This document discusses various pathways for secondary school leavers in Scotland, including gaps in attainment, opportunities, aspirations, and confidence. It notes differences by characteristics like ethnicity and disability status. Vocational qualifications like Higher National Diplomas provide practical and theoretical skills for employment. National Certificates prepare students for jobs or further education. Other qualifications include Skills for Work courses and National Progression Awards in various sectors. Professional Development Awards allow career progression. Overall, the document outlines post-secondary education and training options in Scotland.

1. Attainment and Achieving
NPFS November 2015

2. Mind the Gap!
Attainment
Gap
Opportunity
Gap
Aspiration
Gap
Confidence
Gap

3. Highest qualification of all secondary school leavers , 2011/12
Destinations of all secondary school leavers , 2011/12
Source: Summary Statistics For Attainment, Leaver Destinations and Healthy Living No. 3, – Follow
Up Destinations 2011/12. Scottish Government (2013)
Source: Summary Statistics For Attainment, Leaver Destinations and Healthy Living No. 3, – Follow
Up Destinations 2011/12. Scottish Government (2013)

4. • . Young people in Scotland’s Labour Market, Jan - Dec 2013Estimated change in Scotland’s population 2014 to 2030
Source: Annual Population Survey Jan – Dec 2013. Office of National Statistics (ONS) (2014)Source: Projected Population of Scotland (2012-based). National Records of Scotland (2013)
0
1,000,000
2,000,000
3,000,000
4,000,000
5,000,000
6,000,000
2014 2030
65+
25-64
16-24
0-15
Everyoneunder25in
2013willbeaged16+in
2029.Thisrepresents
45%ofthetotal
workingagepopulation
inthatyear. 227,000
inemployment
53,000
unemployed
42,000are
underemployed
51,000
inactive
593,000
16-24yearoldsinScotland
331,000
notenrolledinfull-timeeducation
85,000
inemployment
147,000
inactive
28,000
unemployed
16,000are
underemployed
260,000
enrolledinfull-timeeducation
10,000areinactiveduetotemporaryorlong
termsickness
20,000areinactiveastheyarelookingafter
familyorhome
22,000areinactiveforotherreasonsincluding
becausetheyareastudent

5. Destinations of all secondary school leavers by characteristic , 2011/12
Chart sources: Summary Statistics for Attainment, Leaver Destinations and Healthy Living No. 3, – Follow Up Destinations 2011/12. Scottish Government (2013)
Education Outcomes for Scotland’s Looked After Children, 2011/12. Scottish Government, (2013)
Other sources: Fulfilling Potential Slide Pack. Office for Disability Issues
Chart notes:
1 White includes White-Scottish, White-Other, White-
Gypsy Traveller, White-Other British, White-Irish or
White-Polish. All other known categories are classified
as Non-White.
2 Data for Non-White young people in Activity
Agreements is suppressed due to small numbers.
3 Disability is either declared or assessed.
1,2
3

6. Other sources:
International Lessons: Youth Unemployment in the Global Context. The Work Foundation (2013)
Youth (15-24) Unemployment Rate – EU 28 and
Scotland – February 2014 (non-seasonally adjusted)
Notes
1. Estimates for Scotland and UK from the LFS, Jan-Mar 2014 and covers those
aged 16-24. Rankings for Scotland and the UK are based on unrounded data. Data
for other EU countries are from Eurostat.
2. * indicated data rolled over from most recently data available
3. UK includes Scotland
Source: Labour Market Briefing – May 2014. Scottish Government (2014)

7. International Best Practice
• The best performing European countries in terms
of youth unemployment have 2 things in
common:
– A highly regarded vocational education system which
starts in secondary school and allows for progression
with a significant element of work-based learning; and
– Significant employer involvement in the development
and delivery of education.
7

8. Current practice
• Focus on university pathways
• Careers advice influencing choices
• College system going through significant reform –
creates opportunities
• Progression opportunities within MAs – opportunities
to develop
• Employer engagement with education
• Parental understanding of options
• Role of work experience
• Some groups of young people are at greater risk of
employment than others
• Extent of preparation for next steps
8

9. Moving forward
• Earlier range of career education opportunities to a
national standard
• New approach to work experience
• Senior phase vocational pathways delivered in
partnership between schools and colleges
• Expansion of Modern Apprenticeships at the higher
levels
• Regional Investment in Youth Groups
• Focus on small employers and young people facing
barriers
• Sustained focus on addressing equalities issues
• Focus on Key Performance Indicators

10. Doctorate/PDAs
Masters/PDAs
Honours Degree/PDAs
Ordinary Degree/PDAs
Higher National
Diploma/PDAs
HNC/Advanced
Higher/PDAs
SfW/NQGAs/Higher/PDAs
SfW/NQGAs/SG/Int
2/National 5
SfW/NQGAs/SG/Int
1/National 4
SfW/SG/Access
3/National 3
Access 2/National 2
Access 1/National 1

11. Higher National Qualifications
• Provide both practical skills you need to do a job
and the theoretical knowledge an employer
expects you to have
• HNs can allow direct entry into the second or
third year of a degree programme
• Can give entry into a number of professional
bodies
• HNC– 12 credits and takes one year to complete
• HND- 30 credits and takes two
years to complete

12. Higher National Qualifications
• Engineering
• Construction
• Business Management
• Finance
• Childcare
• Health and Social Care
• Computing
• Video production
• Accounting

13. National Certificates
• Designed to prepare candidates for
employment, career development or
progression to Higher National Qualifications
• Has specific aims relation to a subject or
occupational area
• Wide variety of courses eg sound production,
social care, engineering, construction, finance,
technical theatre
• http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/24071.2549.html

14. Wider Achievement Qualifications
 Safe Road User – SCQF 4
 Volunteer Skills Award – SCQF 3,4 & 5
 NPA Enterprise and Employability – SCQF 4 & 5
 NPA Digital Literacy – SCQF 3
 NPA Social Software – SCQF 4
 Languages for Life and Work – SCQF 3 & 4
 NPA Enterprise & Business – SCQF 6
 NC Employability & Citizenship – SCQF 3

15. Skills for Work Courses
28 courses in 21 subject areas including:
Sport and Recreation – SCQF 4 & 5
Creative Industries – SCQF 5
Energy – SCQF 5
Engineering Skills – SCQF 4 & 5
Health & Social Care – SCQF 6
Hospitality – SCQF 4 & 5
Rural Skills – SCQF 4
Travel and Tourism – SCQF 4 & 5
Laboratory Science – SCQF 5
Maritime Skills – SCQF 5

16. National Progression Awards
• Available in a variety of sectors eg Construction,
Childcare, Musical theatre & Social Software
• Assess a defined set of skills and knowledge in
specialist vocational areas
• Link to National Occupational Standards
• At SCQF level 2 – 6
• Can be used as short study programmes such as
return to work courses or part time learning
• Can be delivered in partnership
With schools & employers

17. National Progression Awards
240 group awards across all sectors including:
Doing Business Online – SCQF 5
Aquaculture – SCQF 4 & 5
Computer Games Development – SCQF 4, 5 & 6
Crofting – SCQF 5
Dance – SCQF 5
Mobile Technology – SCQF 4 & 5
Radio Broadcasting – SCQF 5
Local Food Production – SCQF 6

18. Professional Development Awards
• Available at SCQF level 6 – 12
• Designed for those already in a career or
vocation who wish to extend or broaden their
skills base
• Assess progression in a defined set of
specialist occupational skills
• Aligned to National Occupational Standards
• Can gain Professional Body Recognition ie ILM

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Authority
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20. Questions

21. www.sqa.org.uk I 0303 333 0330