What is the difference between Major, Minor and Certificate Component Level 6 awards

bearamy98

Hi there,

I am considering doing an SNA Level 6 course and have found two intensive ones that would suit me.

However, one of them (the one that Portobello Institute offers) is a Level 6 one that awards you a Level 6 Minor Award (link: https://www.portobelloinstitute.ie/booking/specialneeds_l5_intenstive/ ) whereas the other one of them (the one that the Progressive College offers) is a Level 6 one that awards you a Level 6 Component Certificate (link: https://progressivecollege.ie/course/special-needs-assistant-training-qqi-level-6/ )

So I was just wondering would anyone know what the difference is between a Level 6 Minor Award and a Level 6 Component Certificate?
(I know that the Major one would be the best but that doesn’t seem to exist for SNA, does anyone know if it does?)

The Portobello one is dearer but the Minor Award sounds more likely to be worth more than the Progressive Component Certificate one but would just want to be sure before doing it.

And does anyone have any up-to-date opinions/experiences of either of these colleges or any other ones that might offer similar courses?

Thanks in advance!

bearamy98

Oh and would I need to have completed a Level 5 course before doing any of these Level 6 ones or would my Leaving Cert (which was all passes at mostly higher level) and my one semester at uni be enough to ‘qualify’ me to do a Level 6 course without having done a relevant Level 5 one first?

JohnGreenFan

bearamy98 wrote: »

Hi there,

I am considering doing an SNA Level 6 course and have found two intensive ones that would suit me.

However, one of them (the one that Portobello Institute offers) is a Level 6 one that awards you a Level 6 Minor Award (link: https://www.portobelloinstitute.ie/booking/specialneeds_l5_intenstive/ ) whereas the other one of them (the one that the Progressive College offers) is a Level 6 one that awards you a Level 6 Component Certificate (link: https://progressivecollege.ie/course/special-needs-assistant-training-qqi-level-6/ )

So I was just wondering would anyone know what the difference is between a Level 6 Minor Award and a Level 6 Component Certificate?
(I know that the Major one would be the best but that doesn’t seem to exist for SNA, does anyone know if it does?)

The Portobello one is dearer but the Minor Award sounds more likely to be worth more than the Progressive Component Certificate one but would just want to be sure before doing it.

And does anyone have any up-to-date opinions/experiences of either of these colleges or any other ones that might offer similar courses?

Thanks in advance!

Minor award = component. Same thing. You need 8 minor awards/components to make up a major award.

There is no major award for SNA - what you'd be doing is a QQI Level 5 or 6 in Early Childhood Care, with one of your minor awards being the level 6 SNA module.

https://www.progressivecollege.ie/course/childcare-course-ecce-level-6-online/ - that's the link to the level 6 major award.

From a quick look at your links, they both seem to give you the same award at the end. I would speak to both and see if either of the courses involve work experience during the week of the course.

If you do decide to go ahead with the intensive course, you can use the 15 credits earned from that to count towards a major award in childcare at a later stage.

I haven't any experience with either college mentioned, but I previously worked in a FE college, so I'm familiar with QQI.

JohnGreenFan

bearamy98 wrote: »

Oh and would I need to have completed a Level 5 course before doing any of these Level 6 ones or would my Leaving Cert (which was all passes at mostly higher level) and my one semester at uni be enough to ‘qualify’ me to do a Level 6 course without having done a relevant Level 5 one first?

You don't need a level 5 to take a level 6 course, though it is often recommended as level 6 modules tend to follow on from level 5 modules.

bearamy98

Thanks that’s what I was hoping to hear, as I’d prefer to avoid the cost and hassle of doing two courses if I could skip one and instead just go straight into a Level 6 one