New Job Position Qualifications - Civil Service

[delt]

I no longer have some of my GCE/CSE certificates as I am a bit older and have misplaced some of my certificates many years ago (Sat my exams in  1986) I cannot get a new copy of the certificates as it was too long ago.

 

My current employer has some career opportunities/positions I would like to go for. Most require GCSE 4 in Maths And English (I still have my GCE English certificate)

 

I was informed by senior staff that I could sit the Level 2 Functional Skills (FS) Maths and it is the same as a GCSE 4 - I checked this on UCAS website and it does confirm that Level 2 FS is a GCSE 4 equivalent .

 

My recruitment department bounced back my application and have informed me that they don't accept Level 2 Functional Skills and my application has been withdrawn.

 

I'm a bit miffed as I sat the FS via my employer anyway as it was a requirement for an Apprenticeship I completed, low and behold you need a level 2 or GCSE 4 in Maths and English to progress above a certain pay grade in my current department.

 

Any thoughts/suggestions as to what I can do as surely this is a form of discrimination ?

[honeybee13]

Hello, welcome to CAG.

 

I don't suppose many people here have experience of the civil service recruitment procedure, unfortunately. Have you talked to your line manager or union rep if you have one about the problem?

 

Maybe you could also tell us which examinaton board you took the exams with, in case someone knows their procedures?

 

Edit: I found this on the Ucas website.

 

https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/applying-university/filling-your-application/what-do-if-you-dont-have-copies-old-exam-certificates

 

Best, HB

[labrat]

Honest answer I'm not up to speed on civil service recruitment 

 

Most opening in CS have a dedicated email address for openings - it may be these that have emailed yourself

 

It may be worth emailing back questioning (politely) the decision especially if the Functional skills has been gained through an internal apprenticeship 

 

It may also be worth asking the senior staff if they may be able to contact the recruitment team to query this - especially if its the same branch of CS

[delt]

Hi, thanks for the reply.

 

I cant get a copy of my old Certificates as the exam was taken before 2001.. I have tried this but Hit a brick wall a few years ago as they told me that they do not keeps records of results before 2001.

 

Regards

 

DG

 

 

[honeybee13]

Which exam board is it please?

 

HB

[delt]

To be honest I think they just blanked me once I mentioned Functional Skills. I just got a response that my application had been withdrawn and that is the end of the matter. 

 

I am enquiring via other means (colleague in my current role knows the recruiter ) But it just seems really unfair.

 

I can sit another GCSE but thats going to cost me £280 and about 6 months of my time, I was informed that the FS Level2 (which I did in my own time as well) was a GCSE 4..

 

Regards

DG 

[delt]

Southern Examination Board/Group 

[honeybee13]

Is this any help?

 

https://www.heckgrammar.co.uk/content/uploads/2018/10/Lost-and-Replacement-Exam-certificates.pdf

 

HB

[delt]

 

Yeah they cant help as my results are before 2001.

 

Cheers

DG

[honeybee13]

That seems crazy if one board was merged into another. This must happen all the time.

 

I'll ask if anyone on the site team knows more.

 

HB

[unclebulgaria67]

Schools/colleges keep records going back along time ago, so may be able to confirm exam results back to 1986. Someone at the school should know how to access old records. Don't be fobbed off by first response.

 

I am Civil Servant so aware of  these issues. One of my colleagues had lost exam certs  from 20 years ago and school provided a letter which was accepted.

 

If there is s dispute about FS level for role and evidence , raise a grievance using the process. Send to the recruiting manager shown on the job advert. Have heard this can work with people getting the jobs after delay.

[delt]

I did contact my school a few years ago.. They had no records of my results.. and told me to contact the examination board to get copies. Of course I did this but cant get anything before 2001 ..

 

As I mentioned this was the reason for sitting the FS Level 2 as it is a GCSE 4 equivalent ..as it was the quickest and cheapest (it was free) way of getting a GCSE Equivalent .

 

I have a GCE Grade A in maths so all this is really frustrating!

[dx100uk]

have you directly approached southern to request a ´certified statement of results´ certificate 

i got one from them 10yrs ago and subsequently they then found all my results , these were from 1976!

 

i later found every original cert safely stored away by my otherhalf without ever telling me...

[Ethel Street]

This shouldn't be a problem, I'm not sure why it has become one.

 

Lost certificates happen all the time and only the Board you took the exams with (or their successors) can issue replacements. (Actually they don't issue a duplicate certificate but a formal letter confirmimng results,.)

 

There's no point in asking the school. They never hold copies of certificates and rarely hold exam results from 35 years ago. 

 

Southern examinations group, according to Wikipedia, ended up as part of AQA in 2000. Have you looked at this page?   AQA | Contact us | Past results and lost certificates   This suggests they do hold Southern GCSE results. Have you contacted AQA?

 

 

[delt]

Thanks for the response.

 

My issue is the fact that I sat a Level 2 Functional skills (in my own time) provided by my employer... now that same employer is saying that they do not accept any GCSE equivalent and you have to have a GCSE.

 

The whole point of a GCSE Equivalent is that is its a equivalent.. So why should I have to pay even more money to get my results.. (Which is a CSE Grade 1 so that is also a GCSE Equivalent)

 

 

[honeybee13]

I'm not sure what else we can tell you to help you resolve this. It sounds like a problem between you and your employer and possibly the involvement of your line manager or your union would help.

 

If you leave the civil service, you might need your AQA certificate for another employer, mightn't you?

 

HB

[unclebulgaria67]

Civil Service recruitment have people helping out that have very little experience and knowledge. This is due to the high level of recruitment activity going on.

 

Make a complaint to the recruiting manager as shown on the job advert and you should be able to get this resolved.

 

Your local dapartment manager or HR business support manager should be able to help, if you still have problems after contacting the recruitment manager.

[delt]

26 minutes ago, unclebulgaria67 said:

Civil Service recruitment have people helping out that have very little experience and knowledge. This is due to the high level of recruitment activity going on.

 

Make a complaint to the recruiting manager as shown on the job advert and you should be able to get this resolved.

 

Your local dapartment manager or HR business support manager should be able to help, if you still have problems after contacting the recruitment manager.

 

Thanks.. this is the only solution I think .. I will contact my union rep and discuss the matter as it is clearly discrimination .. I just don't want to create a rod for my own back as you know HR takes complaints personally! .....

 

[Emmzzi]

people from overseas and eg scotland don't have GCSEs. So insisting on them instead of accepting an equivalent is indirect race discrimination. I might give that route a wee push.