Learning
- Developing Skills for the Workplace: Looking and Acting the Part
- Developing Carpentry Skills
- Research Methods
- Effective Skills, Qualities and Attitudes for Learning and Work
Top Exam Tips
- When answering questions about risks, give a clear example, such as 'a stranger might ask to meet up' or 'I could see scary pictures'.
- For cyberbullying, explain how it makes someone feel (sad, scared) and that it can happen on games, social media, or messaging apps.
- To demonstrate keeping safe, mention practical steps like 'I will use a nickname that isn't my real name' or 'I will never share my password'.
- Remember, if you are ever unsure, the safest action is to stop and ask a trusted adult.
- In a role-play assessment, pause briefly after the customer speaks to show you are processing the query.
- Always end the interaction with a friendly closure, such as ‘Is there anything else I can help with?’
- If you don’t know the answer, admit it politely and offer to find out rather than guessing.
- Use simple, clear sentences to demonstrate understanding in assessments.
- Provide examples from personal experience or commonly known scenarios to support your answers.
- When discussing cyberbullying, explain what action you would take if you witnessed it.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Thinking that if a game or website looks fun, it is always safe.
- Believing that cyberbullying only happens through obvious threats, ignoring subtle forms like exclusion or gossip.
- Assuming that people online are always who they claim to be.
- Not understanding that sharing a password with a friend can still be risky.
- Interrupting the customer before they finish explaining their query, leading to misinterpretation.
- Using jargon or complex terms that the customer may not understand, instead of plain English.
- Failing to confirm the customer’s satisfaction with the response or leaving the interaction abruptly.
- Believing that all online contacts are friends and can be trusted.
Key Terminology & Definitions
- Internet Safety Risks
- Understanding Cyberbullying
- Personal Online Protection
- Safe Communication Practices
- Be able to deal with customer queries
- Online Risk Awareness
- Trust and Stranger Danger Online
- Cyberbullying Recognition
- Personal Safety Strategies
- Understand what is meant by good customer serviceUnderstand own role in providing a service to customersBe able to work with customers
- Understand how communication can affect teams, Know about communication skills that promote positive teamwork
- Know about different types of business/enterprises.Know the services/products that business/enterprises offer.Know a successful business/enterprise.
- Application methods
- Personal details
- Skills and qualities