iTEC & VTCT’s bespoke learning platform, Pivot Point LAB, embodies the very best and most up-to-date educational approaches for technical and vocational qualifications. It is available exclusively for iTEC & VTCT centres delivering relevant hair, barbering and beauty qualifications, and complementary access is included as part of the registration fee for training providers in the UK and Ireland.
Educators, learners and employers are increasingly concerned with the value and relevance of qualifications and courses. In the world of vocational and technical education and assessment, new and innovative teaching and learning methodologies involving game-based, problem-based and co-learning have become the key transformative pedagogies. These methods have been hailed as the most effective in supporting high-quality assessment outcomes.
iTEC & VTCT see these community-orientated teaching and learning approaches as being imperative for supporting learner success during hair and beauty qualifications. We also believe that as the concept of the self-directed learner is so prominent in vocational educational, it is critical that learners are empowered to co-create their own learning experiences. This leads to enhanced engagement through empowerment for learners to create their own future, together with training providers and employers.
The Pivot Point LAB curriculum offered by iTEC & VTCT has been co-designed to help learners build skill, proficiency and confidence. These resources also relate to specific occupational purposes as identified by employers in the hair and beauty sector.
By utilising these resources, Pivot Point LAB users will be in the best possible position to achieve top tier assessment results in their iTEC & VTCT qualifications. Through using the LAB platform, learners are connected to their learning community and engage in their education to create, share and collaborate with their peers and tutors.
Carina Fagan, iTEC & VTCT’s Chief Academic Officer, describes the educational benefits of LAB: “The model of curriculum and lesson delivery within the LAB platform adopts a learning scaffolding technique. This model uses a ‘service-learning paradigm’ whereby interventions are delivered in short complete cycles, built to be in tune with the natural sequence of learning. LAB brings together the most applicable elements of real-world, problem-based learning and community-collaboration.
“All of this, together with cutting-edge innovative learning content, has been developed to be in congruence with our assessment criteria. Collectively it supports a world-class and learner-centred teaching, learning and assessment experience for students working towards iTEC & VTCT qualifications in hair, barbering and beauty”.