Skills for Work: Using IT in the Workplace
Using IT in the workplace 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 and organise work information, create and edit workplace documents, communicate by email, chat and video call, and use devices safely. Literacy sits in writing clear, polite and professional messages, editing documents for accuracy, structure and tone, laying out documents for readers, reading and comparing sources, and explaining how digital skills support work. Numeracy is light: no criterion asks for calculation; only suggested tasks such as a spreadsheet rota or schedule use tables and times.
- 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): Five 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: Five 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 Planning and organising for different purposes, audiences and context
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Writing clear and professional workplace messages
Learners point out or suggest what makes a message polite at Entry Level, send a simple workplace message and respond professionally at Level 1, and at Level 2 adjust messages for different work audiences or purposes. The criteria require this, and the amplification covers greetings, clear subject lines, structure, tone and formal and informal language.
Literacy: Planning and organising for different purposes, audiences and context, Vocabulary, spelling, grammar, Connectives and syntax
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils rewrite a rude, unpunctuated text message as a polite email with a greeting, a clear request and a sign off.
- Year 8
- Pupils write a short chat update and a formal email about the same change to a club meeting, choosing different words and structure for each.
- Year 9
- Pupils write three versions of a message about a late delivery, for a manager, a colleague and a customer, and explain how they changed tone and content for each reader.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Entry Level, learning outcome 4, assessment criteria 4.2, page 5; Level 1 and Level 2, learning outcome 4, assessment criteria 4.1 to 4.3, page 7; Amplification of learning outcome 4, page 11
“apply appropriate structure, tone and language in formal and informal digital messages”
Progression step 3
I can adapt my writing style and structure to suit the audience, purpose and context, e.g. suitable balance between facts and viewpoints, a precise conclusion.
I can make appropriate choices about vocabulary, idiomatic language and syntax in order to express myself with fluency and clarity for different audiences and purposes.
Progression step 4
I can adapt my writing style, choosing and using the best structures for different contexts and purposes, e.g. to successfully describe, explain, persuade, discuss.
I can present my work appropriately in digital contexts using appropriate digital conventions, e.g. thumbnails, language preferences.
Progression step 5
I can show sustained awareness of different readers by selecting from a range of styles and structures, and adapting my use of language confidently.
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Laying out documents so they are easy to read
Learners make simple formatting changes at Entry Level, use formatting tools to improve layout and readability at Level 1, and at Level 2 format content to improve layout, accessibility and structure. The criteria require this, and at Level 2 the amplification adds the importance of clear layout and suitable tone for work documents.
Literacy: Planning and organising for different purposes, audiences and context, Vocabulary, spelling, grammar
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils split a block of instructions into numbered steps under a heading so a new pupil could follow them.
- Year 8
- Pupils lay out a one page information sheet with headings, short paragraphs and bullet points, and explain why each section is where it is.
- Year 9
- Pupils turn a long email into a structured workplace guide with sections, headings and a summary box, checking it is readable for a new member of staff.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Entry Level, learning outcome 3, assessment criteria 3.2 and 3.3, page 4; Level 1 and Level 2, assessment criteria 3.3, page 7; Amplification of learning outcome 3, page 11
“understand the importance of clear layout and suitable tone for work-related documents”
Progression step 3
I can use and adapt different structures within my writing, e.g. reporting an event, investigation or experiment.
I can use paragraphs and make links between them.
Progression step 4
I can use paragraphs and sections to give coherence to longer pieces of writing.
I can present my work appropriately in digital contexts using appropriate digital conventions, e.g. thumbnails, language preferences.
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Explaining how digital skills and behaviour affect work
Learners give statements and descriptions at Entry Level, describe how digital skills support workplace tasks and describe safe behaviours at Level 1, and at Level 2 explain how digital tools support efficiency or accuracy, reflect on career development and explain how poor digital behaviour could affect safety, security or reputation. The criteria require this, and evidence can be spoken or written.
Literacy: Clarity and vocabulary, Planning and organising for different purposes, audiences and context
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils tell a partner two ways a shop assistant uses IT, using the words till, scanner and stock.
- Year 8
- Pupils write a paragraph explaining how a spreadsheet makes a club treasurer's job more accurate.
- Year 9
- Pupils give a short recorded talk explaining how a data breach could harm a business's security and reputation, using correct terms such as phishing and data protection.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Level 1 and Level 2, learning outcomes 1 and 5, assessment criteria 1.1 to 1.3, 5.1 and 5.2, pages 6 and 8
“Explain how poor digital behaviour could affect workplace safety, security or reputation.”
Progression step 3
I can express issues and ideas clearly using area of learning and experience/discipline-specific vocabulary and examples.
I can write a comprehensive account of a topic, theme or viewpoint.
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 can use summary, discussion of issues, detailed explanations and logic when covering a topic.
Good to know
- Each level has its own unit code: "S666E1", S666E2, S666E3, S666L1 and S666L2, and the unit is 20 guided learning hours (Unit overview, page 3).
- Equipment is required: "Centres will need access to computers or tablets with office-style software and simple simulated workplace tasks" (Resources required for delivery, page 15).
- Spelling is not judged unless a criterion asks for it: "Assessor judgements should focus on meeting the standard, not spelling or presentation unless specifically assessed" (Sources of evidence, page 14). Several criteria here do assess clarity, layout and tone, so these count.
- Evidence can be digital: "screen recordings or annotated screenshots" and "reflective logs or video/audio diaries" are listed (Sources of evidence, page 14), and the portfolio "is not limited to paper-based materials" (Skills for Life and Work specification, Section 4.1, 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 sections of AI-generated content" so the work is no longer the learner's own (Section 4.6, page 21), so messages and documents must be written by the learner.
Links with other qualifications
The pack names Wellbeing in work, Customer service, Fairness and inclusion in the workplace, Working in Wales and Understanding the changing labour market as closely related Skills Suite units. Writing professional messages for different audiences and editing for accuracy and tone builds on GCSE English Language and Literature and GCSE Cymraeg Language and Literature, and links with customer communication in VCSE Retail and Customer Service and GCSE Business. Document creation and file management link with GCSE Digital Technology, and spreadsheet rotas and schedules link lightly with GCSE Mathematics and Numeracy.
Source: WJEC Using IT in the workplace 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).