Article: Recent Developments in Vocational Education and Qualifications (Scotland)

Written by Alistair Bell Wylie – Bell-Wylie Consulting

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS (SCOTLAND)

The landscape of vocational education and qualifications in Scotland is undergoing a period of reform. The main drivers for these changes are a result of changes to qualifications as well as the implementation of the recommendations of government commissioned reports.

Expansion of Vocational Qualifications in Secondary Schools

A major development is the focus on expanding and embedding vocational and technical qualifications within mainstream secondary education. This aims to provide learners with a wider range of pathways alongside traditional academic qualifications. It also provides routes for less academic learners which are more likely to lead to meaningful employment opportunities and access to further learning and training e.g. apprenticeships.

The Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament are actively involved in promoting this initiative. Debates in March 2023 highlighted the need for increased teacher capacity and support for schools to effectively integrate these qualifications. To date, action has been limited.

Review of Qualifications and Assessment

A significant reform is the independent review of qualifications and assessment currently underway. The report (commonly referred to as The Hayward Review), “It’s Our Future” (2023ⁱ), outlines a vision for a future-proofed system that emphasises transferable skills and aligns with international best practices.

The foregoing report (commonly referred to as The Muir Report) was precluded by a report by Professor Ken Muir which carried out a review of the existing national bodies in the education sector and made a series of recommendations – “Putting Learners at the Centre: Towards a Future Vision for Scottish Education”.ⁱⁱ

Reform of the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA)ⁱⁱⁱ. This was first announced by the Scottish Government in 2022 following the publication of The Muir Report (see above point). The new qualifications agency will be named Qualifications Scotland and is due to replace the SQA in August 2025.

There is a growing emphasis on collaboration between educational institutions and The Scottish Government’s Developing the Young Workforce Strategy^iv aims to strengthen employer engagement in vocational qualifications, ensuring qualifications meet industry needs.

The importance and future of the Scottish further education sector

A Scottish Government commissioned review published in 2023 looked to the future needs of the skills landscape with a particular focus on the role of the further education sector.^v

The “Withers Review” made wide-ranging recommendations and highlighted the importance of the vocational education sector in supporting the Scottish
Despite the recommendations and endorsement of the review and report, government funding of the Scottish further education sector has been reduced during 2024 resulting in significant financial turmoil amongst the 24 publicly- funded colleges.^vi

CHANGES TO HIGHER NATIONAL CERTIFICATE (HNC) AND HIGHER NATIONAL DIPLOMA (HND) QUALIFICATIONS

Focus on Employer Engagement

SQA, in 2019, began the process of revising the structure and foundations of its Higher National (vocational) qualifications which are primarily offered across the Scottish further education network. This was the first major change in approach in almost 20 years and represents a significant investment and collaborative development.^vii
Specifically, these new vocational qualifications take a different approach to learning and assessment, incorporating meta skills development and more use of digital technologies and integrated assessment opportunities to reduce the overall assessment ^viii

Teacher Training and Development

Acknowledging the need for teacher preparedness, discussions highlight the importance of equipping teachers with the skills and knowledge to deliver vocational qualifications effectively. Teachers are traditionally trained to deliver against the national curriculum and school qualifications system (exams based).

The Scottish Government is actively working to increase teacher numbers and reduce class sizes in secondary schools.

Looking Forward

The Scottish Government is committed to ongoing reform of the vocational education system, with a focus on:

Teacher training and support
Streamlining the qualifications framework (this work will be taken forward by Qualifications Scotland when it replaces the SQA in August 2025)
Enhancing employer engagement
Ensuring qualifications are aligned with industry needs (reference the current work on Higher National Next Generation qualifications)

Challenges include:
- Lack of funding across the education system as a whole
- On-going reduction in real-terms funding for further education – acknowledged as the most important education sector tied to employment and the economy
- Lack of agreement on a defined strategy which can successfully and timeously implement the required, and accepted, changes identified in a range of recent commissioned reports

References

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