Skills Development Scotland (SDS) has begun a structured programme of stakeholder engagement to test and refine the draft Foundation Apprenticeship Principles and Guidance.
The engagement is designed to build a clear evidence base using a phased approach as below.
- Employer and Industry Validation– testing whether the draft principles reflect workplace requirements, future skills demand and sector expectations.
- Delivery System Consultation– working with schools, colleges, training providers, local authorities and skills bodies to understand deliverability, resourcing, timetabling, assessment and quality assurance implications.
- Learner and Parent Consultation– gathering views from learners, parents and carers to understand the attractiveness, accessibility and perceived value of the principles
- Equality, Inclusion and Specialist Review– testing the draft principles against equality, accessibility, geography and inclusion requirements, including rural and island considerations.
- National Consensus and Final Refinement– bringing together evidence from all phases to agree proposed revisions and support a final set of Principles and Guidance that can be implemented with confidence.
This phased approach is intended to ensure that feedback is gathered in a transparent, inclusive and evidence-based way. It will also help us identify practical implications early, particularly in regards to delivery, employer participation, learner experience or progression routes.
Further details on timings, engagement methods and opportunities to contribute will be shared as planning progresses.
