I’m a member of a working group that is looking at replacement qualifications for the existing Diploma in IT & Telecoms Professionals, which exists at SCQF Levels 5, 6 and 8. The group met this morning to look at the replacement qualifications.

Tech Partnership is proposing to replace these qualifications with three new awards:

• Diploma in IT Infrastructure
• Diploma in IT Solution Development
• Diploma in Digital Telecoms.

These will be available at SCQF Levels 6 and 8 — so there will be no Level 5 replacement (the existing Level 5 award will end). The purpose of today’s meeting was to consider the draft frameworks for the IT Infrastructure and IT Solution awards, and also consider draft versions of the component units.

The meeting went well and the draft frameworks and units were largely liked so there won’t be many changes to the proposed qualifications. Once the frameworks and units are approved by SQA Accreditation, the interested awarding bodies (which includes SQA Awarding) will then create their own qualifications based on them, and eventually find their way into Modern Apprenticeships.

Tech Partnership hopes to have the Diplomas completed by March of next year, with the intention of having them included in MAs by July. Contact Chris for more information about this development or contact Emma for more information about Competence Based Qualifications.