What is Skills for Work?
“Skills for Work Courses” are designed to help candidates to develop:
- Skills and attitudes for employability Positive attitudes to learning
- An understanding of the workplace
- Skills and knowledge in a broad vocational area
- Core Skills
A key feature of these courses is the emphasis on experiential learning. This means learning through practical experience and learning by reflecting on experience”. SQA SfW Rationale (2010).
See our brochure for pupils and parents here.
Who is SfW suitable for?
Skills for Work is not an easy option and not a substitute for Standard Grades and/or SVQ’s. All the courses are driven by employability skills and transferrable skills between all SfW courses. Selection of appropriate candidates should include the following key skills: the ability to be punctual, be able to attend, be able to communicate, be motivated and the capacity to work within a team, display an understanding of Health & Safety and its implications in the workplace.
How does it work?
An essential part of the course is to have and develop a working partnership with a relevant industry or college link. This is to ensure that a breadth of employability skills are developed in a variety of environments which simulate real life working scenarios. As CfE is rolled out the traditional models of course structure will disappear and SfW should be more readily available to all ages and abilities.
What courses are available in SfW?
Courses are continually being developed and added. A concise list of SfW courses descriptors are available from:
Education Scotland: www.ltscotland.org.uk/nq/nqframework/skillsforwork.asp
SQA: www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/25142.1887.html
Course availability from schools and colleges will vary depending upon location.
Who can teach SfW?
Ideally industry professionals in conjunction with TQFE lecturers and/or GTCS registered teachers.
How do you become involved in delivering SfW in schools?
Skills for Work Courses are not on SQA's 'automatically approved' list of qualifications. Therefore centres must seek approval before offering these Courses for the first time:
1. Contact the appropriate SQA adviser (These details can be found on the SQA website) The Assessment Standards team can be contacted on 0845 213 5351
2. Initial visit arranged to determine suitability/check resources/industry or college links.
3. Once SQA approval has been granted then course guidelines can be purchased from SQA publisher. Consult course approvers for further information.
4. Apply for course funding. Take into account materials, clothing, health & safety, one off set up costs, photocopying, travel costs, e-portfolio/on-line storage (if applicable), costs for recording evidence (camera, video camera…)
5. It is also good working practice to contact other schools in the LA who are also running SfW courses.
Initial contact should be made with your own school's Deputy Head.