Link Modules Examination · 2020. 3. 27. · MC Engineering Ltd ... Despite the recession, Michael...

Pre-Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme, 2020 Link Modules Examination

Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

EXAM ID

NAME

SCHOOL

TEACHER

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For examinerWritten Paper

mark Section A Section B

Sect

ion

C

Q.1 Q.2 Q.3 Q.4 Q.5 Q.6

Total

CANDIDATE DETAILS

Optional 4 or 5-digit number(only if provided by your school)

V.51

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INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES Write your Name, your School’s Name and your Teacher’s Name in the grid on the front cover. Write all answers into this booklet. There is space for extra work at the end of the booklet. If you need to use it, make sure to label the work clearly with the question number and part. This examination booklet will be scanned and your work will be presented to an examiner on screen. Anything that you write outside of the answer areas may not be seen by the examiner.

There are three sections in this examination, as follows.

Section A – Audio Visual There are eight questions. Answer all eight of them. 30 marks Section B – Case Study There are three questions. Answer all three of them. 30 marks Section C – General Questions There are six questions. Answer any four of them. 100 marks

You may only use blue or black pen when writing your answers. Do not use pencil.

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Section A Audio Visual 30 marks • You will have three minutes to read the questions in Section A. • You will be shown a DVD with a Business theme. • You will see the DVD three times. ○ The first showing will include the whole sequence. ○ It will then be shown in three parts. After each part is shown, you will be given time

to write your answers in the appropriate section of the answer book. ○ You will then see the entire DVD sequence again. Answer all eight questions on the pages that follow. This page may be used for notes.

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PART 1

Q.1 What type of business is Freshly Chopped? (2 marks)

Q.2 When did the first store open? (2 marks)

Q.3 State two ways that Brian and his business benefit from him going to the gym. (2 marks)

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PART 2

Q.4 What influenced Brian in his decision to set up his own business, Freshly Chopped? (4 marks)

Q.5 Explain what is meant by the term “brand” and give two examples of the strength

of the Freshly Chopped brand. (4 marks)

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Q.6 What personal skills/qualities does Brian have that help him project manage the new shop fit-outs for Freshly Chopped? (4 marks)

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PART 3 Q.7 Describe the personal characteristics that Brian has that make him a successful entrepreneur. (6 marks)

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Q.8 (i) What ambitions does Brian have for Freshly Chopped? (ii) Do you think they are realistic ambitions? Why? (6 marks)

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Section B Case Study 30 marks

MC Engineering Ltd Michael completed his Leaving Certificate in 2005 and graduated from university with an Engineering degree in 2009. Shortly after he graduated, he moved to London to work with an international construction company. However, it wasn’t long before Michael began to feel homesick. Two years later, when he had gained some experience in his field, he began to apply for jobs back in Ireland. Despite the recession, Michael received an offer from CECIL Ltd, a large civil engineering company based in Dublin and he accepted. Michael enjoyed his new position and was very successful in his new role. A highly motivated employee, he was always eager to learn new things and came up with new and innovative ideas that benefitted the company.

CECIL’s management recognised Michael’s talents and abilities and he was promoted several times. He was eventually appointed as a senior engineer in the company, project managing some of its largest contracts. As part of the training for his role as project manager, CECIL Ltd sent Michael on a project management course. This course helped him develop his decision making, problem solving, communication and leadership skills. He also learned about financial and marketing strategies.

Michael enjoyed his job at CECIL Ltd, but he had always hoped to have his own business one day. He felt he had gained a wealth of knowledge and experience during his time at CECIL Ltd and had also made a lot of valuable contacts in the industry. After a lot of research, Michael finally took the risk and left his well-paid job as senior engineer to set up his own company, MC Engineering Ltd, in 2017. Initially, he financed the business with his personal savings. He also contacted his Local Enterprise Office to see what other types of assistance were available to him.

Michael’s next challenge was securing office space for his new business. He rented a desk in a shared office until MC Engineering Ltd had secured its first contract. While the ‘’hot-desk’’ type of arrangement suited his needs at the time, and he enjoyed sharing the space with other enthusiastic start-ups and entrepreneurs, he decided he needed a more permanent, dedicated office space, so he leased a premises in a business park close to his home.

Initially, Michael worked alone, but as his business began to grow, he realised that he would need to hire staff. During MC Engineering’s first year in business, Michael recruited another engineer to help the company meet the demand for its services, as well as an office administrator. He also improved on his original business plan to ensure that MC Engineering would develop in the right direction.

MC Engineering continued to grow steadily. Michael now employs eight full-time staff members, has developed the company website and carries out all the management functions himself. MC Engineering Ltd has received several awards for excellence in engineering, and Michael is now considering expanding the business even further in the hope of securing larger-scale contracts. However, he is well aware that such expansion would require significant financial investment and would demand a great deal of his time. Michael knows that he must make a decision soon on whether or not to expand as he runs the risk of missing out on large-scale contracts in the near future.

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Answer all three questions.

Q.1 State and explain three advantages for Michael of setting up his own business. (6 marks)

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Q.2 (i) Apart from the Local Enterprise Office, name two other state agencies that provide support to business start-ups and entrepreneurs.

(ii) Outline what assistance Michael might receive from each of these state agencies. (iii) Explain why it was important for Michael to carry out market research before setting up

his own business. (12 marks)

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Q.3 Describe four possible implications of expansion for MC Engineering Ltd. (12 marks)

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Section C General Questions 100 marks This section has six questions. Each question carries 25 marks. Answer any four questions.

To help you decide which questions to answer and to help you find them in the booklet, here are all the questions with the page range for each. Answer your four chosen questions in the appropriate pages in this booklet. Q.1 Pages 16 to 18

Your LCVP class has decided to organise a visitor in from a local business to speak to the class.

(a) Outline the benefits of inviting a guest speaker into school to address the LCVP class.

(b) Draft the agenda for the first class meeting held to organise this visit-in.

(c) Outline the steps that should be taken to ensure that the visit-in is a success.

(d) Describe how your class would evaluate the success of the visit-in from the guest speaker. Q.2 Pages 19 to 21

Work experience/work shadowing gives you an invaluable insight into the world of work.

(a) State three methods of finding a work placement.

(b) Describe three characteristics that make a person more employable.

(c) Outline four responsibilities you have as an employee to your work placement employer.

(d) (i) Identify four difficulties a student may experience during his/her work experience/shadowing.

(ii) Outline how these difficulties may be overcome. Q.3 Pages 22 to 24

A career investigation is a core LCVP activity.

(a) Name one career you investigated as part of your LCVP Link Modules and outline one reason why you chose to investigate this career.

(b) Outline four sources of information you used to investigate this career.

(c) State and explain three qualities/skills relevant to this career.

(d) Describe two pathways into your chosen career using suitable headings.

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Q.4 Pages 25 to 27

Leadership and communication skills are important for people in business and community organisations. Consider an LCVP activity where you had a leadership role.

(a) (i) Name the LCVP activity where you had a leadership role. (ii) Was the activity a success? Explain your answer.

(b) Describe three ways an organisation benefits from having an effective leader.

(c) (i) Explain what is meant by the term ‘good communicator’. (ii) Outline three ways of improving your communication skills.

(d) Other than good communication skills, what characteristics should an effective leader in an organisation have?

Q.5 Pages 28 to 30

Regulation in the workplace is key to providing a positive atmosphere for employers and employees.

(a) (i) What is a trade union? (ii) What is a shop steward?

(b) Outline four reasons why employees join trade unions.

(c) Describe three obligations an employer has regarding health and safety at work.

(d) (i) Explain what is meant by the term ‘contract of employment’. (ii) List four pieces of information that should be included in a contract of employment. Q.6 Pages 31 to 33

Planning is an important skill that you develop through participation in LCVP activities.

(a) Give a brief outline of an LCVP activity that you participated in that involved planning.

(b) Explain three benefits of planning for this activity.

(c) Prepare the business plan, using four appropriate headings, for the LCVP activity you were involved in.

(d) Name two Leaving Certificate subjects, other than the Link Modules, that helped you in the planning of this activity. Give a reason for each subject choice.

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Q.1 (25 marks)

Your LCVP class has decided to organise a visitor in from a local business to speak to the class.

(a) Outline the benefits of inviting a guest speaker into school to address the LCVP class. (4 marks)

(b) Draft the agenda for the first class meeting held to organise this visit-in. (7 marks)

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(c) Outline the steps that should be taken to ensure that the visit-in is a success. (8 marks)

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(d) Describe how your class would evaluate the success of the visit-in from the guest speaker. (6 marks)

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Q.2 (25 marks)

Work experience/work shadowing gives you an invaluable insight into the world of work.

(a) State three methods of finding a work placement. (3 marks)

(b) Describe three characteristics that make a person more employable. (6 marks)

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(c) Outline four responsibilities you have as an employee to your work placement employer. (8 marks)

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(d) (i) Identify four difficulties a student may experience during his/her work experience/shadowing.

(ii) Outline how these difficulties may be overcome. (8 marks)

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Q.3 (25 marks)

A career investigation is a core LCVP activity.

(a) Name one career you investigated as part of your LCVP Link Modules and outline one reason why you chose to investigate this career. (4 marks)

(b) Outline four sources of information you used to investigate this career. (8 marks)

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(c) State and explain three qualities/skills relevant to this career. (6 marks)

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(d) Describe two pathways into your chosen career using suitable headings. (7 marks)

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Q.4 (25 marks)

Leadership and communication skills are important for people in business and community organisations. Consider an LCVP activity where you had a leadership role.

(a) (i) Name the LCVP activity where you had a leadership role. (ii) Was the activity a success? Explain your answer. (5 marks)

(b) Describe three ways an organisation benefits from having an effective leader. (6 marks)

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(c) (i) Explain what is meant by the term ‘good communicator’. (ii) Outline three ways of improving your communication skills. (8 marks)

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(d) Other than good communication skills, what characteristics should an effective leader in an organisation have? (6 marks)

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Q.5 (25 marks)

Regulation in the workplace is key to providing a positive atmosphere for employers and employees.

(a) (i) What is a trade union? (ii) What is a shop steward? (4 marks)

(b) Outline four reasons why employees join trade unions. (8 marks)

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(c) Describe three obligations an employer has regarding health and safety at work. (6 marks)

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(d) (i) Explain what is meant by the term ‘contract of employment’. (ii) List four pieces of information that should be included in a contract of employment. (7 marks)

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Q.6 (25 marks)

Planning is an important skill that you develop through participation in LCVP activities.

(a) Give a brief outline of an LCVP activity that you participated in that involved planning. (3 marks)

(b) Explain three benefits of planning for this activity. (6 marks)

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(c) Prepare the business plan, using four appropriate headings, for the LCVP activity you were involved in. (8 marks)

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(d) Name two Leaving Certificate subjects, other than the Link Modules, that helped you in the planning of this activity. Give a reason for each subject choice. (8 marks)

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You may use this page for extra work.

Make sure to label extra work clearly with the question number and part.

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You may use this page for extra work.

Make sure to label extra work clearly with the question number and part.

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Do not write on this page

Pre-Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme – Common Level Link Modules Time: 2 hours, 30minutes

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Link Modules Examination · 2020. 3. 27. · MC Engineering Ltd ... Despite the recession, Michael...

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