Fife College - College Ambassador Update (1 year on)

Overview

A year has now passed since Fife College gained SCQF College Ambassador Status in March 2020, and since then the country has been in various states of lockdown due to Covid-19. However, this has not prevented the College from progressing its plans and utilising the benefits of the SCQF, our SCQF College Ambassador status and our remit as a Credit Rating Body. Fife College is focused on transforming lives and working with both internal and external partners to utilise the opportunities the SCQF brings to maximise the benefits to our learners, not only in Fife but across the whole of Scotland.

Developments

Fife College’s SCQF College Ambassador status and its SCQF Credit Rating Body status have raised awareness and understanding of the significance of having education and training formally recognised on the SCQF. We now use and refer to the Framework in almost all of our external engagements regarding our courses, prospectus and the qualifications we offer, including our professional development qualifications offered through our Business Development team.


We believe it is important to support organisations to formally recognise training and wider achievement, this not only benefits Fife College and our partners, but more importantly it recognises the skills, knowledge and understanding of the learner. The relatively simple reference to the 12 levels of the SCQF and the SCQF credit points system (1 SCQF credit point => 10 hours of learning) are then easily interpreted by current and future employers as part of an individual’s CV.


The following are some examples of the work Fife College has undertaken using the SCQF during the preparatory period and first year as a SCQF College Ambassador:

•   Encouraged our staff and representatives from partner organisations to participate in SCQFP training which has included bespoke training events tailored to the target group;

•   Worked with the SCQFP to share some of our Third Party Credit Rating documentation as part of a sharing good practice initiative;

•   Included a dedicated page on our website with a link to the SCQF Framework, including clarity on the naming of our courses which are ‘broadly comparable to an SCQF level’ www.fife.ac.uk/courses/choosing-a-course-and-applying/the-scqf-table/;

•   Working with partners NHS Fife and Fife Council we have created a new programme at SCQF level 5. The programme entitled “Health, Wellbeing and Personal Safety” covers the need for a customised programme to address key areas of health and wellbeing identified as areas of concern in Fife particularly in the younger demographic. School pupils in Fife and students at Fife College will be given the opportunity to undertake the valuable healthy lifestyle course covering smoking, mental health, nutrition, exercise and personal safety. All participants will have the option of completing summative assessments to obtain the qualification which attracts 3 SCQF credit points at SCQF level 5.

•   Enhanced delivery options with our regional school partners which has encouraged a focus on the SCQF and increased collaboration, particularly with one local SCQF Ambassador School - Glenrothes High School. We have since jointly shared our practice of co-delivery models that resulted in pupils gaining valuable additional SCQF credit points as part of their school timetable www.scqf.org.uk/news-blog/posts/2021/february/our-journey-as-an-scqf-ambassador-school-by-glenrothes-high-school/;

•   Created a clear and robust partner agreement document which has supported expansion of our credit rating activity for third parties. This has also increased the opportunity for learners in Scotland to obtain a recognised qualification. Projects we have been involved in during the past 12 months include:

•  Working with an organisation to credit rate two teaching qualifications at SCQF levels 7 and 8, which are planned to be launched in early Summer 2021;
  
  
• Co-designing and creating a new credit rated programme in Participatory Budgeting with the main partner Youthlink Scotland. The final programme will not only be credit rated on the SCQF framework but will be offered as a fully online course across Scotland;
  
  

•   Fife College has led an active role in the Regional Learner Passport Partnership group which has looked at advanced standing of SCQF level 7 and 8 qualifications for articulation into degree courses. The group has successfully launched the Pathways website which contains a database of courses that offer advanced standing at colleges and universities in the south east of Scotland www.pathways.ac.uk.

Impact

Being an SCQF Ambassador College has further raised awareness and understanding of the SCQF among our staff and partners. We have been able to increase our reputation and activities in a positive way with existing partners and also attract new partners to work with collaboratively. We have successfully secured additional sponsorship and income for several of the SCQF activities mentioned above, not only for the College but also many of our partners. Our new credit rated qualifications will support many more learners to obtain a recognised qualification on the SCQF now and into the future.

Future plans for using and promoting the SCQF

Fife College plans to build on the early successes of being an SCQF Ambassador College and continue to enhance awareness and understanding of the SCQF with all our staff and our external partners. We also hope to increase our activities relating to Third Party Credit Rating.