Trinity College & University (TCU) has helped thousands of people achieve their desired goals; goals which without the correct certification would have been unattainable. TCU provides a unique service of accrediting people based on their past experiences and knowledge through the route of Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL). APL, which is also known as a non-traditional award, is an umbrella term which covers both prior certificated learning and experiential learning. Certificated learning, known as the APCL (Accreditation of Prior Certificated Learning) recognises efforts made and recognised by certificates, whether in an educational establishment or within the workplace. Experiential learning, known as the APEL (Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning) recognises an individuals knowledge gained from experience, which generally happens within the workplace. Although the APEL and APCL assume that individuals are taught by somebody, there are many whose learning comes as a result of self-motivated studying, interests and hobbies. For example, how many people do you know who taught themselves and are specialists in their field? Although the concept of APL seems quite a logical and an extremely useful way of recognising people’s skills, academic institutions have only recently been prepared to accept this as a way to credit individuals - credit which can be used towards further education, although it must be noted that the uses of APL will vary from institution to institution. It has been said that typical candidates of APL are between 25-45 yrs of age, and will generally be individuals who are seeking recognition for past achievements, in order to help them gain entry to further education or progress within their careers. Individuals with overseas qualifications can also make use of the APL process. The British Parliament Act of 1988 for the Department for Education & Science (DfES) states that:

“The awards made by overseas educational establishments should be recognised, by employer and professional bodies.”

Let it be said that nobody is trying to ‘degrade’ the efforts of those who have succeeded in completing a traditional degree course. However, there are many who haven’t had the privilege of a university education, and for them, TCU can assist in providing APL awards. The APL is a perfect way of getting their knowledge and experience recognised and translated into a suitable award. It is common that many people have a working life full of experience but little or no qualifications. Many have operated at a level of expertise far in excess of their paper qualifications but are unable to obtain interviews when seeking new positions because the right qualifications do not appear in the curriculum vitae (CV). Job vacancies will often require some kind of qualification or award, generally a diploma or a degree, before even considering you for an interview. With the arrival of ‘selection by computer’, where CV’s are surveyed electronically and only those containing certain ‘buzz’ words are filtered, the necessity of having the right qualifications is becoming a major importance. Although these are non-traditional awards, the APL process cannot provide awards in traditional medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, psychiatry or nursing. Alternative medicine subjects can be covered under the APL process.

The APL can provide individuals with many opportunities and open several doors for them, but how they will succeed with it will be based upon their knowledge of the chosen subject, as it is the success with which they back the award. It is up to each person who acquires a non-traditional award from TCU that they are totally au fait with the type of job they are applying for and that once they obtain employment they are competent enough to handle the position. Benefit to employers It must be said that APL awards are employer discretionary awards, although there are numerous benefits to employers/managers of APL candidates. Individuals generally demonstrate a higher level of motivation and interest in their job. They can fast-track their way through certain aspects of their job, possessing a greater level of knowledge, and thus spending less time training. Individuals will also generally demonstrate greater problem solving and will generate new ideas and concepts within the workplace. Top personnel officers feel that non-traditional awards are just as useful as awards from a traditional establishment. The Department for Education and Science (DfES) states that:

Non-traditional awards are open to all, with no entry qualifications or barriers whatsoever. If you have any questions or queries, or if there is something you require that is not listed then please do not hesitate to contact us.