Using the SCQF to provide
Careers Information & Guidance: Post-School

Gillian Wilson, Careers Adviser,
Skills Development Scotland
Tell us a bit about yourself and your role

I am a professionally qualified Skills Development Scotland Careers Adviser who has worked in the Falkirk area for over 20 years. Currently, I work in partnership with Forth Valley College to deliver group work and 1:1 interventions to students of all ages and stages of learning in order to support them in developing their career management skills.

Gillian WIlson stands next to a television screen, which is on a tall stand. Adults are sitting around, watching her presentation. The screen features the SCQF diagram
Careers Adviser Gillian Wilson works with Forth Valley College

How do you use the SCQF to provide careers advice and guidance to students?

I use the SCQF to help empower people to make informed decisions about their learning and career options. For example, many students I encounter have had a negative experience of past education and have lost confidence in their ability to learn.

This can range from school-age pupils who have come to college on exceptional entry, to adult returners. I use the Framework to highlight that there is always potential to learn and to show individuals how they can navigate their path through college and beyond with confidence so they can reach their goals.

I also use the Framework to discuss college course progression and university articulation options, to help students who have moved to Scotland to understand the Scottish education system, and to support students who have taken a break in education to quickly see where they can ‘jump back in’ and continue to progress, reassuring them that no previous experience is wasted.

Headshot of Gillian Wilson
Gillian Wilson

When students withdraw from courses or choose to leave college, I use the SCQF, along with other resources such as My World of Work, to help them navigate the entry requirements for jobs and training, as well as demonstrate how they can continue to learn through options such as Modern and Graduate Apprenticeships.

How useful do you find the SCQF when working with students?

I find the SCQF extremely useful. The effectiveness of the Framework is that the information is presented clearly. It can be used with any customer, and can be tailored to their individual needs.

It demonstrates where they have been, where they are now, and where they could go in the future. It supports them to have confidence in their learning choices and progression options, as well as helping them to make informed career decisions.

If you’ve used any SCQF resources, how do they help you in your work?

I’ve used a variety of the resources on from the SCQF website, including the Framework diagram, which directly correlates with the college-level courses. It provides me with a simple, straightforward tool to help aid discussion around the students’ needs.

I use Old v New to help older students understand where their previous qualifications sit on the Framework. I use Qualifications Can Cross Boundaries to help students who have moved from elsewhere in the UK, when they are unsure what options their qualifications open up to them in Scotland.

Another useful area of the website is the information on Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), which I use to demonstrate to students that learning can come from all areas of life, not just formal education. This helps me to encourage customers to feel confident about their existing strengths and experiences, as well as to facilitate discussion on how they can continue to develop these through future learning.

In your opinion, how does the SCQF help people of all ages to navigate learner and career pathways?

It helps customers realise that there are different ways to learn and gives them a clear structure to facilitate their own learning needs with confidence.