COVID-19 FAQs for Foundation Apprentices

Here’s the latest guidance for anyone due to finish their Foundation Apprenticeships in June this year. 
Learners who have completed all group awards and units of their Foundation Apprenticeship will, as normal, receive the Foundation Apprenticeship certification along with the Scottish Qualification Certificate that records all their achievement.  

Learners who have completed the National Certificate Award or National Progression Award part of their Foundation Apprenticeship and have not failed any units taken will receive a Scottish Qualification Certificate listing their achievements and a Letter of Recognition, which will confirm that the pupil was on track to successfully complete.  

Colleges and universities will accept the letter of recognition for entry applications and admission – you can find the specifications for Foundation Apprenticeship admissions for colleges and universities on the Foundation Apprenticeships area apprenticeships.scot. 

UCAS has confirmed that the Letter of Recognition will gain the full UCAS Tariff score.  To achieve this, learners should select the relevant Foundation Apprenticeship within their UCAS application. 

Learners who have completed and passed other units of their Foundation Apprenticeship will gain certification from SQA for those achievements.

A Letter of Recognition will be recognised by all colleges and universities as an FA Certificate for course admissions.

Yes, if you want to complete the outstanding learning of the full FA Award in 2020/21 you will be supported by SDS and learning providers to complete it. 

The Letter of Recognition has the same value as the FA Certificate and so will always be recognised. This means, for example, that it will be accepted in future years, should you wish to defer entry into a college or university. 

Yes. SDS will support your progression to a related Modern or Graduate Apprenticeship and you can pick up learning from where you left off prior to the disruption caused by COVID-19 restrictions. 

SQA will confirm all elements that you have achieved from taking the Foundation Apprenticeship and these can be included in your CV. If you are awarded the FA Certificate and/ or the Letter of Recognition, Modern Apprenticeship providers, colleges and universities will treat these as eligible entry requirements.

Yes. SDS is working with everyone involved in delivering Foundation Apprenticeships to make sure there’s necessary adaptations in place for anyone undertaking their second year.  Your school and learning provider will keep you up to date with all arrangements.

Yes. Expressions of Interest and Foundation Apprenticeship applications are being accepted and followed up by learning providers, schools and local authorities. Speak to your teachers and careers advisers to help with any aspect of this. You should apply for your Foundation Apprenticeship through www.apprenticeships.scot, or directly to the local Learning Provider.

We will follow the Scottish Government’s guidance on safe working practices and suitable work- based learning opportunities. We are working with SQA and others to look at how Foundation Apprenticeships are delivered and assessed to make sure anything put in place meets the standards expected. 

Your school will explain the new arrangements so you can continue to study the most suitable senior phase qualifications for you. Your careers adviser can also help you to consider your learning and career pathways and help you to develop your career management skills. 

The aim is for every Foundation Apprenticeship to be delivered using a mix of face to face and on-line / remote learning activities. Your school and learning provider will guide you through a detailed outline of the course requirements and how these will be delivered. This will be tailored to meet your needs with a personalised learning agreement.

Insight Tariff data is captured via an uplift from SQA systems from the SG Benchmarking Team.  This procedure will be adapted to ensure that it captures both those in receipt of the FA Certification and those in receipt of the Letter of Recognition.  Both cohorts will attract the existing tariff agreed against each framework.  

Although your local careers centre is currently closed in line with the government COVID-19 advice, you can still get careers advice. 
 
Careers advisers are available over the phone or online. If you want to speak to your school careers adviser, you can call your local centre and ask for them by name. 

Call your local SDS team or visit myworldofwork.co.uk 

We encourage everyone – providers, employers and apprentices – to follow Government guidelines on Coronavirus.  
 
The Scottish Government’s latest information and advice is available online at: gov.scot/coronavirus. Public health advice can be found at: Coronavirus (COVID-19) on NHS Inform

If you are feeling anxious or stressed, you can find advice on looking after your mental well-being, please see Well-being Support.

You may also be experiencing personal issues such as bereavement, addiction or domestic abuse.  You can find information on a wide range of topics, including the support available to you if you have been affected by any of the issues, at BBC Action Line

We understand that many apprentices are feeling unsettled at the moment and you’ll be worried about not being able to attend your placement or school.  

We advise contacting your learning provider (college or training centre). They’ll let you know of any changes to the delivery of your apprenticeship and academic study. They’ll also have information about any learning or work you can access online or remotely and how you can use this time to continue to progress through your apprenticeship. You should also get in touch with your school.