In this Section

• Curriculum for Excellence
  • What's new for employers?
  • Top five things about CfE
  • Fact files
  • CfE in action
  • Guide to current and new qualifications
• More Choices, More Chances

Guide to current and new qualifications

Understanding and comparing current qualifications

If you're interested in better understanding Scottish qualifications and how they relate to one another please click on the SCQF's interactive framework for skills and learning in Scotland http://www.scqf.org.uk/features/Framework.htm

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework Partnership (SCQFP) has developed a new Employer Toolkit, to enable employers to understand the full range of Scottish qualifications and how the SCQF can benefit employers and employees. Developed in partnership with Skills Development Scotland, the Employer Toolkit will help employers to increase the effectiveness of recruitment and improve workforce development. You can access the Employer Toolkit at http://scqf.org.uk/Employers/Employer Toolkit

Guide to the new qualifications

As part of the changes being implemented through the Scottish Government’s Curriculum for Excellence, a new set of qualifications are to be introduced offering young people increased flexibility, a greater focus on skills and the opportunity to apply learning in real life situations.

New National Qualifications called National 4 and National 5 will be introduced, replacing a number of current National Qualifications – Standard Grade General, Standard Grade Credit, Intermediate 1 and Intermediate 2.  Standard Grade Foundation will be replaced by the updated Access 3. Revisions will also be made to the current Access 1, Access 2, Higher and Advanced Higher qualifications. The new National 4 and National 5 will be introduced in 2013/14 as will the new Access qualifications. The new Higher will follow in 2014/15 while the Advanced Higher will be available from 2015/16 onwards.

In response to employer feedback, learning and teaching will focus much more on numeracy and literacy skills, meaning that young people are better prepared for the workplace. Developed by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), the latest information on the qualifications can be found at: www.sqa.org.uk/curriculumforexcellence/