Scotland's careers strategy: moving forward

7. Professional Development

Professional development for practitioners will be shared more widely across the careers system, led by Skills Development Scotland. A vibrant national continuous professional development (CPD) programme will ensure that there is a clear focus on:

• multiple pathways for CIAG leadership, management and practitioner learning and development both online and offline, from apprenticeship to PhD study programmes
• learning, teaching and assessment CIAG strategies
• blended CIAG delivery drawing on digital and Artificial Intelligence approaches
• working to address issues such as gender stereotyping, inequality, fair opportunities for all, health, well-being and happiness
• evidence-based assessment and impact measures to inform benchmarking CIAG policies and practices
• the effective use and application of the Career Management Skills (CMS) framework in differing settings
• job shadowing, industry placements and peer learning
• innovation and international models of good/interesting policies and practices. 

Consideration will be given, through the pan-sectoral body (see below), to how we can most effectively ensure independent CIAG practitioners and providers are aware of, and have access to, the CPD programme. 

As an immediate priority, in recognition of the work already underway between Skills Development Scotland, the Scottish Funding Council and Education Scotland to define and embed ‘meta-skills’ within the learning and education system, we will ensure that practitioners across the sector will have a clear understanding of meta-skills and the relationship with career management skills.