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PET offers over 125 different distance learning courses in every prison in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

We offer courses in a range of sectors – from health and social care to transport and logistics – as well as GCSEs, A-levels and Open University Access modules. Here you’ll find information about every course we offer.

Business, Management, and I.T. | CUPE International | APMG | Level 3 | Duration: 40 hours

Agile PM Scrum Master

Scrum is another popular framework to manage product development. This is a useful qualification if you are looking for a job in management or IT, but you will learn all aspects of this flexible strategy that challenges assumptions of the traditional approach to product development, and enables teams to better communicate and support each other.

The course covers the following subjects:

  • The Manifesto and the Principles
  • Empirical Product Development
  • Scrum Events
  • Scrum Roles
  • Scrum Teams
  • Scrum Artefacts
  • Scrum exercises
  • Scrum Tailoring Agile Business Consortium Scrum Master

Entry Requirements: Level 2 English

Format of Course Materials: Paper-based

Assignments: None

Exams: One exam

Prison Support Requirements: Organize and invigilate exam

Tutor Support: Yes

Find Out More: From CUPE here

Business, Management, and I.T. | CUPE International | APMG | Level 3 | Duration: 70 hours

Agile Project Management

Agile PM is a project management method which takes a different approach to the more traditional PRINCE2, and has become more popular in some sectors in recent years due to its flexibility. This course will allow you to learn this practical approach that achieves an ideal balance between the standards, rigour and visibility required for good project management, and the fast-pace, change and empowerment provided by Agile.

The course covers the following subject areas:

  • The Fundamentals and the Philosophy
  • The Principles
  • Preparation
  • The Lifecycle and Products
  • Team structures
  • Roles and Responsibilities
  • Communication
  • MoSCoW and Timeboxing
  • Lifecycle Configuration
  • Estimation and Measurement
  • Quality and Maintainability
  • Planning, Control and Risk
  • Tailoring Agile Project Management

Entry Requirements: Level 2 English

Format of Course Materials: Paper-based

Assignments: None

Exams: One exam

Prison Support Requirements: Organize and invigilate exam

Tutor Support: Yes

Find Out More: via CUPE here

Construction and Health and Safety | CUPE International | Association for Project Management (APM) | Level 3 | Duration: 50 hours

APM Project Fundamentals

APM project management qualifications are regarded by the industry as the best for construction and engineering. This qualification covers a wide range of management topics. You will develop your knowledge of management structures, project management planning, scheduling and resource management, risk management, communication, leadership and teamwork.

The course has 18 modules that cover the following 10 areas:

1. Project Management and the Operating Environment
2. Project Life Cycle
3. Management Structures by which Projects Operate
4. Project Management Planning
5. Scope Management
6. Scheduling and Resource Management
7. Risk Management and Issue Management
8.Project Quality Management
9. Communication
10. Leadership and Teamwork

Entry Requirements: Level 2 English

Format of Course Materials: Paper-based

Assignments: None

Exams: One multiple choice exam

Prison Support Requirements: Organize and invigilate exam

Tutor Support: Yes

Find Out More: You can read more about the course provider, Cupe International, here

Construction and Health and Safety | CUPE International | APMG | Level 3 | Duration: 50 hours

APM Risk Management

This course is the next step on from APM Project Fundamentals. Relevant to both the construction and engineering sectors, you’ll develop your knowledge of risk management when planning or monitoring progress on any project. This qualification works well as a follow on from our PRINCE2, Agile or Scrum courses, as you’ll be learning to manage risks for any method or approach.

This is an introductory course roughly equivalent to RQF Level 3.

The course covers the following subjects:

  • General Definitions
  • Benefits
  • Principles
  • Process/Initiate/Identify/Assess/Plan Responses
  • Organisation & Control
  • Behaviour
  • Application
  • Risk identification techniques/ Qualitative risk assessment/ Quantitative risk assessment/ Risk response

Entry Requirements: Level 2 English, plus a previous qualification in project management

Format of Course Materials: Paper-based

Assignments: None

Exams: One exam

Prison Support Requirements: Organize and invigilate exam

Tutor Support: Yes

Find Out More: From CUPE here

Horticulture and Animal Care | The British Beekeepers’ Association | Unaccredited | Level 2

Beekeeping (Basic Assessment)

Provided by the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA), this theory course is a great introduction to beekeeping if you’re in a prison with active hives. For those with little or no experience, this course will show you the methods used by beekeepers and introduce you to subject areas including manipulation and equipment, the natural history of bees, swarming, swarm control and its effects, and diseases and pests.

This course requires access to a beehive.

The course consists of four modules:

  1. Manipulation and equipment
  2. Natural history and beekeeping
  3. Swarming, swarm control and effect
  4. Disease and pests

Entry Requirements: Level 2 English

Format of Course Material: Paper-based

Assignments: Seven question papers

Exam: None, but this course does prepare learners for the Basic Assessment

Prison Support Requirements: Ensure and facilitate access to a beehive. Support completion and submission of assignments

Tutor Support: Yes

What’s Next? Open University Access Module YO33: Starting with Science, Technology and Maths

Find Out More: From the BBKA directly here

Finance | NEC | IAB | Level 2 | Duration: 120 hours

Bookkeeping Certificate

Accredited by the International Association of Bookkeepers (IAB), this is the perfect starter course in this field. It covers all the core elements of bookkeeping, ensuring you have the knowledge you need to keep on top of your finances – whether for your own business or to help find work in this field. You will learn about financial services and payments, how to prepare and check business documents, recording transactions, balances and reconciliations, and VAT.

The course consists of the following five units:

  1. Financial services and payment methods
  2. Prepare and check business documents
  3. Record transactions in a sub-divided bookkeeping system
  4. Prepare a trial balance and reconciliations
  5. Principles of bookkeeping and VAT

Entry Requirements: Level 2 English and Level 2 Maths

Format of Course Materials: Paper-based

Assignments: Nine written assignments

Exams: One exam (fees included)

Prison Support Requirements: Support completion and submission of assignments. Facilitate and invigilate exam (requires five weeks’ notice)

Tutor Support: Yes

What’s Next? Sage Computerised Accounting for Business Level 1 + 2

Find Out More: From NEC directly here

Business, Management, and I.T. | Level 3

Boosting your Business Potential

This course explores the many influences on a business, how to maximise your marketing, how to improve team performance and how quality and standards can make or break a business. The perfect next step after our Business Start-up course or for those who want to learn how to enhance a business that’s up and running, this course will provide a solid grounding in business theory for you to apply to your business or idea.

The course covers the following subjects:

  • Section 1: Understanding the influences on your business
  • Section 2: Marketing
  • Section 3: Quality and standards
  • Section 4: Improving team performance

Entry Requirements: Level 2 English. It is recommended that you complete the Business Start-up Level 2 course first, but it is not an entry requirement.

Format of Materials: Paper

Assignments: 4 self-assessed progress checks and 4 assignments

Exams: None

Prison Support Requirements: Facilitate tutor support

Tutor Support: Yes

A-Levels | NEC | AQA | A-Level | Duration: 150 hours

Business A-Level Part 1

The course helps to develop your knowledge on how business works, whether you are interested in setting up your own business or want to explore a wide variety of applications and industries. It will also help you to develop sound reasoning and leadership skills, and an analytical approach.

PET offers A-levels in two parts. Upon completing Part 1, you can choose either to take your AS exam (a qualification marking the first year of a full A-level) or continue on to Part 2 to build up to a full A-level.

This course contains six lessons:

1. What is business?
2. Management
3. Marketing performance
4. Operational performance
5. Setting financial objectives
6. Human resource performance

Entry Requirements: Level 2 English and Maths

Format of Course Materials: Paper-based

Assignments: Seven written assignments (these do not contribute toward the final grade.)

Exams: Two exams. Each are 1 hour 30 minutes, and contribute 50% of the overall grade. (Funding not included – you will need to re-apply to PET for the exam fees).

Prison Support Requirements: Support completion and submission of assignments. Organize and facilitate exams.

Tutor Support: Yes

What’s Next?  Business A-Level Part 2

Find Out More: From NEC directly here

 

A-Levels | NEC | AQA | A-Level | Duration: 150 hours

Business A-Level Part 2

This course helps to develop your knowledge of how business works, whether you are interested in setting up your own business or want to explore a wide variety of industries. It will also help you to develop sound reasoning and leadership skills, and an analytical approach.

The course contains four lessons that follow on from part 1:

  1. The Business Environment
  2. Choosing Strategic Direction
  3. Strategic Change
  4. Managing Strategic Change

Entry Requirements: Level 2 English and Maths, plus Business Part 1

Format of Course Materials: Paper-based

Assignments: Four written assignments (these do not count towards the final grade)

Exams: Three exams. Each are 2 hours and contribute 33.3% of the final grade. (Funding not included – you will need to re-apply to PET for the exam fees).

Prison Support Requirements: Support completion and submission of assignments. Facilitate and invigilate exams

Tutor Support: Yes

What’s Next? Open University Access Module YO32: People, Work and Society

Find Out More: via NEC here

Fitness | HFE | REPs | Level 3 | Duration: 60 hours

Business Skills for the Fitness Professional

Self-employment is a popular route for fitness professionals to take, so getting business basics right is important. This course is ideal if you are looking to develop the skills and confidence to manage your own tax, National Insurance, marketing, promotions and pricing strategy. You will find out about a wide range of areas including the legal obligations of running a business, brand management, generating leads and sales, performance monitoring, business planning, cash-flow and basic accounting.

The course consists of ten modules:

  1. Tax and National Insurance
  2. Legal Obligations of Running a Business
  3. Brand Management
  4. Effective Marketing Skills and Strategies
  5. Generating Leads and Sales
  6. Performance Monitoring
  7. Business Planning
  8. Financial Management
  9. Cash Flow Forecasting
  10. Basic Accounting

Entry Requirements: Level 2 English, plus an accredited Level 2 sport or fitness qualification

Format of Course Materials: Paper-based

Assignments: A worksheet and a case-study

Exams: None

Prison Support Requirements: Support completion and submission of assignments

Tutor Support: Yes

What’s Next? Another HFE Level 3 course

Find Out More: From HFE here 

 

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