1. SQA Accreditation Amanda Laing Accreditation Manager

2. SQA - Remit Maintain Quality & Standards of Qualifications offered in Scotland Delivered in 2 ways –Accreditation –Awarding Complementary yet separate functions

3. Regulate awarding bodies for: –Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQ) –Qualifications required by other regulators (licence trade, security sector, first aid etc) –Competence based qualifications Scottish Government approved extension to function (November 2008) –Encourage awarding bodies to seek accreditation for other qualifications delivered in Scotland –Wherever possible, credit rate what we accredit Role of Accreditation

4. Approve Awarding Bodies (ABs) Audit and monitor ABs against Regulatory Principles to ensure standards continue to be met Approve Scottish Vocational Qualification structures, Assessment Strategies and Core Skills Signposting Accredit qualifications as per extension to function Confirm SCQF credit rating of SVQs and other accredited provision Seek to maintain and improve quality of qualifications awarded in Scotland Maintaining Standards of Accredited Qualifications

5. Scope of Activity Approved 41 awarding bodies –Range from large multi-sector awarding bodies (City & Guilds etc) to small specialist awarding bodies (ITC First Aid etc ) All Industry Sectors –SVQs span all sectors (construction to crofting) Three qualification “types” –Scottish Vocational Qualifications (and alternative Competence Based Qualifications for use in Modern Apprenticeship Frameworks) –Regulatory and Licensing Qualifications –Other

6. Have moved from a prescriptive set of criteria to a set of 15 Regulatory Principles in April 2014 3 year rolling cycle of awarding body audits based on risk profiling Centre monitoring of a sample of each awarding body’s centres on an annual basis How we regulate

7. Work with Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) –To provide advice, guidance and support through their National Occupational Standards (NOS) development process –To ensure that Scottish qualifications needs are addressed –To provide advice and guidance with regards to Scottish Modern Apprenticeship Frameworks Work with the UK Commission for Employment & Skills (UKCES) –To provide advice on fitness for purpose of NOS for Scotland – Ensure NOS can form basis of qualifications Engagement with Partners

8. SVQ Titles SQA Accreditation advised Awarding Bodies in 2010 that once all SVQs had been SCQF credit rated the existing SVQ levels would be dropped from qualification titles. Consequently only the SCQF level will be specified in SVQ qualification titles. There are currently a very small number of qualifications still to be SCQF credit rated. We now plan to implement this important change. We do not propose that qualification titles are retrospectively updated. Rather titles will be altered to the new format when qualifications are re-accredited or extended.

9. SVQs titles SVQ in Customer Service at SCQF Level 5 The above is the new titling convention which all SVQs must conform to as opposed to the previous title format of SVQ 2 in Customer Service at SCQF Level 5. It is our intention to introduce this format during 2015.

10. Questions Do you understand the new titling convention? Were you aware that all SVQs must be SCQF credit rated? Do you anticipate this change will cause candidates any concerns? Do you anticipate any significant challenge for your organisation in implementing this change to qualification titling? (eg. systems/software amendments) If you have any feedback please submit to Amanda Laing by Friday 9 January 2014

11. SQA Awarding Body Update There are now over 100 land-based related qualifications available to approved SQA centres These range from Access qualifications through to HNDs All accredited land-based SVQs have been credit rated and levelled for the SCQF Contact David Grant at SQA Awarding Body for more information on the land-based qualifications that are available david.grant@sqa.org.uk

12. SVQs for Estate Workers Scottish Land & Estates identified an increasing skills deficit in the land based sector coupled with a reduction in the number of young people seeking rural employment opportunities. Members also confirmed they wanted to formalise the knowledge and expertise of existing staff as well as providing career advancement opportunities In 2014 a new SVQ was accredited SVQ Level 3 Estate Management at SCQF Level 6 This is a ten unit qualification, six mandatory and four optional In 2015 we hope to accredit a Level 2 SVQ in Estate Maintenance

13. QUESTIONS? Amanda Laing Accreditation Manager Amanda.laing@sqa.org.uk