Apprenticeships allow people to work while training and help workers gain qualifications that reflect the skills and knowledge they need.

We manage the modern apprenticeship frameworks for social services and healthcare (SSH) and social services (children and young people) (CYP) as part of our role as a standard setting organisation. We work with employers to develop qualification structures and apprenticeship frameworks, including modern, technical and professional levels.

Information for training providers

All the frameworks are mapped to the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) and accredited by an awarding body. The format of the frameworks and qualifications provide flexibility both in employment and in careers and should help workers move across the workforce.

We must approve learning providers to deliver apprenticeship frameworks. Learning providers need to be approved by the SQA to offer the principal qualification contained in a framework along with the relevant core or career skills. We charge a small administrative fee for each framework and each candidate registered.

Modern apprenticeships (MA)

The following frameworks sit within the modern apprenticeship requirements:

• Social Services and Healthcare at (SCQF level 6)
• Social Services and Healthcare at (SCQF level 7)
• Social Services Children and Young People at (SCQF level 7).

Core skill requirements can be found here.

These core skills are set at appropriate levels of the SCQF. The core skills of communication, problem solving and working with others have been mapped against the mandatory units. The core skills of numeracy and information and communications technology (ICT) need separate certificates.

Technical and professional apprenticeships (TAs and PAs)

The following frameworks sit within the technical apprenticeship requirements:

• Social Services and Healthcare at SCQF Level 9
• Social Services (Children and Young People) at SCQF 9
• Childhood Practice at SCQF Level 9.

The following sits within the professional apprenticeship framework requirements:

• Care Services Leadership and Management at SCQF Level 10.

These higher level apprenticeships offer flexible, work-based training, as a way of developing and up skilling staff to meet specific business requirements.

A key difference for TAs and PAs is the replacement of core skills with career skills. Core skills only go up to SCQF level 6 and employers have said that career skills should reflect the work-based requirements at a higher level. Career skills are certificated separately. They require approval from the SQA for the career skills identified below. Apprentices require to be certificated for 15 credits at SCQF level 7 or above.

You can find the list of career skills for TAs and PAs here.

Information for employers

Employing an apprentice is an opportunity to hire a person into a work-based training programme where they will gain an industry recognised qualification (SVQ) and core skills. MAs save costs because the learning provider can access funding from Skills Development Scotland.

An MA is a training programme and you should keep this in mind. It is important to provide robust induction and support throughout.

Foundation apprenticeships

Foundation apprenticeships (FAs) are for pupils in fifth and sixth year of secondary school and take two years to complete. There are two social service FAs:

• FA Social Services and Healthcare
• FA Social Services (Children and Young People).

Delivery and assessment of a subject specific National Progression Award (NPA) in either social services and healthcare or social services and young people will be in fifth year and takes a blended approach between college and placement. The FA in sixth year is delivered and assessed in the workplace. The NPA provides knowledge and an introduction to the skills that will help pupils to complete the SVQ units. The NPA has 24 SCQF credit points at SCQF level 6 and the SVQ 2 mandatory units have a total of 37 credit points at SCQF level 6. These two parts, along with an associated work placement, form the FAs.

The skills gained by undertaking an FA can be developed and used in a variety of careers and there is a wide range of job opportunities in the social service sector.