Three men wearing red Lothian Buses jackets, black trousers, and ties stand in front of a yellow and white bus marked "Driver Training" inside a bus depot. They are smiling and wearing black graduation caps, symbolizing the completion of their SCQF level 6 bus driver qualification. The depot has a high ceiling with blue steel beams, and the floor appears wet.
Hats off to them: Lothian Buses has launched a new bus driver qualification

Lothian has become the first Scottish bus operator to provide its new drivers with a qualification on completion of their training.

The training is certified and quality assured by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).

The transport operator, which services Edinburgh and the Lothians, has an award-winning in-house training school. It successfully trained 450 new bus drivers in 2024.

The school aims to develop new recruits’ knowledge and understanding, and lays the foundations for a long and rewarding career as a Lothian bus driver.

Bus driver qualification at SCQF level 6

With this new accreditation, trainees will not only be fully prepared to get behind the wheel as a safe, competent bus driver, but they will have earned an SCQF level 6 Customised Award for Driver Training with 10 credits. They will also receive a record of achievement for their efforts.

Lothian’s training school teaches new recruits a wide range of skills that go beyond the operation of their vehicle. This includes:

  • How to work safely in the bus depot
  • Effective communication
  • Customer interaction
  • How to deal with unusual or emergency situations.

No matter your background or experience, Lothian’s training school will give you all the skills and tools you need to get your new career in gear.

Driver and trainer testimonials

“Lothian’s Training School taught me everything I need to know about what it takes to be a bus driver. The SCQF level 6 qualification is a great way to demonstrate all the hard work that goes into learning a new skill like this.” Andrew Moffatt, trainee driver

“We’re delighted to now be able to offer trainee drivers this customised award which demonstrates the breadth of their learning. It will hopefully inspire others to consider a career in the bus sector as a bus driver.” Willie Hamilton, director of operations at Lothian

Learn more about a career as a Lothian bus driver.

Find out more about getting your training programme on the SCQF.

Watch a case study on the benefits of having your training programme credit rated to the SCQF.

Glossary Term

Authority

Appears at Level 12 only where it is used in the phrase ‘demonstrate substantial authority’, reflecting a recognised high level and depth of expertise/expert knowledge and understanding, along with confidence. It does not mean ‘exercise authority over staff and resources’ etc, as that could clearly apply at earlier levels.

Glossary Term

Exercise

Used in connection with management and/or supervisory responsibility, denotes a requirement of a formal, substantive role.

Glossary Term

Directive

Applied to ‘supervision’, signifies a task or activity that is guided.

Glossary Term

Graphical Data

Encompasses maps, plans, diagrams, tables and graphs.

Glossary Term

Synthesis

Combine discrete elements into a coherent whole.

Glossary Term

Analysis

Examine in detail with a view to explanation and interpretation.

Glossary Term

Present

Set out, put forward, deliver information using a variety of mediums as appropriate.

Glossary Term

Hypothetical

Supposed, assumed for the sake of argument.

Glossary Term

Straightforward

Clear and uncomplicated activity, but not as demanding or systematic and therefore not as advanced as ‘routine’.

Glossary Term

Creativity

Often used in combination with ‘originality’. There is overlap in definition, but the defining characteristic of creativity appears to be imagination.

Glossary Term

Originality

Often used in combination with ‘creativity’. There is overlap in definition, but the defining characteristic of originality appears to be independence.

Glossary Term

Professional

Used throughout as an adjective and applied to terms including level, skills, techniques, practices, contexts, and issues where it bears broad interpretation as ‘behaving appropriately/doing things properly and well and to notions of accepted, (including externally) prescribed standards’, as well as narrow, relating to a specific occupation designated as a profession. In this latter sense, the term applies in all contexts including academic study, eg footnoting properly.

Glossary Term

Unfamiliar

New territory for an activity.

Glossary Term

Routine

Used as an adjective throughout and applied to terms including skills, tasks, elements, practices, contexts, methods and problems where it describes activity that is standard, usual, unvarying, customary, common.

Glossary Term

Everyday

Slightly more advanced and beyond personal but a known experience/activity encountered/applied regularly - less advanced than ‘familiar’.

Glossary Term

Familiar

Often encountered or experienced; common; something one has a good knowledge of - more advanced than ‘personal’ and ‘everyday’, not as advanced as ‘routine’.

Glossary Term

Personal

An experience relating only or primarily to the person – one would expect to start here then widen out into the rest of the world, so not as advanced as ‘familiar’.

Glossary Term

Critical

Fully informed, capable of supporting in-depth analysis and assessment.

Glossary Term

Discerning

Using judgement to recognise differences but not fully equipped/informed to analyse and discuss them in depth, so less advanced than critical.

Glossary Term

Awareness

Consciousness, including a background consciousness. Can be a starting point for further exploration.

Glossary Term

Appreciation

A sense, perception, a hold, fix or grasp of one or more of the various aspects of a subject/discipline/sector.

Glossary Term

Understanding

A thorough and firm grasp of a subject/discipline/sector or an element or elements of it, derived from education/study, experience and reasoning in appropriate combination. Can be defined as ‘know why’, as opposed to ‘know that’. More holistic knowledge of processes and contexts, so more advanced than appreciation and knowledge.

Glossary Term

Simple

Undemanding activity not necessarily part of a formal structure - not as advanced as ‘basic’.

Glossary Term

Knowledge

Facts, ideas, theories and concepts in a subject/discipline/sector acquired through experience and/or education – a surer grasp than appreciation so more advanced.

Glossary Term

Basic

Activity is early stepping stone on a structure or framework that can be built upon – more advanced than ‘simple’.