The qualification, when studied with other Level 3 qualifications, is aimed at progression to higher education but also enables learners to develop knowledge and skills needed for entry level roles related to IT. In addition to the IT sector-specific content outlined in the above specification, the requirements of the qualification enable learners to develop the transferable and higher-order skills that are highly regarded by higher education providers and employers. For example, the study of IT particularly encourages development of research and analysis skills, project management and prioritising, effective communications, the synthesis skills of adapting and integrating, and the evaluation skills of assessing, interpreting and validating.