New Qualification - Further Information
Careers Scotland, and the other employing organisations who have signed up to the initiative, now offer a wide range of products and services to diverse client and customer groups and are seeking to develop a qualification that will prepare new recruits to fulfil a wide range of job roles within the career planning sector.
An in depth Feasibility Study and Options Appraisal exercise was carried out last year with a wide range of stakeholders within the UK to establish potential demand for a new qualification. The consultation included employing organisations, professional bodies and the Scottish Course Centres.
The key recommendations were that an enhanced 2 year programme should be developed at post graduate level fully integrating academic study and experience in the field and that one mode of delivery should be through blended/ e-learning. The blended learning option was seen as particularly important for retention of staff in rural areas and to widen access to the qualification for more mature, experienced students. The second year of the qualification will be in employment.
Key features of the new qualification will include
- Modular provision – with core, elective and progressive modules
- Flexible delivery through blended/ e-learning with appropriate student support
- Opportunities for existing practitioners to access discrete modules for CPD purposes
- Cross cutting themes – ethics, reflective practice, research activities
- Portability to and from other relevant qualifications
- Progressive skill development opportunities over the two years
- Enhanced integration of academic input and experience in the field with an emphasis on work based learning
- Designed to meet the needs of the wider sector of career planning, employability, lifelong learning and workforce development
Benchmark Statements have also been produced following a full consultation with organisations with an interest in Career Planning in Scotland. These have drawn from existing competency frameworks and identify key features of professional qualifications in Career Planning and the competencies expected of students completing courses. These Benchmark Statements, supported by Scottish Executive, have been endorsed by QAA and ICG and will be used to inform the scoping out of the qualification by the Consortium.
An Expert Reference Group of key stakeholders within the UK has been set up to advise the course developers and staff of Careers Scotland will also be involved in contributing to course design.
It is hoped that the new qualification will have the first cohort of students in September 2007 and that potential employers will include advice and guidance organisations and the lifelong learning and workforce development sectors e.g. education and training providers, career guidance organisations, economic development agencies and the voluntary and private sectors.
25/10/06
