National Qualifications 14-18
Skills for Work courses help young people develop knowledge and skills for employment and life – through practical experiences linked to particular careers. These courses have been developed for young people of all abilities in S3 and above .Following a successful pilot thirteen courses were rolled out to schools across Scotland from 2007:
- Construction Crafts – Intermediate 1 and Intermediate 2
- Early Education and Childcare – Intermediate 1 and 2
- Financial Services – Intermediate 2
- Sport and Recreation – Intermediate 1 and Intermediate 2
- Practical Experiences: Construction and Engineering – Access 3
- Rural Skills – Intermediate 1
- Hairdressing – Intermediate 1
- Hospitality – Intermediate 1
- Engineering Skills – Intermediate 1
- Health and Social Care - Higher
About the courses
The courses offer pathways to employment, training or further education. They focus on practical activities which are directly related to a particular type of work. The courses also help develop the general skills employers look for.
Young people taking one of these Courses will normally go to a local college for some of their time, even though they are still officially a pupil at school. This will mean learning in a different environment, and meeting new people and facing new challenges.
Skills for Work courses are for young people of all abilities. The courses will have the same credit value in the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) as existing National Courses. They’ll appear on pupils’ Scottish Qualifications Certificates in exactly the same way as other courses.
Skills for Work is part of Curriculum for Excellence.
What next?
The following additional courses are expected to be available to all centres from Autumn 2008:
- Engineering Skills - Intermediate 2
- Hospitality – Intermediate 2
- Retailing - Intermediate 2
- Hairdressing – Intermediate 2
- Energy – Intermediate 2
- Uniformed and Emergency Services – Intermediate 1
The Scottish Qualifications Agency will continue to develop all courses in consultation with employers’ representatives and other groups. This will make sure the qualifications are balanced and coherent. Over time, the plan is to make Skills for Work courses available from Access 2 right through to Higher level.
