Signature welcomes the approval of WJEC Skills for Life qualifications from Qualification Wales and celebrates their partnership to expand British Sign Language opportunities for learners in Wales
Signature, the awarding body for deaf communication and Language qualifications, has welcomed the approval of WJEC’s new Skills for Life and Skills for Work qualifications—an important milestone in Wales’ reformed National 14–16 Qualifications offer.
The qualifications, now approved by Qualifications Wales, form part of the Skills Suite, available from Entry Level 1 through to Level 2, ensuring that every learner – regardless of starting point – can progress confidently through a programme that recognises achievement at each stage.
Designed around a flexible, unitised structure, the Skills Suite supports steady development and reduces the pressure associated with high-stakes assessment. Each unit is delivered in a bite sized, standalone format, enabling learners to build a pathway that reflects their interests, strengths and progression goals.
By rooting learning in real-world contexts and aligning opportunities with the Six Areas of Learning and Experience within the Curriculum for Wales, the Skills Suite provides meaningful, hands-on education that strengthens confidence, independence, and future readiness.
As part of this development, Signature has been proud to partner with WJEC in developing British Sign Language qualifications within the Skills for Life qualification suite – helping to ensure that deaf awareness and BSL are recognised as valuable and relevant life skills for young people across Wales.
A step forward for British Sign Language in education
The introduction of BSL within the Skills for Life qualification represents an important step in establishing a clear learning pathways for learners interested in sign language, which reflects a growing recognition of its importance within education and wider society, including the recent passing of the BSL Bill in Wales.
By embedding BSL into a nationally recognised qualification, it provides an opportunity to better understand learner engagement and interest in BSL as part of the wider curriculum. It also highlights the role that BSL can play in supporting broader educational outcomes, including communication skills, wellbeing and social inclusion.
Signature believes that creating accessible entry points, such as this, is key to enabling more learners to explore BSL and to supporting the continued evolution of qualifications that reflect the needs and interests of young people in Wales.
Lindsay Foster, Executive Director at Signature, said:
“We are incredibly proud to have worked in partnership with WJEC to develop British Sign Language within the new Skills for Life qualifications.
This development represents a meaningful step forward in recognising BSL as an essential life skill for young people in Wales, supporting greater inclusion and communication skills.
It is particularly encouraging to see BSL positioned within a qualification framework that values practical, real-world skills. We hope this will inspire more learners to engage with BSL and help build momentum for broader opportunities to study sign language within education in Wales, including a BSL GCSE.”
Sara Davies, WJEC’s Head of Skills and Pathways, said:
‘‘We are proud to have worked closely with Signature to develop an inclusive and empowering British Sign Language unit as part of our new Skills Suite qualification.’
‘As an awarding body that prides itself on accessibility, we look forward to seeing learners from all backgrounds using this practical qualification as a platform to further develop the skills, capability and understanding that they need for their futures,” she added.