Star Awards Finalists announced

Our annual star awards are a unique way to celebrate the success, triumph, achievement and recognition of the best in Scottish education and training and it will not be long now until the winners for 2009 are announced. The ceremony takes place at the end of October in Edinburgh.

Many thanks to all of those you nominated an individual or an organisation for one of these prestigious awards. Once again we received a tremendous number of nominations from across Scotland. The judges had a difficult job to select the finalists in each category.

Our star awards ceremony is also an opportunity to present our premier award, The Fellowship of SQA, to individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to education and training in Scotland. This year we are delighted to announce that the Fellowship will go to Dr Judith McClure and Judith Gillespie.

Find out more about the awards and finalists

Safe Road User given a test drive

SQA have developed a Safe Road User Award in collaboration with the Driving Standards Agency (DSA). It follows initiatives by the UK Government to stimulate positive changes to potentially harmful driving attitudes and behaviours. Its main purpose is the develop young people's road sense. The Award focuses on positive attitudes and behaviours whilst developing learners' knowledge and confidence for safe road use.

A number of European members of the Commission Internationale des Examens de Conduite Automobile (CIECA), the international commission for driver testing authorities, recently met with SQA and DSA at Anniesland College. The CIECA is active in the fields of road safety and driver testing and has 40 member countries worldwide.

SQA Head of Science and Technology Qualifications Development, Alastair MacGregor presented the CIECA delegates with an overview of the Safe Road User Award and the benefits it brings to young people. Anniesland College are currently involved with the controlled roll of the Safe Road User Award, and the delegates were able to participate in the course being delivered to a group of young people at the college, finding out at first hand how they learn and what they get out of the course.

Find out more about this new award

PDAs in Management

Do you currently deliver Management training which is uncertificated? Or are you looking for short, sharp, high level qualifications in Management which are industry recognised?

We have developed a suite of nine short Professional Development Awards in Management, ranging from SCQF level 6 (Higher level) to SCQF level 9 (degree level) that are jointly certificated with the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).

The PDAs in Management are designed to develop knowledge and understanding of the principles of management. They are not just relevant to employees already in management but also those aspiring to a managerial role.  Furthermore they can also support those currently not in employment to develop management skills to help return to the workplace.

They each comprise 2 Higher National Units and are complemented by free high quality candidate workbooks and interactive learning materials.

• PDA in Management (SCQF level 6)
• PDA in Managing Self and Others (SCQF level 7)
• PDA in Managing Self and Others (SCQF level 8)
• PDA in Managing Resources and Quality (SCQF level 7)
• PDA in Leadership and Change (SCQF level 8)
• PDA in Project Management (SCQF level 8)
• PDA in Organisational Leadership (SCQF level 9)
• PDA in Strategic Management (SCQF level 9)
• PDA in Decision Making and Innovation (SCQF level 9)

Find out more information about PDAs in Management  and support materials  or email  mycentre@sqa.org.uk.

We want to hear your views

We are seeking the views of colleges, training providers and industry on qualifications in Advertising (National Certificates) Sales (Professional Development Awards) and Management (SVQ-based Professional Development Awards)

For more information and to take part in the consultation please follow the links below to complete a short questionnaire.

Sales

Advertising and Marketing

Management

SQA Inclusion Group

We recently held the first meeting of the SQA Inclusion Group which was chaired by Professor Martyn Rouse of the University of Aberdeen. Martyn has emphasised the importance of establishing such a group and the opportunities that it presents to address a range of issues around inclusion, assessment and qualifications.

This first meeting as well as letting members gets to know each other and sharing experiences also provided an opportunity to discuss and consider future priorities. The current membership represents a broad range of sectors and centres including Pauline Harte the Depute Head of Education in Kibble Education and Care Centre who brings specialist experience of working with young people with a complex mix of social, emotional and behavioral difficulties and Carol Cutler who is currently Principal Teacher Pupil Support (Learning) at Barrhead High School.

We will provide you with a further update after the next meeting of the Inclusion Group in December. If you would like to find out more please contact Chris Sutherland (T: 0845 2135557).
 

Finding out about Computer Wings

We recently endorsed Dublin based company Q-Validus' suite of awards, Computer Wings and Spreadsheet Safe. These products are now fully finalised and available for you to offer.

Earlier in the month, we hosted an information and open day for our customers, where Q-Validus representatives demonstrated the new products and answered questions.

These new IT certification programmes are designed to improve productivity in the workplace through more efficient and effective use of modern day office IT applications. The certification programmes focus on improving functional and collaborative skills between knowledge workers within today's technology-centric workplace. This programme is now being rolled out globally by Q-Validus' partners.

The Computer Wings and Spreadsheet Safe Units are mapped to the latest UK National Occupational Standards and have also been formally credit rated and levelled for inclusion on the SCQF.

The Computer Wings and Spreadsheet Safe Units will now be actively rolled out and delivered via a network of Q-Validus Authorised Centres. The first of these Authorised Centres in Scotland is Coatbridge College. John Doyle, Coatbridge's Principal said, 'Coatbridge College is delighted to be the first accredited provider of this important qualification in Scotland. This accreditation has been the result of a strong partnership with Q-Validus and Enterprise Ireland and we look forward to developing our relationship in the future. Partnerships such as these will become increasingly important in the future as we continue our engagement with employers to deliver innovative and relevant products.'

Joe Wilson, SQA New Ventures Manager said, 'SQA is delighted to be associated with the Computer Wings programme. We look forward to continuing to work with Q-Validus to promote these very useful products.'

For further information about how to become an Authorised Centre and for any other queries you may have, please contact Garry Cleere at Q-Validus.

SQA's New Ventures Team are happy to discuss opportunities to develop new partnerships with publishers, broadcasters, industry and providers of learning materials as well as developing new relationships with other organisations and awarding bodies which will benefit the learners of Scotland.

Find out more

Catriona has designs on a great career

Banff and Buchan College recently held their annual graduation ceremony. Winner of the SQA Local Award was Catriona Sweeney who achieved an HNC in Art and Design.

Catriona, is a single mum and has overcome significant health problems to gain her qualification.

She has been a real success story - first attending college to study Art and Design at Intermediate 1 level before successfully progressing through Higher Level and on to HNC where she gained an A Pass in the Graded Unit.

Catriona's next goal is to use her qualification to help others through community work.

Inspiring Good Practice

HMIE and LTS invite you to attend a two day conference 'Inspiring! - the role of the expressive arts within Curriculum for Excellence'.

Taking place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Glasgow on the 3 and 4 November 2009, the conference promises to be not only inspiring, but also stimulating and informative. 

Through a mix of keynote addresses, active learning workshops, networking and group discussions delegates will be able to find out how practitioners in dance, drama, art and design, music and media/moving image are successfully helping young people develop their learning skills, improve their confidence and contribute effectively and responsibly within their communities.

The conference will also explore how links across the wider curriculum, involvement by professional arts companies and the use of digital technologies can help develop young people's creativity.

SQA will provide information and a workshop on the new National Certificate Group Awards in the expressive arts.

The conference is for teachers, lecturers and community leaders who wish to develop their understanding and practice within the arts and enhance their ability to implement a Curriculum for Excellence. It is also aimed at local authority, community workers or professional arts staff with responsibility for the arts in education. Delegates can elect to attend on either or both days.

Further details and an application form are available by contacting veronica@eltconsultants.co.uk.

SQA meet Young Entrepreneurs

We were delighted to sponsor the Young Enterprise Scotland Awards which took place earlier in the year.

Young Enterprise Scotland is one of Scotland's leading providers for aspiring young people. Their programmes give young people aged 5 - 25 the opportunity to develop their full potential and raise their confidence through real-life experience of the world of business, employment and economics.

Edinburgh-based Pursuit, were one of the finalists at the Awards. The company has created an online community for students across Scotland to discuss and share study resources and help one another as well.

SQA invited the Pursuit team to meet and find our more about what we do as the national awarding body and gave us very useful feedback on our candidate channels including MySQA.