Regulated Qualifications UK

[Messdiener]

I know these qualifications have popped up here before or perhaps on the sister board, but I'd never done much of a deep dive into the various companies and quality control companies that 'accredit' the various programs.

Last night, I browsed through a number of the sites and then continued on to look at other centers and providers as well. For example, in addition to Qualifi and some of the others above, I ran into organizations like LRN (approved by Ofqual) and EduQual (approved by SQA, in Scotland), which accredit/approve programs at numerous centers. It's been quite interesting to see how many different providers offer these certificates and diplomas parallel to the university system.

As the OP pointed out, progression charts show that some awards can progress up to a top-up Bachelor's or Master's degree. Yet, for most of the providers, it appeared as though only a fraction of the awards did so. Does that mean that, in the UK, many people stop after receiving these Ofqual/SQA-approved certificates and diplomas? Or is it simply that there are not as many articulated agreements for these progression pathways and that it's up to the individual students to negotiate admissions and advanced standing with universities when they want to top-up their degrees?

Thanks in advance for any clarification you can shed on these issues!