Start here | STM001

Create your free IOWL My World account

Touchstone included - start with Calibre Awareness, then decide how far to go

Aspirant Access is open to people from every walk of life. Create a no-fee lifelong My World account and choose to begin STM010 Touchstone - Calibre Awareness in about one hour, whether your capability was developed through university, vocational education, apprenticeship, professional training, work or life experience.

Create free Aspirant account View all pathways
No-fee My World learner access Touchstone included - approx. 1 hour Lifelong Aspirant Stratum access

Create your free Aspirant account

Enter the Aspirant Stratum, use My World for life and take Touchstone as your first recognised Calibre-awareness step. Further progression remains your choice.

No fee

Aspirant Access is currently included at no fee.

Access:
Immediate after account creation

Touchstone:
Currently included - approx. 1 hour, on demand

Progression:
Your choice after the first awareness step

Create free Aspirant account

For anyone who wants to create an IOWL learner account, use My World for life and begin with Calibre Awareness.

RecognitionIOWL Aspirant
Learning accessTouchstone included
approx. 1 hour, on demand
ResourcesMy World resources
available after account creation
ProgressionVoluntary
choose how far to go

One free starting point for every route through life and work

Aspirant Access is open to people from every walk of life. Whether you arrived through university, vocational education, apprenticeship, professional training, work or life experience, My World gives you a common Calibre starting point. Touchstone is currently included so you can begin with a recognised first awareness step before deciding whether, when or how to progress further.

What the account gives you now

Your My World account opens the Aspirant Stratum and makes STM010 Touchstone - Calibre Awareness available as the first optional learning action: approximately one hour, six short chapters and a Knowledge Check.

Account access included Touchstone included Approx. 1 hour Lifelong My World access

Why it matters

Qualifications, skills and experience remain important, and Aspirant Access adds a route to develop and make visible judgement, values, conduct and the human Calibre behind performance. Aspirant Access helps you begin that development journey early, even before enrolling on a formal course.

It also gives students, graduates, employees and alumni a practical reason to become familiar with IOWL before a future study, employment or professional-development decision.

AccessCreate your no-fee lifelong IOWL My World Aspirant account.
Stand UpChoose Touchstone: about one hour, six short chapters and a Knowledge Check leading to introductory Calibre Awareness recognition.
Stand OutChoose Cornerstone if you want to move from awareness into deliberate development and intent.
Step OutBasal and Bedrock provide deeper early PVL development where appropriate.
Jump OutFoundation, Keystone and Capstone provide professionally assessed development and Calibre Credits™ where requirements are passed.
PCDContinue Perpetual Calibre Development™ as roles, circumstances and responsibility change.
Your starting point: Aspirant Access is the foundation layer of the wider IOWL journey. Touchstone is currently included as the first optional recognised awareness step. From there, you decide whether to remain an Aspirant, use My World as a lifelong utility or progress towards Cornerstone, Basal, Bedrock, Foundation, Keystone or Capstone.

What your My World account opens

The resource cards below show the wider My World utility that sits around Touchstone. Create an Aspirant account, take the first Calibre-awareness step if you choose, and return to the toolkit as study, work, career and responsibility change.

IOWL My World multi-tool illustration
The My World multi-tool

Your lifelong development utility tool

Think of My World like a digital Swiss Army knife for study, career, work and lifelong development. The value is having the toolkit available throughout your journey so that as circumstances, ambitions and career change, you can return to My World and use the resource most relevant at that moment.

Creating an Aspirant account puts that continuing utility in your pocket. Touchstone gives you an immediate reason to open it and begin with Calibre Awareness.

Accelerate
My Positive Value Leadership™ icon

My Positive Value Leadership™

Core framework familiarisation

Begin becoming familiar with the values, principles and language that sit behind formal IOWL Positive Value Leadership pathways.

Advantage
My Emergency Button icon

My Emergency Button

When life changes suddenly

Use a calm starting point when work or life changes suddenly: redundancy, a new role, a difficult decision or a current crisis that needs structured judgement.

Accelerate
My Career Accelerator icon

My Career Accelerator

Career readiness

Frame your development for interviews, progression, workplace contribution and the transition from capability to trusted performance.

Advantage
My Performance Partner icon

My Performance Partner

Action and performance

Connect reflection with performance by considering how values-led leadership becomes visible through purposeful action.

Boost
My LeaderChips™ icon

My LeaderChips™

Recognition of active engagement

Become familiar with IOWL LeaderChips™ as a way of recognising positive leadership activity, contribution and continuing engagement.

Advantage
My Leadership Network icon

My Leadership Network

Connection and community

Start building your leadership network around shared Positive Value Leadership™ language, values and development intent.

Advantage
My Events icon

My Events

Events and opportunities

See IOWL events and opportunities that can support awareness, participation and continuing leadership development.

Boost
My Leadership Insights icon

My Leadership Insights

Fresh leadership thinking

Use short insights and applied reflections to keep values-led leadership visible in everyday study, work and decision-making.

Advantage
My Leadership Library icon

My Leadership Library

Reference and orientation

Use the leadership library as a developing point of reference for Positive Value Leadership™ and associated concepts.

Boost
My Deep Reads icon

My Deep Reads

Longer-form learning

Access deeper reading that supports reflection, judgement, context and broader understanding of leadership in practice.

Boost
My Knowledge Roost icon

My Knowledge Roost

Knowledge support

Use Knowledge Roost as an entry point into IOWL ideas, explanations and continuing learning prompts.

Boost
My Catalyst Magazine icon

My Catalyst Magazine

Applied leadership perspective

Read accessible leadership and calibre content intended to prompt reflection, discussion and positive action.

Boost
My Student Insights icon

My Student Insights

For students

Explore guidance that helps students connect academic study with calibre, judgement, employability and personal agency.

Boost
My Graduate Insights icon

My Graduate Insights

For graduates and alumni

Use graduate-focused insights to think beyond qualifications and evidence judgement, conduct and values-led potential.

PCD
My Learning & PCD icon

My Learning & PCD

Perpetual Calibre Development™

See the longer journey: learning, reflection and continuing development before and after any certified course route.

Included with Aspirant Access | Stand Up

Touchstone - a light touch, a first touch with Calibre

STM010 Touchstone - Calibre Awareness is deliberately short enough to remove the usual barrier of "I will do it later", while substantial enough to give the learner a genuine first achievement. In approximately one hour, across six short chapters, the learner is introduced to Calibre, understands how it differs from Capability and Competency, explores why it matters to judgement, employability, workplace performance and responsible participation, and completes a Knowledge Check.

Approx. 1 hour 6 short chapters Knowledge Check Statement of Calibre Awareness Currently included

Successful completion demonstrates introductory understanding and creates the first recognised touchpoint with the Calibre framework. Formal assessed Calibre recognition and Calibre Credits™ begin on eligible professional pathways. Its purpose is to create the first recognised touchpoint with the Calibre framework and move the learner from having access to actually engaging with it.

Stand Up - become Noticeable.
Touchstone is currently included with Aspirant Access. Access creates the opportunity, and each individual chooses how far to engage and progress.
Statement of Calibre Awareness and Development Intent sample
Recognition Statement
Understanding the Value of the Statement of Calibre Awareness and Development Intent employer and HR FAQ
Employer and HR guide
Recommended next development step | Stand Out

Cornerstone - move from awareness into deliberate development

Touchstone helps the learner Stand Up. CAD001 Cornerstone is the natural next development bridge for learners who want to Stand Out: approximately three hours that move from introductory awareness into deliberate Calibre development, employability application and development intent.

Approx. 3 hours On demand Recognised Statement

Successful completion of the Cornerstone Recognition Assessment leads to the Statement of Calibre Awareness and Development Intent™. It gives learners an early way to explain the difference between what they know, what they can do, and how they intend to develop the way they exercise judgement and responsibility.

The Statement is supported by an employer and HR guide explaining what the recognition means, how it should be interpreted, and how it differs from the stronger assessed Calibre Credits™ recognition.

Stand Out is recommended, not compulsory: Cornerstone is a separate progression decision after Touchstone. An individual may self-select Cornerstone, while a university, employer or other organisation may also support it where agreed. My World may suggest a higher substantive PVL pathway where the learner's experience supports that route. The Statement records awareness and development intent; formal assessed Calibre recognition and Calibre Credits™ begin on eligible professional pathways.

Stand Up. Stand Out. Step Out. Jump Out.

IOWL defines employability as the evolving capacity of an individual to obtain opportunity, perform effectively, remain relevant, progress and contribute increasing value within work.

Aspirant Access Activate

My World and lifelong Aspirant access are opened. Activation is the access point; recognition follows through the applicable awareness or assessed pathway.

Touchstone Stand Up - Noticeable

The learner demonstrates introductory understanding of Calibre through a light-touch, first-touch course and Knowledge Check.

Cornerstone Stand Out - Preferable

The learner moves into deliberate Calibre development and records an intention to continue developing it.

Basal + Bedrock Step Out - Valuable

The learner develops increasingly substantive aspiration, intent and values-led development.

Foundation + Keystone + Capstone Jump Out - Indispensable

Professionally assessed Calibre development provides stronger external evidence as responsibility and employer reliance increase.

Capability, Competency and Calibre remain complementary throughout the progression. "Indispensable" expresses a high-value contribution and retention ambition. It describes the ambition that an individual becomes increasingly trusted, relied upon and selected for greater responsibility.

Touchstone turns access into an immediate first opportunity for recognised awareness. Cornerstone then provides the recommended Stand Out development bridge, Basal and Bedrock the Step Out routes, and the professional pathways the Jump Out stage. Individuals choose how far to progress; institutions can support deeper routes where appropriate.

Availability, naming and resource emphasis may evolve as IOWL expands the Aspirant Stratum. The account is the route into My World and the foundation from which certified course pathways can later be chosen.

Who should create an account?

Aspirant Access is relevant wherever a person wants to strengthen the human side of performance: judgement, integrity, responsibility, participation and values-led agency.

Students, apprentices and vocational learners

Connect learning with judgement, employability, confidence and values-led participation whatever route you are taking into work.

Calibre is relevant alongside academic, technical, vocational and apprenticeship capability.

Workers, managers and professionals

Use Touchstone and My World to examine how judgement, responsibility, trust and conduct affect performance now - not only for the workforce of the future.

Progress voluntarily to a formal PVL pathway suited to your experience and responsibility when relevant.

Jobseekers, career changers and citizens

Start from where you are. Your education, occupation or background does not determine whether Calibre matters.

Use the universal entry point to recognise the importance of how Capability and Competency are exercised and decide what development comes next.

What you receive

Aspirant Access gives you a no-fee learner account in My World, lifelong access to the Aspirant Stratum and STM010 Touchstone - Calibre Awareness under the current universal access offer. Touchstone is the first recognised awareness step; later PVL study, certification and Calibre Credits™ remain separate voluntary progression choices.

My World access

Create an IOWL Aspirant learner account and unlock the My World environment: resources, insight, orientation and a visible route into your continuing calibre-development journey.

Introductory resources

Access introductory orientation resources that introduce Positive Value Leadership, calibre, integrity and the IOWL pathway structure. Your Aspirant Stratum access remains available for life.

Pathway readiness

Use Aspirant Access to decide whether Cornerstone, Basal, Bedrock, Foundation, Keystone or Capstone is the appropriate next step.

What this access route provides

Aspirant Access provides entry to My World, lifelong access to the Aspirant Stratum resources and a clear way to explore calibre, integrity and Positive Value Leadership before choosing a formal pathway.

Who this route is for

Open to anyone beginning their IOWL journey. This is a no-fee, non-certified learner access route. It provides access to introductory My World resources and does not require tutorials, examination or formal assessment. It does not award Calibre Credits, professional standing or post-nominals.

Readiness checklist

  • Access to a device suitable for using My World and reading introductory resources.
  • A working email address and accurate mobile details for account access and password recovery.
  • Willingness to explore IOWL, Positive Value Leadership, calibre and integrity before selecting a formal pathway.
  • Readiness to become familiar with the Aspirant Stratum before deciding whether to progress to a formal PVL pathway.

Access route

Aspirant Access is available on demand. Direct visitors can create a no-fee My World learner account and begin using the Aspirant Stratum resources straight away.

Account accessImmediate after registration
Future certificationAvailable through the relevant PVL pathway when you choose to progress
Aspirant Access gives direct visitors a lifelong My World account route and a practical foundation for later certified PVL progression. Certified standing is earned through successful completion of the relevant pathway when you choose to move forward.

Recognition

No-fee My World learner access

Foundation for Calibre Credits™

Aspirant Access helps you understand the IOWL journey and prepare for future assessed professional pathways where Calibre Credits™ can be earned: Foundation, Keystone and Capstone.

My World

Aspirant learners use My World to access entry resources, awareness content, LeaderChips™ orientation and the continuing PCD journey before any formal course choice.

Frequently asked questions

Key points about direct account creation, lifelong Aspirant Stratum access, My World resources and later pathway choice.

You receive a no-fee IOWL Aspirant learner account in My World, lifelong access to the Aspirant Stratum resources and a practical foundation for future PVL study, certification and Calibre Credits™ when you choose a pathway that provides them.

Aspirant Access gives you the starting foundation: My World access, Touchstone Calibre Awareness, PVL orientation, resources and PCD familiarity. Calibre Credits™ become available later through assessed professional pathways such as Foundation, Keystone and Capstone.

IOWL Positive Value Leadership courses are delivered online as a structured, personal journey of self-propelled learning, reflection and transformation. The Smartboard provides the curriculum, guided learning, reflective activities and coursework that learners are expected to study, consider and apply to their own context.


Live, interactive virtual tutorials then bring that independent learning to life. They are designed for conversation, questioning, experience, challenge, reflection and application rather than for repeating the curriculum as a lecture.


Where the pathway includes scheduled live tutorials, learners use them to explore key ideas, discuss experiences, ask questions, test understanding and reflect with the live session lead and other learners. The emphasis is participation and application rather than passive attendance.


Positive Value Leadership is designed as a transformative developmental journey. Transformation develops over time through honest reflection, purposeful action and the practical application of learning across the full course experience.


Before and during the course, learners receive induction, clear instructions, important dates, advance guidance and reminders. Each learner is then expected to familiarise themselves with the platform, follow the instructions provided, manage their own progress and navigate to the appropriate learning activities and live events.


This approach reflects the principle of “Integrous Agency” at the heart of Positive Value Leadership: taking personal responsibility for one’s own development, acting purposefully and approaching the course with a “can-do” attitude and, ideally, an “it’s done” attitude.

Aspirant Access is currently included, so registration opens your learner account, My World access and Touchstone directly.

Aspirant Access is available on demand. Access is normally available immediately after a direct visitor creates an account, and Touchstone can then be taken as the first optional Calibre-awareness step. Formal PVL pathways may still have registration windows and scheduled intakes when you are ready to progress.

At Aspirant stage, the emphasis is immediate account access, Touchstone Calibre Awareness, resources, insight and readiness. Touchstone uses a Knowledge Check for introductory awareness recognition; formal assessed Calibre recognition and Calibre Credits come later on eligible professional pathways.

Ready to start as an IOWL Aspirant?

Create a no-fee My World Aspirant account, access Touchstone - Calibre Awareness and unlock a lifelong route into Positive Value Leadership and Perpetual Calibre Development. You decide how far to go.

Create free Aspirant account View all pathways