Next Generation Higher National Qualifications
Every year, learners across Scotland enhance their prospects by undertaking a Higher National Certificate (HNC) or a Higher National Diploma (HND). We are now adapting our Higher National qualifications to give learners the skills they need to thrive in the 21st century workplace.
Our Next Generation Higher National (NextGen: HN) qualifications will:
- be adaptable and flexible to respond to the needs of a constantly changing employment environment
- support life-long learning and multiple career options
- integrate essential 21st century skills or meta-skills
- develop critical industry and subject-specific technical skills
What will be different?
Here are some key features of the new HN qualifications.
- HNC (level 7) and HND (level 8) are standalone qualifications worth 120 SCQF credit points (equivalent to 15 SQA credits) each.
- Larger and fewer units of learning to significantly reduce assessment load and encourage more integrated learning, teaching and assessment approaches.
- Opportunity to develop meta-skills, which are defined as skills that help us adapt and excel in any context the future brings. This will be embedded in the qualification design adapted from: Skills 4.0: a skills model to drive Scotland's future:
- Significantly reduced assessment load for both learners and staff.
- Three new models of grading are being tested across the pilot qualifications.
- Digital technology used across delivery to enhance and support effective, flexible and learner-centred assessment, learning and teaching approaches.
- New approaches to grading and Quality Assurance based on stakeholder feedback and learners' needs.
SQA Academy module
An overview of how and why we established the programme, its current progress, and a timeline of future work is provided in this new SQA Academy module. The NextGen: HN module is accessible to everyone and outlines the features and benefits of the new HN qualifications.
The Minimum Viable Product approach and NextGen: HN
The Minimum Viable Product (189 KB) document explains the concept of a minimum viable product and why we are using this approach in NextGen: HN. It also looks at what a NextGen: HN minimum viable product will consist of.
Timelines and milestones
The NexGen: HN project is gathering pace with further subjects being piloted in session 2022-2023. We have produced indicative Subject Timelines to support understanding of what is happening in each subject area over subsequent years.
- Accounting (50 KB)
- Childhood Practice and and Social Services (54 KB)
- Computing (53 KB)
- Engineering (43 KB)
- Physical Activity and Health (53 KB)
- TV and Radio (53 KB)
- Social Sciences (53 KB)
NextGen: HN roadshow recording
This event introduced the NextGen: HN project and gave an overview of our work to date.
What’s happening in my subject?
Other subjects may be selected at a future point in line with selection criteria and we will update the sector as soon as there is further information.