SVQs - information for candidates

Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) tell you exactly what you have to do in a job to do it well. They are based on national standards drawn up by people from industry, commerce and education. So if you have an SVQ, then you have a way of proving that you do your job well, to national standards agreed by the industry or commercial sector you work in.

SVQs tell employers:

Who can do SVQs?

All kinds of people do SVQs, you might:

What's available?

There are SVQs for nearly all occupations in Scotland, from forestry to IT, management to catering, journalism to construction. And because they are available at five levels of difficulty - whether you are just starting out or have years of experience -there is an SVQ for you. Meaning that SVQs help you to progress throughout your working years. 

Explore SVQs

What should you do now?

If you are in a job, talk to your boss about SVQs. There may be a programme set up in your workplace or, if not, your employer can contact us:

We can help to set up SVQ programmes, whether your company employs two people or 2,000. And if you're not working at the moment, you might be able to do an SVQ through a training provider or through an initiative like Skillseekers - contact your local careers office or browse the Learndirect Scotland website for details.