Professional Recognition

The General Professional Recognition Learning and Skills scheme (GPRLS) enables competent and experienced teachers to be recognised as qualified members of the workforce. The process is designed for those for whom undertaking an initial teacher training qualification would be inappropriate.

An earlier Professional Recognition scheme (PRLS) was run for experienced but unqualified teachers of Skills for Life subjects. The scope of this new scheme is broader but will still include Skills for Life subjects and be developed in phases. Standards Verification UK (SVUK) will administer the scheme on behalf of Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK).

What are the benefits of gaining Professional Recognition?
Successful applicants are placed on the Recognition register and become eligible to go on to apply for the status of either Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) or Associate Teacher Learning and Skills (ATLS). These are the new licences to practise and are conferred by the Institute for Learning (IfL).

Who will be able to apply?
The new scheme is open to:

• new entrants to the lifelong learning sector as one route to gaining licensed status
• those part way to achieving the qualification for their role when the 2007 regulations were implemented
• existing members of the workforce who voluntarily wish to seek licensed status.

What areas of learning are covered by the scheme?
The GPRLS scheme is now open to teachers of the Skills for Life subjects, i.e. literacy, numeracy and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).

To request a Skills for Life application pack and to find out more, visit the SVUK website.