2020 Qualifications: Employer and
training provider support
We are working with all qualification regulators and sector bodies across the UK to review vocational qualifications - including Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs), National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs), Professional Development Awards (PDAs) and licence to practise qualifications.
Together, we are identifying how we can support centres to safely deliver, assess and result SQA qualifications, and minimise the impact on candidates where possible.
We continue to work closely with our employer and training provider customers throughout this time. We are working steadfastly to try and ensure minimum disruption.
As always, your Regional Manager is here to support you.
Guiding principles
Our approach has been to create the least disruption to you and your learners.
- Assessment and quality assurance are being delivered as business as usual
Where this is not possible, the options are:
- Adapt
- Change – holistic approach
- Postpone – where delivery isn’t possible
We have now contacted every SQA centre with current learners. If you have not heard from us, please contact your Regional Manager.
2020/2021 Qualifications - Future Students
Discussions are ongoing with a range of stakeholders, in the college sector, with Scottish Government, Skills Development Scotland, other Awarding Bodies, regulators and Sector Skills Councils
Our approach is seeking to be flexible and agile, moving to rapidly support our changing labour market.
Solutions for quality assurance and assessment will be based on:
- fairness and equity
- encompass the importance of human interaction
2020 Qualifications - Current students
We continue to work with stakeholders, (including Scottish Government, Skills Development Scotland, other Awarding Bodies, regulators, Sector Skills Councils and colleges) to put arrangements in place to recognise learner achievement in as fair a way as possible.
SQA-accredited qualifications
Following discussion with SQA Accreditation, we can confirm that the SQA-accredited qualifications listed below can continue as normal during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. No adaptions are needed to the corresponding assessment strategies.
When delivering and assessing these qualifications, you should consider the full range of assessment methods detailed in SQA Accreditation’s guidance.
We are continuing to engage with SQA Accreditation about the status of other accredited qualifications and will provide a further update on these as soon as we can.
If you need any further support and guidance, please contact operationshnvq@sqa.org.uk.
Ofqual Regulated qualifications
We have contacted all SQA-approved centres who deliver Ofqual Regulated Qualifications, to advise on arrangements for delivering the qualifications they are approved to offer. If you have not received an email from us, or you have any queries about the guidance you have received, please email operationshnvq@sqa.org.uk and a member of the team will support you.
Licence to practise qualifications
We are providing centres with further guidance on delivering license to practise qualifications as soon as it is available, in line with sector body guidance and government guidelines on social distancing.
In the meantime, your centre can only proceed with assessing licence to practise qualifications where it is still possible to meet the requirements of the relevant assessment strategy.
Foundation Apprenticeships
Because Foundation Apprenticeships blend classroom and workplace learning – COVID-19 restrictions to work placements have impacted on completing work-based elements and on centres being able to complete assessments.
In partnership with Colleges Scotland, SDS and Universities Scotland, the following will apply.
- For learners who have completed and passed all elements - they will receive a Foundation Apprenticeship certificate, as normal.
- For learners who had passed the NPA/NC element by the15 July 2020 or who have had no ‘fails’ recorded against any of the units. They'll receive certification for the units and for the NPA/NC they have achieved. They will also receive a Letter of Recognition which can be used for entry requirements for college and university courses.
- For learners who have not achieved the NC or NPA or have had 'fails'. They will receive certification for the elements they have passed, but will not receive a certificate or letter of recognition.
Training providers should record the following on SQA systems by the 15 July 2020:
- All your foundation apprentices and respective framework are entered
- All results are entered
- Any positive reassessment against existing ‘fails’ have been entered
HNC/HND, PDA, NC, NPA, Skills for Work and NQ freestanding units
Take a look at the guidance we have produced in conjunction with Colleges Scotland in relation to the above qualifications, it applies to all these qualifications wherever they are being delivered:
Customised Awards
We have contacted centres delivering Customised Awards to provide guidance on alternative arrangements for these qualifications.
If your centre wishes to adapt its Customised Awards, please contact your SQA Customised Awards Officer or email customisedawards@sqa.org.uk
Subject-specific guidance
We are contacting centres to advise of subject-specific guidance, where applicable. We have also published guidance on the relevant subject pages of our website.
Qualification verification
We will continue to carry out remote verification for centres who are still assessing and resulting qualifications at this time. Our External Verifiers will be in touch to make the necessary arrangements with each centre.
We have updated our Candidate Evidence Retention policy. Centres must now keep candidate evidence for six months after the resulting date of each qualification.
