Where are we with Core and other essential skills? March 2013

Troublesome skills?

Core Skills SfLLW Ongoing work

Skills for Learning, Life and Work SQAs skills framework, derived from BtC4 5 main skill areas Literacy Numeracy Health and well being Employability, enterprise and citizenship Thinking skills Policy : SQA remains committed to generic skills development

What is Higher Order thinking? Knowing + Intellectually challenging, requires effort (dressed in overalls and looks like work) Complex, interconnected and uncertain Seeks meaning, conceptual understanding Analytical, evaluative and creative Metacognitive, involves self-regulation

Administration and IT Course Specification, April 2012, version 1.0 Valid from August 2013 Development of skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work It is expected that learners will develop broad, generic skills through this Course. The skills that learners will be expected to improve on and develop through the Course are based on SQAs Skills Framework: Skills for Learning, Skills for Life and Skills for Work and drawn from the main skills areas listed below. These must be built into the Course where there are appropriate opportunities. 2 Numeracy 2.3 Information handling 4 Employability, enterprise and citizenship 4.1 Employability 4.2 Information and communication technology (ICT) 5 Thinking skills 5.1 Remembering 5.2 Understanding 5.3 Applying Amplification of these is given in SQAs Skills Framework: Skills for Learning, Skills for Life and Skills for Work. The level of these skills will be appropriate to the level of the Course. Further information on building in skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work for the Course is given in the Course Support Notes. Skill for Learning, Life and Work

Skill for Learning, Life and Work resources SfLLW framework: SfLLW FrameworkSfLLW Framework SQA Skills webpages: Employability and EnterpriseEmployability and Enterprise Skill set focus Course / Unit Specs :

Core Skills Policy : SQA remains committed to generic skills development Linking: Skills for Learning, Life and Work with Core Skills for progression Updated approach: Key National Courses + Literacy / Numeracy Units Awards Skills for Work Top – up guidance for: Literacy Numeracy Personal Development: Self in the Community

Key National Courses with Core Skills National CourseAuto-certificated Core Skill English/GaidhligCommunication Maths/Lifeskill MathsNumeracy Administration and ITICT Computing ScienceICT National Literacy UnitCommunication National Numeracy UnitNumeracy Work Experience UnitProblem Solving Working with Others

Core Skill equivalences Core Skill: Numeracy SCQF levelNew National Numeracy Unit Higher6N/A Intermediate 25National 5 Numeracy Intermediate 14National 4 Numeracy Access 33National 3 Numeracy Access 22N/A Core Skill: CommunicationSCQF levelNew National Literacy Unit National Certificate (NC) Communication Higher6N/ANC Communication (Higher) Intermediate 25National 5 LiteracyUnits do not currently match Intermediate 14National 4 LiteracyUnits do not currently match Access 33National 3 LiteracyUnits do not currently match Access 22N/A *Please note that some programmes may require a specific generic skills qualification and may not accept equivalent qualifications.

Ongoing work Does Core Skill Framework still do what it is meant to do? o Modest proposals: open, flexible and relevant o Focus on ICT o Language to reflect CfE principles and skills for 21 st century Liaising with colleagues in Wales and Northern Ireland Top-up support for aspects of Core Skills

Any questions? Margaret Tierney Eleanor Boyd Please keep in touch!