Morning, Monday, 26th October 2026
Online
This conference will focus on next steps for skills and apprenticeships in Scotland, as reform of post-school education and skills progresses alongside changes to funding, delivery and oversight. Areas for discussion include implementation and accountability across the reformed system, the sustainability and responsiveness of skills provision, apprenticeship funding and participation, alignment with regional and sectoral workforce needs, and qualifications and learner progression.
It will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to discuss priorities arising from the Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Act 2026, the findings of Audit Scotland’s June 2026 report on post-school education and skills reform, the independent Fit for the Future report, and commitments set out in the SNP 2026 Manifesto.
Attendees will consider the delivery plan for reform, including sequencing, governance, programme capacity and measures of success, as responsibilities are transferred and new arrangements developed. Discussion will also assess what will be needed to maintain continuity for learners, employers and providers, while establishing clear accountability across The Scottish Government, Skills Development Scotland, the Scottish Funding Council and other bodies involved in delivery.
Policy direction, governance & system reform
Sessions will assess priorities for implementing reform across post-school education and skills, including institutional roles and responsibilities, the timetable for change and arrangements for maintaining continuity during transition.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- implementation: sequencing of reform - allocation of responsibilities - management of risks and dependencies - monitoring of progress and outcomes
- institutional roles: responsibilities of The Scottish Government, Skills Development Scotland, the Scottish Funding Council and other public bodies
- funding transfer: continuity of contracts and payments - transfer of expertise and data - quality assurance - employer and provider relationships
- system coordination: interaction between national oversight, regional delivery and institutional autonomy - clarity where responsibilities are shared
- service continuity: maintaining support for learners, employers and providers - avoiding disruption as new arrangements are introduced
Funding, capacity & institutional sustainability
Delegates will assess implications of Scottish Budget allocations for post-16 education and skills in the context of financial pressures across colleges, universities and training providers.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- provider capacity: maintaining provision, specialist staff and facilities - responding to changing learner, employer and economic needs
- funding reform: simplifying arrangements - supporting stability and flexibility - scope for multi-year planning
- delivery costs: treatment of higher-cost technical and work-based provision - implications for the range and location of provision
- access and choice: effects of funding decisions on regional access, learner options and provision in areas of skills shortage
- funding priorities: reflecting national aims, employer demand and regional circumstances - assessing the effects of changes to provision
- transparency: accountability for public funding - relationship between apprenticeship investment, wider skills budgets and employer contributions
Skills needs, workforce planning & regional delivery
Further sessions will assess priorities for skills provision in effectively responding to changing labour-market conditions, sectoral shortages and wider economic priorities across Scotland.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- skills priorities: identifying and updating national priorities - alignment with net zero, housebuilding, infrastructure, health, digital and growth needs
- employer demand: evidence required to inform funded provision - role of employers and sector bodies in workforce planning
- regional intelligence: use of local labour-market evidence - data sharing between providers, employers and public agencies
- provider response: ability of institutions to adapt provision within appropriate timescales - implications for capacity and course planning
- place-based planning: regional partnerships and collaboration between employers, providers, local authorities and public bodies
- local flexibility: responding to differing economic and workforce needs across Scotland, including rural and island communities
Apprenticeships reform, funding & participation
Priorities for apprenticeship reform will be discussed, including delivery of the Government’s commitment to 150,000 apprenticeships over the Parliament, and the future funding and delivery framework.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- delivery plans: annual profiles for the apprenticeships commitment - sectoral and regional allocation - balance between apprenticeship routes
- measuring success: starts, completion, progression and sustained employment - responsiveness to areas of workforce shortage
- delivery capacity: ability of providers and employers to support expansion - maintaining quality and learner support
- contribution rates: findings from the ongoing review - current delivery costs - differences between frameworks - additional learner needs
- provider viability: implications of funding rates for training organisations, employer participation and the scale and composition of provision
- transition timing: co-ordination of funding changes with the transfer of responsibilities to the Scottish Funding Council
- funding access: transparency and flexibility for employers - support for workforce development, reskilling and progression
Qualifications reform, pathways & system performance
With Qualifications Scotland having begun its work, delegates will consider its emerging role in work-based and vocational qualifications, and its relationship with wider reform of post-school pathways.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- qualification design: priorities for recognition, quality and alignment with changing occupational needs
- stakeholder roles: contribution of employers, providers and awarding bodies to qualification development and review
- institutional responsibilities: roles of Qualifications Scotland, the Scottish Funding Council and Skills Development Scotland
- standards and quality: division of responsibilities for frameworks, commissioning and quality assurance - maintaining confidence during transition
- progression routes: coherence between apprenticeships, further and higher education and employment - vocational, technical and academic pathways
- lifelong learning: recognition of prior learning - reskilling and upskilling - support for workers affected by technological and economic change
- careers support: helping learners and employers navigate the reformed system - maintaining accessible advice as responsibilities change
- participation and recognition: widening access - confidence in different pathways - parity of esteem across routes into employment and further study
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates.
