Hi Cliff

Were you eg an apprentice electrician or engineering machinist, without a recognised apprenticeship completion certificate you'd have no proof of occupational competence and most people in those particular industries wouldn't accept you.

Of course it's nowhere near as rigid (or so safety etc - critical) with HR occupations but similar principles tend to apply and if you possibly can it may be worth some inconvenience and even short term sacrifice for the probability or even possibility of longer term gain - you're unlikely to get a second chance after all!

In reply to David:

Hi David, i am 50 years old and just wanted to complete the Level 5 so i am more wondering if i can now stop and accept the certificate because at the end of the day, the qualification is the same. I will still have passed CIPD Level 5 and have Assoc. CIPD. From what i can see with job hunting (not that i am) people are just asking for CIPD Level 5 qualification not Level 5 qualification Diploma

So its more, can this be done and leave the apprenticeship now and take the certificate qualification without taking the apprenticeship

I have heard that this is possible but not too sure where to go with it

In reply to Cliff:

The qualification isn’t the same ( in my opinion). It is at the same level ( 5 ) but one is a certificate which is a “lesser” qualification  than a diploma.

It may become more relevant if/when you think about moving upwards or into a L 7.

If you can I would finish it. If you really can’t then only Really your provider can advise if you can switch now.

In reply to Keith:

I was going on about occupational competence before, and think the root of this matter is that no CIPD qualifications are other than a very rough and ready and fallible guide to occupational competence. I was going on about engineering skills too, and in contrast I’d fairly confidently assert from almost a working lifetimes close experience that eg accredited Chartered Engineers and even Engineering Technicians can usually be deemed absolutely occupationaly competent at their designated level whereas the same doesn’t anything like apply to CIPD qualifications.

That said, I’m not intending really to belittle CIPD qualifications, which do appear to demand quite rigorous levels of book learning or underpinning knowledge or whatever you want to call it.

But I’m just trying to make the point Cliff that if you end up with an accredited CIPD Level 5 qualification, a completed apprenticeship or a Level 5 diploma on its own may be extra icing on the qualification cake but that’s all, and the limited icing probably not going to be a showstopper in any future career moves.

Hi Cliff

You have done the hard work already by completing and passing 5 units with only 3 more to go. Please don't give up now. You may well regret it in later life.

I passed my level 5 diploma early 2020 and I am now 52 (don't tell anyone)

Have a break for Xmas and New Year and im sure you may feel differently and want to push on to the finish line.

Happy to help/support you through your last 3 units. You've got this!!!

Lisa