Understanding Qualifications

Helping You Understand Qualifications

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) is Scotlands national qualifications framework and provides a way of recognising, describing and comparing the difficulty and 'size' of a whole range of qualifications and learning programmes.

In addition to mainstream qualifications which many employers will recognise - Standard Grades, Nationals, Highers, SVQs and Degrees - the SCQF also acknowledges Apprenticeships and learning programmes developed and delivered by companies or other organisations for their staff.

SCQF 'Levels' help you to understand the difficulty of the qualification, while 'Credit Points' indicate the amount of learning involved (i.e. how long it would take on average for an employee to complete). This information can help employers and employees contextualise their learning in relation to job roles in the workplace.

Use the interactive framework diagram to see where today's qualifications sit on the framework or compare the changing qualifications from the 1960s through to today using our Old V New resource.

Using the SCQF in Recruitment

When recruiting staff, how you specify the level of skill or competence that you need applicants to have is important. Job adverts often ask for applicants to have a degree or equivalent, but do employers know what the equivalent is or are they simply looking for candidates to have a degree? 
 

By using the SCQF levels in your recruitment processes, including your job description and advert, you will increase the pool of potential talent from which to select and you and your potential employees can better understand the skills you need. See our Employer Guide and Levelling Tool. 

All SCQF credit rated programmes can be found on our database.

Qualifications Can Cross Boundaries

We work closely with the Qualifications Frameworks across the UK, and the Republic of Ireland to annually update the popular leaflet, Qualifications Can Cross Boundaries, showing the relationship of each Framework to the EQF. This is a handy resource for employers recruiting from across the UK and Ireland. 

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