The STF Conference 2026 will be held on Tuesday 6 October 2026 in Glasgow. The event will take place in the offices of Qualifications Scotland and will run from 10.00 – 3.15.

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

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

SPEAKERS

Other speakers include:

• 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 will be Kevin Briggs, Depute Principal, UHI Shetland. STF Chair, Caroline McFarlane will facilitate the Q&A sessions.

BOOKINGS

The conference is now fully booked.

WORKSHOPS

Workshops will be hosted by the following organisations:

• Qualifications Scotland
• Skills Development Scotland & Scottish Funding Council
• PeoplePlus.

More information about workshops speakers and content will be provided shortly.

AGENDA

STF Conference 2026 – Agenda (PDF)

28 September 2026