A few months ago, I was approached by the University of Strathclyde and a group of colleges to ask if SQA would develop qualifications for the Digital Academy. I am delighted to let you know that I have been given approval to proceed with this development. This development will produce two new HNCs: 1. HNC Computer Science 2. HNC Data Analytics. These qualifications will articulate with the University’s existing degree in Computer Science and new degree in Data Analytics (2016). The…
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I got back from holiday this morning to discover that all of the Units within the NPAs in Cyber Security have now been published. There are nine units in total (three at each SCQF Level) [PDFs]. Data Security (Level 4) Data Security (Level 5) Data Security (Level 6) Digital Forensics (Level 4) Digital Forensics (Level 5) Digital Forensics (Level 6) Ethical Hacking (Level 4) Ethical Hacking (Level 5) Ethical Hacking (Level 6) We’re pretty pleased with these new National Units. The…
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The validation event for the NPAs in Cyber Security took place yesterday in Glasgow. I am delighted to report that the award was validated, subject to a couple of conditions and recommendations. The purpose of validation is for fresh eyes to check the proposed qualification. Members of the Validation Panel must have had no involvement in the qualification development. A validation event is a meeting of peers (it’s not an inspection of a proposed award) with the aim of making it…
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The new Higher National Unit entitled Digital Skills is now available [PDF] on the SQA website. This Level 7 Unit is designed for non-specialists who want to gain essential knowledge and skills in digital technologies. Its contents are up-to-date including a range of digital devices (such as PCs, tablets and smartphones) and digital services (including social media). The Unit also covers online safety, cyber security, information skills, and rights and responsibilities. It should be appropriate to a wide range of learners including, perhaps,…
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I’ve been meaning to find the time to update you about PC Passport. This award has been under review since January, when the first QDT meeting took place. We’ve made a lot of progress since then. The qualification FAQ summarises the current state of the development. We’ve agreed a structure (at all three levels) and we are currently writing the units. They’re coming along well. We hope to validate the qualification late 2015 and have it available to centres from January…
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I’m pleased to announce that we will be developing a suite of awards in software development. These new qualifications will be Professional Development Awards (PDAs) at SCQF Levels 7, 8 and 9. The working title of the qualifications will be: PDA in Software Development at SCQF Levels 7, 8 and 9. The business case was recently approved so I am now in a position to begin this development. The qualifications will focus on programming skills to address the skills shortage…
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A few months ago, I mentioned that we were developing a new HN Unit entitled Digital Skills at SCQF Level 7. The aim of the Unit is to deliver basic digital skills to learners undertaking HN awards. The Unit is just about finished now. It will be finalised and coded in the next few weeks. You can see the current version of the Unit here. It will be available to centres from 1 August. Caroline will consult with the QST…
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The QDT for NPA Cyber Security met yesterday. It was an all day meeting to focus on finalising the qualification. We spent a lot of time considering the consultation feedback and looking at the contents of the units. We’ve made a lot of progress in a short period of time. The units will be finalised in the next few days, as will the Group Award Specification, so that we can go forward to validation, which takes place on 25 June.…
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The first meeting of the Qualification Development Team (QDT) for HNC/D Computer Games Development met this afternoon. The QDT is responsible for revising and validating the qualification. Members normally include representatives of colleges, universities, employers and special interest groups. Colleges are well represented but we could do with more employer and university representation. The HNC award was originally devised by Stow College in 2005 and became a national award in 2007. We introduced the HND in 2010. So it’s due…
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