The STF Conference 2026 was held on Tuesday 6 October 2026 in Glasgow. The event took place in the offices of Qualifications Scotland.

The theme of the conference was: The future of Apprenticeships and Employability in Scotland.

Alyn Smith MSP, newly appointed Minister for Innovation, Technology and Tertiary Education, was the keynote speaker and provided an update on the progress of reforms resulting from the passing of the Tertiary Education and Training (Scotland) Act.

SPEAKERS

Other speakers included:

• Paul Devoy, Interim Chief Executive, Scottish Funding Council
• Diane Greenlees, Director of National Training Programmes, Skills Development Scotland
• John Booth, Chief Strategy Officer, Qualifications Scotland
• Gill Ritchie, Strategic Director, HMIE
• Lisa Cahill, Director, Scottish Training Federation
• Angharad Beynon, Head of Policy, VTCT Skills.

The conference host was Kevin Briggs, Depute Principal, UHI Shetland. STF Chair, Caroline McFarlane facilitated the Q&A sessions.