Education Secretary Angela Constance announces Scottish Professional Baccalaureate

A new qualification to promote work-based learning has been announced by Education Secretary Angela Constance at Holyrood’s STEM event today.

The Professional Baccalaureate will be developed with employers to boost technical, professional and core skills and provide opportunities for employment while pupils are still at school.

Speaking at Holyrood’s conference on promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in Education, Constance said the Government’s target was to reduce youth unemployment by 40 per cent by 2021, while also encouraging young people to stay on at school.

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“This new qualification will offer clear programmes of learning, relevant for the world of work and key employment sectors. It will be open to all of our young people to help them develop the professional skills they need to succeed in the workplace, and achieve all they possibly can,” she said.

The Professional Baccalaureate will be available at a range of SCQF levels and will include a core requirement around employer engagement and high quality work experience.

Janet Brown, chief executive of the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), said: “SQA is committed to the Developing the Young Workforce agenda and looks forward to engaging with employers and the education community in developing the concept of the professional baccalaureate, ensuring that it meets the needs of the economy and young people alike.”