Skills for Work: Understanding the Changing Labour Market
Understanding the changing labour market is a 20 hour Skills for Work unit, from Entry 1 to Level 2, that learners combine with other units into a Skills for Work Award, Certificate or Diploma. Learners find out what the labour market is, research jobs, look at why work is changing and plan the skills they will need. Literacy carries the unit: defining and explaining terms, reading job information, discussing change, comparing skills and, at Level 2, judging bias and reliability in sources. Evidence can be spoken or written. Numeracy is light: reading statistics in labour market information and spotting skewed or out of date data at Level 2.
- Awarding body
- WJEC
- Level
- Entry Level 1 to Level 2
- Guided learning hours
- 20
- First taught
- September 2027
- Amount of literacy work
- Medium
- Amount of numeracy work
- Low
How this unit is assessed
- Entry Level (Entry 1, Entry 2, Entry 3): Three learning outcomes with separate Entry 1, Entry 2 and Entry 3 assessment criteria. Evidence is compiled into a portfolio, internally assessed by the centre and externally quality assured by WJEC. 20 guided learning hours.
- Level 1 and Level 2: Three learning outcomes with separate Level 1 and Level 2 assessment criteria. Evidence is compiled into a portfolio, internally assessed by the centre and externally quality assured by WJEC. 20 guided learning hours.
Skills that use Vocabulary, spelling, grammar
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Using labour market vocabulary to define and explain
Learners say or describe what the labour market is at Entry Level, define it at Level 1 and explain it at Level 2, and do the same for labour market information. The criteria require this, and the overview expects learners to use discipline specific vocabulary such as supply and demand, sector and career pathway.
Literacy: Clarity and vocabulary, Vocabulary, spelling, grammar
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils match key words such as job, sector, employer and wage to their meanings on a card sort, then use two of them in a sentence about a local business.
- Year 8
- Pupils write a short glossary of six careers words, including supply and demand, with an example from their own area for each.
- Year 9
- Pupils explain in a one minute talk what the labour market is, using the terms supply, demand, sector and labour market information correctly.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Entry Level, learning outcome 1, assessment criteria 1.1, page 5; Level 1 and Level 2, assessment criteria 1.1 and 2.1, page 6
“use a range of discipline-specific vocabulary to express their answers”
Progression step 3
I can express issues and ideas clearly using area of learning and experience/discipline-specific vocabulary and examples.
I can use varied, appropriate and precise vocabulary including area of learning and experience/discipline-specific words for different purposes.
Progression step 4
I have experienced a range of area of learning and experience/discipline-specific and general academic vocabulary, and can use them in my own communication.
I have experienced a range of area of learning and experience/discipline-specific and general academic vocabulary, and can use them in my own communication.
Good to know
- Each level has its own unit code: "S665E1", S665E2, S665E3, S665L1 and S665L2, and the unit is 20 guided learning hours (Unit overview, page 3).
- No special equipment is needed: "Assessment of this unit should not require any specific resources" (Resources required for assessment, page 11).
- Spelling and long writing are not the point: "Assessor judgements should focus on meeting the standard, not spelling or presentation unless specifically assessed" and "extended written work is not required unless appropriate" (Sources of evidence, page 10). Teacher observation notes from group or one to one discussion are listed as evidence (page 10).
- The specification accepts "video/audio recordings" of a learner giving a presentation or taking part in a discussion (Section 4.1, page 18), and the portfolio "is not limited to paper-based materials" (page 18).
- The suggested tasks are optional: "These tasks are not mandatory." (Skills for Life and Work specification, Section 4.1, page 18).
- AI misuse is malpractice, including "Copying or paraphrasing whole responses of AI-generated content" (Section 4.6, page 21), so written explanations must be the learner's own.
Links with other qualifications
The pack names Fairness and inclusion in the workplace, Customer service, Rights and responsibilities in the workplace and Wellbeing in work as closely related Skills Suite units, and Using IT in the workplace lists this unit as a partner. Jobs of the future, Exploring career pathways and Working in Wales cover neighbouring careers ground. Reading sources for bias and reliability builds on GCSE English Language and Literature and GCSE Cymraeg Language and Literature, discussing change in the world of work links with GCSE Business, and reading graphs of jobs data links with GCSE Mathematics and Numeracy.
Source: WJEC Understanding the changing labour market unit delivery and assessment pack, read with the WJEC Entry 1 to Level 2 Skills for Life and Skills for Work specification, approved by Qualifications Wales, teaching from September 2027 (© WJEC CBAC Ltd 2026).