Post-school education and skills reform legislation: consultation

Executive Summary

Our education and skills system must work as a single system that is easy to navigate, where everyone takes responsibility to deliver excellence for all. This is the Scottish Government’s vision for a reformed education system from early learning, through school age learning and beyond as set out in the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills’ statement to the Scottish Parliament on 7 November 2023.

As part of this, the Scottish Government is implementing a programme of reform for post-school education and skills to improve outcomes and increase efficiency. By looking across the whole post-school education and skills system, we can make all the right connections and implement reform coherently. We want to develop a world-class lifelong learning and skills system to help more people to fulfil their potential and be equipped to do the work they want to do. We want to ensure a sustainable future for colleges, universities, students and learners and we want a system that supports sustainable economic growth, the move to net zero and a more equal Scotland.

Reform of the post-school system is just part of the picture. There is a complementary programme of work to reform our school system. Although they are progressing as two distinct programmes (not least because of the scale of the work), they are linked. We are working together across both programmes to ensure a seamless learner journey experience.

The purpose of this consultation is to seek your views on proposals for changes to what public bodies do in the post-school system. These changes aim to simplify responsibilities for apprenticeships and student support and they need legislation. These changes are just one part of the post-school education and skills reform programme. That programme also includes: changing the way we do skills planning; improving our apprenticeship offer and national careers service; and enhancing student support. There will be more opportunities to comment and engage on other parts of the programme in the coming year.

The consultation closes on Friday 20 September 2024. You can respond to this consultation by completing the response form. You do not need to answer every question.