Skills for Work: Using IT in the Workplace
Using IT in the Workplace is a Pearson Skills for Work unit on safe use of digital devices, privacy and security, and creating workplace documents. It is one 10 hour unit that learners combine with others into a Pearson Skills for Work Award, Certificate or Diploma, from Entry 1 to Level 2, and the centre sets and marks the assignment. Literacy sits in listing, describing and explaining privacy, security and digital risks, writing short notices, messages and memos laid out for readers, and justifying formatting choices. Numeracy demand is low: Pearson's own mapping gives no direct numeracy link, and basic spreadsheets are only named as one tool learners might choose.
- Awarding body
- Pearson
- Level
- Entry Level 1 to Level 2
- Guided learning hours
- 10
- First taught
- September 2027
- Amount of literacy work
- Medium
- Amount of numeracy work
- Low
- Specification
- Open the specification
How this unit is assessed
- Entry Level (Entry 1, Entry 2, Entry 3): One assessment criterion at each of Entry 1, Entry 2 and Entry 3: list, outline or identify common digital devices, safe online behaviour and why privacy and security matter, and follow instructions or use simple workplace software and settings to complete a basic digital task or create a simple digital document. The centre sets and marks its own assignment (Pearson's Authorised Assignment Brief is optional) and there are no mandatory evidence requirements; work is internally verified and quality assured by a Pearson Standards Verifier. 10 guided learning hours, graded Pass or Fail.
- Level 1 and Level 2: One assessment criterion at each level: at Level 1 learners describe why privacy and security are important and use digital applications to create a simple digital document; at Level 2 they explain the risks in digital environments and select and use appropriate digital tools to create a digital document. The centre sets and marks its own assignment, with no mandatory evidence requirements, internally verified and quality assured by a Pearson Standards Verifier. 10 guided learning hours, graded Pass or Fail.
Skills that use Understanding, response and analysis
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Justifying layout and formatting choices
Entry 3 learners say why headings, bullet points or images make information clearer, and Level 1 learners justify decisions in simple terms, such as why a memo needs clear headings or a staff notice needs bullet points. Level 2 learners show awareness of workplace standards and amend their decisions when needed. This comes from the essential information for assessment decisions that explains the criteria.
Literacy: Understanding, response and analysis, Planning and organising for different purposes, audiences and context
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils compare two versions of the same poster and tell a partner which is clearer and which feature makes the difference.
- Year 8
- Pupils annotate a printed memo, labelling each heading and list and writing why it helps the reader find information.
- Year 9
- Pupils write a short commentary on a document they made, explaining three layout choices and how each suits the audience and purpose.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Unit SfW 17, Essential information for assessment decisions, Entry 3 and Level 1, page 89; Levels of supervision, Entry 3, page 90
“such as why a memo requires clear headings or why a staff notice needs bullet points”
Progression step 3
I can use my understanding of different kinds of texts to consider whether a text is effective in conveying information, ideas and views.
I can explore different ways to plan, draft and present my work appropriately.
Progression step 4
I can select and use appropriate strategies to plan and develop my writing for different purposes and audiences.
I can use my knowledge of how different texts are structured, organised and linked to support my understanding of a topic, e.g. use of hyperlinks in a printed/digital text to extend my research and understanding.
Good to know
- The unit is SfW 17 and is worth 10 guided learning hours (Section 3, page 5), half the 20 hours of the WJEC unit of the same name.
- A learner achieves the unit once, at one level: "Learners can only achieve each unit once, at a single level." (Rules of Combination, page 6).
- Evidence can be spoken or written: "there are no mandatory evidence requirements and centres can select the type of evidence" (page 88), and Entry 1 learners can respond "using pointing, repetition or brief verbal responses" (Essential information for assessment decisions, page 88).
- The teaching content is in a separate document: "This can be found in the Teaching and Learning Support document for this unit" (Unit content, page 88).
- Written work must be the learner's own: "If AI is used, the final submission must be in the learner’s own words and reflect their own effort." (page 90).
- Pearson's own mapping lists the literacy as "write, discussion, research, describe, explain" and the numeracy as "No direct link" (Annexe C, page 122).
- The Skills for Work specification says "Every unit in our Skills for Life qualifications includes an Authorised Assessment Brief" (page 8), a leftover reference to the other suite, and the Entry 3 guidance has the typing error "Learners’ can provide a brief description" (page 89).
Links with other qualifications
The WJEC Skills for Work unit Using IT in the Workplace is a 20 hour unit with five learning outcomes and asks for more writing: professional emails and messages for different audiences, proofreading for accuracy and tone, and comparing sources. Pearson's 10 hour unit asks learners to describe or explain privacy and security and to produce one workplace document, so the literacy is shorter and centred on explanation and layout. Explaining digital risks with correct vocabulary and writing memos and notices for a reader build on GCSE English Language and Literature and GCSE Cymraeg Language and Literature, and memos and staff notices link with GCSE Business. Neither version asks for calculation, so links with GCSE Mathematics and Numeracy are slight.
Source: Pearson Entry Level 1 to Level 2 Skills for Work Award, Certificate and Diploma specification, Issue 1, August 2026, Unit SfW 17: Using IT in the workplace.