Course Commissioning Process

Course Commissioning Process

Welcome to the SFC Upskilling Project's Course Commissioning Process webpage. Here, you will find all the information you need to move forward with your Expression of Interest.

Interested in delivering an Upskilling Course? Submit an Expression of Interest.

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Our Courses & Learners

Some key points to consider when submitting an Expression of Interest:

  • SFC Upskilling courses should focus on practical, industry-relevant skills.
  • Approximately 40% of learners on our courses are unemployed, at risk of redundancy, or lack job security. The remaining 60% consists mainly of professionals seeking career development or skills required for their changing workplace.
  • Consider how your course can help people upskill, find employment, be promoted, or change careers.
  • SFC guidance emphasises the importance of economic recovery, so courses demonstrating this are preferred.
  • SFC Upskilling courses offer two pathways: learners can choose to submit assessment(s) for academic credits that can be put towards a relevant degree at the University, or if they are simply pursuing Continued Professional Development (CPD), they can opt out of assessment submission.
  • On average, around 53% of our learners decide to complete credit-bearing assessments. When planning workload, keep in mind that not all learners may choose to submit assessments.
  • The SFC Upskilling Project deliver three runs of courses per year, in January, April, and September. Your course will be expected to run in at least one of these months.
  • SFC Upskilling courses are expected to run multiple times based on learner demand, University and SFC priorities, and staff and resource availability.

Click here to submit Expression of Interest

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Portfolio Focus

According to SFC guidance, Upskilling Portfolios should prioritise economic recovery by supporting specific actions:

  • Emerging from COVID-19: Focus on helping sectors disproportionately affected by the pandemic and those experiencing growth to adapt to new labor market conditions.
  • Future skills transition to net zero: Provide upskilling and reskilling opportunities to support the development of green skills aligned with the Scottish Government's Climate Change Plan: Energy Strategy & Just Transition.
  • EU Exit: Assist sectors facing skills gaps or shortages due to the UK's departure from the EU by accessing talent and supporting growth sectors.
  • National Strategy for Economic Transformation: Support and incentivize individuals and employers to invest in skills and training throughout their careers, foster an entrepreneurial culture, and contribute to creating a fairer society through anchor Higher Education institutions.

To meet these objectives, universities should demonstrate that their provision aligns strategically with key sectors such as Engineering, Computing, Digital, Education, and Care. Priority areas include Software Development, Data Skills, Cybersecurity, Engineering, Science, and Care; however, courses are not limited covering to these subject areas. Optimal diversity and innovation within the Portfolio is also encouraged, based on market intelligence and identified skills gaps.

Read Scotland's National Strategy for Economic Transformation

Read The Scottish Government's Draft Energy Strategy & Just Transition Plan

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Funding

The funding for the SFC Upskilling Project is allocated across three main areas, specifically for 10-week, 10-credit courses:

  1. Course Development: A fixed amount of (equivalent to 250 hours at G7) is provided to cover the expenses associated with designing and building the course.
  2. Course Delivery: The funding for course delivery is a set figure per learner and depends on the number of assessments in your course.
  3. Course Administration: A fixed amount (equivalent to G5 0.2 FTE for 20 weeks) is allocated to cover administrative tasks related to the course.

Successful course teams will receive development funding to support the course's design and construction, as well as delivery funding to cover teaching, marking, and moderation associated with the course. This funding can be utilised, for example, to cover Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs).

To ensure that the Project meets the SFC's targets, each course is assigned a target number of learners. Typically, this ranges between 50 and 100 for new courses, but exceptions can be discussed. The target number of learners forms the basis for the initial delivery funding.

The funding is transferred at College level in mid-September.

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Support Available

The SFC Upskilling Project is supported by teams from Registry, Planning Insight & Analytics, and the Learning Innovation Support Unit.

The SFC Upskilling Project Strategy Board, led by Moira Fischbacher-Smith, Vice Principal of Learning and Teaching, holds fortnightly meetings. Additionally, each college has its own SFC Upskilling Project Lead:

  • College of Arts (COA): Vicky Price
  • College of Science and Engineering (COSE): Katherine Henderson
  • College of Social Sciences (COSS): Jo Ferrie
  • College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences (MVLS): Cheryl Woolhead

Throughout the entire process of course commissioning, development, and delivery, you can rely on the support of the SFC Upskilling Project Team, which is managed by Keir Elder.

Meet the Project Team

In The Meantime...