Stuart McKenna, who sits on the SCQF Partnership Board

I’m delighted to be hosting SCQF@25, a special conference celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework, taking place on Tuesday 22 September 2026 at Glasgow Science Centre.

It’s a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the achievements of the SCQF over the past 25 years, while looking ahead to how the Framework can continue to support learners, employers, education and training providers.

The SCQF has a wonderfully diverse range of stakeholders, and that is reflected in the conference programme.

Networking opportunity

I’m looking forward to hearing new ideas and perspectives, meeting old friends and new colleagues, developing relationships and exploring how the SCQF is being used in practice.

As Chief Executive of the Scottish Training Federation (STF), I’m particularly interested in how we can continue to promote the benefits of the SCQF to STF members.

Most of our members deliver apprenticeships and employability programmes, and many have used the SCQF since its inception to understand and communicate the level of programmes they deliver, including SVQs and, more recently, apprenticeships.

The formal recognition provided by the SCQF gives confidence to learners and employers, while helping learners understand how their qualifications can support their wider education and career pathways.

STF members can also have confidence in the quality of programmes that have gone through the Framework’s robust quality assurance process.

A former board member

I was delighted to serve on the SCQF Partnership Board from 2019 to 2025, which gave me the opportunity to contribute an employer perspective while gaining a deeper understanding of how the Framework can support our members and the wider skills system.

I look forward to continuing to work with Marissa Lippiatt and the SCQF Partnership team as we celebrate this important milestone.

Here’s to the next 25 years – see you at SCQF@25 on 22 September!

SCQF@25 tickets

Not got your ticket yet? Book at SCQFP 25th Anniversary Conference 2026.

Glossary Term

Authority

Appears at Level 12 only where it is used in the phrase ‘demonstrate substantial authority’, reflecting a recognised high level and depth of expertise/expert knowledge and understanding, along with confidence. It does not mean ‘exercise authority over staff and resources’ etc, as that could clearly apply at earlier levels.

Glossary Term

Exercise

Used in connection with management and/or supervisory responsibility, denotes a requirement of a formal, substantive role.

Glossary Term

Directive

Applied to ‘supervision’, signifies a task or activity that is guided.

Glossary Term

Graphical Data

Encompasses maps, plans, diagrams, tables and graphs.

Glossary Term

Synthesis

Combine discrete elements into a coherent whole.

Glossary Term

Analysis

Examine in detail with a view to explanation and interpretation.

Glossary Term

Present

Set out, put forward, deliver information using a variety of mediums as appropriate.

Glossary Term

Hypothetical

Supposed, assumed for the sake of argument.

Glossary Term

Straightforward

Clear and uncomplicated activity, but not as demanding or systematic and therefore not as advanced as ‘routine’.

Glossary Term

Creativity

Often used in combination with ‘originality’. There is overlap in definition, but the defining characteristic of creativity appears to be imagination.

Glossary Term

Originality

Often used in combination with ‘creativity’. There is overlap in definition, but the defining characteristic of originality appears to be independence.

Glossary Term

Professional

Used throughout as an adjective and applied to terms including level, skills, techniques, practices, contexts, and issues where it bears broad interpretation as ‘behaving appropriately/doing things properly and well and to notions of accepted, (including externally) prescribed standards’, as well as narrow, relating to a specific occupation designated as a profession. In this latter sense, the term applies in all contexts including academic study, eg footnoting properly.

Glossary Term

Unfamiliar

New territory for an activity.

Glossary Term

Routine

Used as an adjective throughout and applied to terms including skills, tasks, elements, practices, contexts, methods and problems where it describes activity that is standard, usual, unvarying, customary, common.

Glossary Term

Everyday

Slightly more advanced and beyond personal but a known experience/activity encountered/applied regularly - less advanced than ‘familiar’.

Glossary Term

Familiar

Often encountered or experienced; common; something one has a good knowledge of - more advanced than ‘personal’ and ‘everyday’, not as advanced as ‘routine’.

Glossary Term

Personal

An experience relating only or primarily to the person – one would expect to start here then widen out into the rest of the world, so not as advanced as ‘familiar’.

Glossary Term

Critical

Fully informed, capable of supporting in-depth analysis and assessment.

Glossary Term

Discerning

Using judgement to recognise differences but not fully equipped/informed to analyse and discuss them in depth, so less advanced than critical.

Glossary Term

Awareness

Consciousness, including a background consciousness. Can be a starting point for further exploration.

Glossary Term

Appreciation

A sense, perception, a hold, fix or grasp of one or more of the various aspects of a subject/discipline/sector.

Glossary Term

Understanding

A thorough and firm grasp of a subject/discipline/sector or an element or elements of it, derived from education/study, experience and reasoning in appropriate combination. Can be defined as ‘know why’, as opposed to ‘know that’. More holistic knowledge of processes and contexts, so more advanced than appreciation and knowledge.

Glossary Term

Simple

Undemanding activity not necessarily part of a formal structure - not as advanced as ‘basic’.

Glossary Term

Knowledge

Facts, ideas, theories and concepts in a subject/discipline/sector acquired through experience and/or education – a surer grasp than appreciation so more advanced.

Glossary Term

Basic

Activity is early stepping stone on a structure or framework that can be built upon – more advanced than ‘simple’.