Meta-skills Community of Practice and Thematic Review

We thank all providers who attended and contributed to the Meta-skills Community of Practice (CoP) event in April. Feedback was highly positive, with the event rated 9.2 out of 10 for usefulness, and 89% of attendees reporting that it challenged their thinking “a lot” or “more than expected”. This reflects the strong engagement and openness shown by participants.

The high level findings of the Meta-skills Thematic Review 2025/26 were shared at the CoP and the national report is now available. This report examines how meta-skills are delivered across Modern Apprenticeships in Scotland, bringing together evidence to highlight current practice, strengths, and areas for improvement to support ongoing quality enhancement.

All meta-skills resources, including CoP resources and the Thematic Review national report, are available on the Learning Provider Information and Guidance section of apprenticeships.scot.

Join SDS at the National Apprenticeship and Education Show 

The National Apprenticeship and Education Events are the UK’s leading series of early careers events, connecting thousands of school and college students with top employers, training providers and universities each year.

The event provides a dedicated platform to support young people in exploring apprenticeships, further education and career pathways. Bringing together industry and education, the events offer valuable face-to-face engagement, interactive exhibits and live talks, helping students make informed decisions about their future while supporting employers to develop a skilled workforce.

HMIE Modern Apprenticeship Inspection Reports

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) in Scotland has published its report following the inspection of Modern Apprenticeship provision delivered by North East Scotland College.

The report is available on the HMIE website and sets out HMIE’s evaluative findings against the relevant quality framework.

EASE App – Supporting apprentices with mental health and wellbeing

The EASE (Early Access to Support for You) App from SUSE is a free digital mental health and wellbeing resource designed to support individuals to manage their wellbeing and access support when they need it. The app (available for free on the app store) brings together practical tools, self-help resources and clear signposting to support services, helping users build resilience and take positive steps to look after their mental health.

For learning providers, the EASE App can be a valuable resource to share with apprentices, supporting wellbeing alongside learning and work. Promoting accessible tools like EASE can help create a more supportive environment, encourage early intervention, and ensure apprentices know where to turn for help.

Modern Apprenticeship provider e-learning

We would like to remind all Modern Apprenticeship providers that provider e-learning is available on the SDS e-learning platform. Once registered, you can access training and resources designed to support your engagement and delivery of Skills Development Scotland’s contractual and quality requirements.

The LMS hosts learning on a range of topics, including apprentice progress reviews, equality and diversity, meta-skills, and data management, supporting continuous improvement across apprenticeship delivery. When registering for an account, please use your work email address as your username and record your organisation name.

Coming soon: we are currently refreshing the Self-evaluation, Quality Action Planning, and Meta-skills e-learning. Further updates will be shared in the autumn.

Gender Commission e-learning module

A reminder that our Gender Commission e-learning module is available on the SDS Learning Management System, designed to support learning providers to better understand and address gender inequality within apprenticeships.

The module highlights key findings from the Gender Commission and explores practical actions providers can take to support more inclusive recruitment, retention and progression. It is a useful resource for anyone involved in apprenticeship delivery who is looking to strengthen gender equality practice.

We encourage providers to revisit and share the module with colleagues to support ongoing learning and embed inclusive approaches across programmes.

Facilities Services MA Development Stakeholder Support Request

SDS is progressing the development of the Facilities Services Modern Apprenticeship and has reached a key stage in finalising the qualification structure.

To support this, we are seeking assistance from learning providers to help identify and engage relevant employers and stakeholders who can contribute to a short review of the qualification content and structure.

We are also planning a final MA framework workshop in early July (dates TBC) and would welcome participation from those with relevant sector insight.

If you or your networks are able to support, either through providing feedback or attending the workshop then please contact Laura McEwan. Your input will help ensure the apprenticeship reflects current industry needs and can progress to approval.

New Modern Apprenticeships coming soon: Trees and Timber at SCQF 5&6; Logistics, Warehousing, Distribution, Storage and Removals at SCQF 5, 6 &7

New Modern Apprenticeships in Trees and Timber at SCQF Levels 5 and 6; and Logistics, Warehousing, Distribution, Storage and Removals at SCQF Levels 5, 6 and 7 are in the final stages of development.

The new SVQ qualification products have now been approved, and Qualifications Scotland are preparing the qualifications for accreditation. Two provider launch webinars are being planned for early September to support delivery and engagement - further details will be available soon.

For more information or to express interest in the apprenticeships or the events contact Liz Walker.