FACING THE FUTURE WITH CONFIDENCE – MY SKILLS, MY FUTURE RESOURCE PACK The SCQF Partnership has been working in partnership with Glasgow Caledonian University’s Department for Learning Enhancement and Academic Development (LEAD) to develop a suite of resources aimed at supporting young people in identifying the skills they have gained outwith formal qualifications.
The My Skills, My Future pack, which was developed with funding provided by Skills Development Scotland, is aimed primarily at young people who have left, or may be about to leave school with few or no formal qualifications. However, it can also be used with young people who may have been made redundant from their first job, adult returners or the long term unemployed.
Individuals work with advisers to identify their skills which are then benchmarked against the SCQF and the resource also helps them to develop a set of competency based statements that can be used in a CV or in job applications. Individuals then work with advisers to agree a future plan of action based on their strengths.
The resources, which have already been used with a range of young people including those leaving care, have identified a number of benefits such as: Helping individuals clearly understand their range of skills Help in supporting a decision making process regarding future career or further training Help individuals understand where their learning sits on the SCQF which helps build selfconfidence and raises aspirations Help to generate evidence towards certain SQA awards such as the Employability Award at level 2 and some Personal Development Awards Benchmarked against the Curriculum for Excellence Experiences and Outcomes.
Resource packs have now been produced and members of the team at SCQF Partnership and GCU LEAD will be running a number of free training sessions over the coming months to support advisers in using the pack. Dates for these can be found on the Events section of the SCQF website
www.scqf.org.uk/News/Events. For more information on the My Skills, My Future pack, contact Julie Cavanagh at the SCQF Partnership on 0845 270 7371.
ENDS Issued by the SCQF Partnership – May 2013
Pic - My Skills, My Future front cover Notes to editor: Background to the SCQF and SCQF Partnership The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) supports individual learners and exists to sustain a vibrant lifelong learning culture in Scotland. It is our aim to include, where appropriate, all qualifications and assessed learning in Scotland into the SCQF so that learners can identify their current position in relation to the Framework and can plan their future learning pathways. In November 2006 the SCQF Partnership Board was set up to manage the Framework. Our Directors are from:
Colleges Scotland; the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education; the Scottish Qualifications Authority; and Universities Scotland.
The SCQF Partnership Board is chaired by Sir Andrew Cubie CBE and in addition to the Directors we also have a co-opted member bringing an employer perspective and Scottish Ministers with observer status. The SCQF Partnership's aims are to:
maintain the quality and integrity of the Framework; promote and develop the Framework as a way of supporting lifelong learning; and develop and maintain relationships with frameworks in the rest of the UK, Europe and the rest of the world.
The Framework helps people of all ages and circumstances to access the education and training that is appropriate to them over their lifetime. It can help learners to plan their learning and develop progression routes to follow, whatever their situation may be. The SCQF is in the custody of, and managed by, the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework Partnership (SCQF Partnership). The Partnership is a company limited by guarantee and is a Scottish registered charity SCO37958. Contact Information: Samantha Houten Feeley Communications and Marketing Officer Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework Partnership 39 St Vincent Place Glasgow G1 2ER Tel: 0845 270 7371 Email – Samantha@scqf.org.uk Fax: 0845 270 7372 www.scqf.org.uk