CCEA GCSE Learning for Life and Work Unit 3: Employability overview

What this unit demands

Unit 3, Employability, is one of the three taught units of CCEA GCSE Learning for Life and Work, each examined by a written paper worth 20 percent of the GCSE, alongside the Unit 4 controlled assessment worth 40 percent. This unit is about the world of work: how businesses operate, how people get jobs, their rights at work, the option of working for yourself, and where to get careers help. This page ties the dot-point pages together, including the concise overview of the controlled assessment.

The big ideas of Unit 3

The unit moves from the business environment to getting and keeping a job, and on to working for yourself and planning a career.

• The business environment. The sectors of employment, globalisation, how change affects jobs, and the skills employers want.
• Recruitment and selection. How employers advertise and choose staff, the CV, letter and application form, and interviews.
• Rights and responsibilities at work. The contract, employee and employer rights and duties, health and safety, equality law and trade unions.
• Self-employment and enterprise. Entrepreneurship, the qualities it takes, the business plan, and the risks and rewards.
• Careers support. Sources of help, routes after school, transferable skills and lifelong learning.
• The controlled assessment. A concise overview of the Unit 4 investigation and how to do it well.

Assessment structure

CCEA GCSE Learning for Life and Work is examined by three written papers, one per taught unit, each worth 20 percent, plus a 40 percent controlled assessment.

• Unit 1 written paper - Local and Global Citizenship.
• Unit 2 written paper - Personal Development.
• Unit 3 written paper - Employability, the content on this page.
• Unit 4 controlled assessment - an investigation worth 40 percent.

How to study Unit 3

Employability rewards precise terms, developed explanation and realistic examples.

1. Learn the key terms. Globalisation, recruitment versus selection, the contract of employment.
2. Develop, do not list. Name a skill, right or quality, then explain why it matters.
3. Use real examples. A CV, an interview, a business plan.
4. Cover both sides. Rights and responsibilities apply to both employee and employer.
5. Weigh up choices. For self-employment, balance the risks against the rewards.

The dot points

Each idea above has its own dot-point page with worked answers and cross-links, plus this unit's quiz. Browse the full set at /ccea-gcse/learning-for-life-and-work/syllabus.

Check your knowledge

A mix of recall questions covering the whole unit. Attempt them, then check the solutions.

1. Name the three sectors of employment. (3 marks)
2. What is globalisation? (2 marks)
3. What is the difference between recruitment and selection? (2 marks)
4. Name two documents used to apply for a job. (2 marks)
5. Give two rights of an employee. (2 marks)
6. Give one risk and one reward of self-employment. (2 marks)
7. Name two routes a person could take after school. (2 marks)
8. How much is the controlled assessment worth, and what is it? (2 marks)