SVQ 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 which are drawn up by people from industry, commerce and education. This means that if you have an SVQ you have a way of proving that you can do your job well, to national standards agreed by whatever industry or commercial sector you are in. SVQs send powerful messages to employers:

• you can do your job confidently and well
• your are motivated, confident and ambitious
• you are ready to take on responsibility
• you are committed to your work

Who can do SVQs?

SVQs are about being able to do your job well - the one you're doing now or one that you would like to do in the future. All kinds of people can do SVQs, for example, you might:

• be a new recruit with lots to learn
• have lots of experience but no way to prove it
• be taking part in a training scheme at work or studying part-time at college or with a training provider
• have a qualification like a degree and would like to complement it with practical, vocational skills

What is 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, you can be sure that there is an SVQ for you - whether you are just starting out or have years of experience. That means that SVQs help you to progress throughout your working years. Try our SVQ Information Sheet search to find one that might be suitable for you.

What should you do now?

If you are in a job talk to your boss about SVQs. There may already be a programme set up in your workplace or, if not, your employer can contact our Customer Contact Centre by phone (tel: 0845 279 1000) or e-mail customer@sqa.org.uk to find out more. We can help to set up SVQ programmes whether your company employes 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 for advise. Or browse the Learndirect Scotland website for details of SVQ programmes running throughout the country.

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