Skills Development Scotland (SDS) is Scotland’s national skills body, operating as a company limited by guarantee on behalf of the Scottish Government. SDS is the organisation responsible for administering and funding the Modern Apprenticeship Programme across Scotland.

SDS contributes public funding towards the cost of training and assessment for employees whose employers wish to support them through an approved MA framework. They contract with approved training providers — like RADD Training — to deliver apprenticeship programmes on their behalf.

SDS publishes all approved MA frameworks, funding rates, and programme documentation at Apprenticeships.scot.

Qualifications Scotland is Scotland’s national awarding and accreditation body, replacing the former Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). It is responsible for accrediting and quality-assuring qualifications delivered in Scotland, including Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) and the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF).

In the context of Modern Apprenticeships, Qualifications Scotland:

• Accredits the SVQ qualifications that form the core of each MA framework
• Approves awarding bodies and training centres to deliver and assess qualifications
• Sets the regulatory requirements that providers like RADD Training must meet
• Issues the final certificate when an apprentice successfully completes their qualification
• Maintains the integrity and national recognition of all Scottish qualifications

All qualifications RADD Training delivers are accredited through Qualifications Scotland Accreditation, giving you confidence that your certificate is nationally and professionally recognised.

CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) is the Sector Skills Organisation (SSO) for the construction industry in the UK. They work in partnership with employers, government, and training providers to develop skills and qualifications for the construction workforce.

In the context of Modern Apprenticeships, CITB’s role includes:

• Framework development: CITB leads the development of MA frameworks for construction — these are the industry-agreed standards that set out what an apprentice must know and be able to do
• Registration: Apprentices are registered with CITB as part of the programme. CITB tracks progress and authorises final certification
• Certification: CITB issues the formal confirmation of MA achievement (the Completion Certificate), which is required before an outcome can be claimed on the SDS funding system
• Funding support: CITB also provides its own grants and funding contributions to eligible employers. This can be up to 70% for qualifying construction companies, potentially combining with SDS funding
• Quality standards: CITB helps set industry-specific standards for competence in construction trades and management

RADD Training works directly with CITB as part of our MA delivery, ensuring every apprentice is correctly registered and that all certification is properly processed.

All of our construction apprenticeships are built around Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs), accredited by Qualifications Scotland and sitting on the SCQF. The SCQF (Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework) is the national framework for recognising learning in Scotland — the higher the level, the greater the depth of knowledge and responsibility involved.

We currently deliver the following:

• SVQ Plant Operations — SCQF Level 5 (Civil Engineering)
• SVQ Controlling Lifting Operations: Supervising Lifts (Construction) — SCQF Level 7 (Technical)
• SVQ Construction Site Supervision (Construction) — SCQF Level 7 (Technical)
• SVQ Controlling Lifting Operations: Planning Lifts — SCQF Level 9 (Technical Apprenticeship)
• SVQ Construction Site Management (Construction) — SCQF Level 10 (Professional Apprenticeship)
• SVQ Construction Contracts Operations Management — SCQF Level 10 (Professional Apprenticeship)
• SVQ Construction Senior Management — SCQF Level 11 (Professional Apprenticeship)

Not sure which level is right for you? We’ll help you identify the most appropriate framework during your initial assessment.

Duration varies depending on the level of the qualification and the experience you bring. As a general guide:

• SVQ Plant Operations (SCQF Level 5) — typically 9 to 18 months
• All other frameworks — typically 6 to 18 months

Duration can be shortened where prior learning and existing qualifications are recognised (RPL — Recognition of Prior Learning). This is assessed at the initial assessment stage.

Core Skills are the essential transferable skills that support effective performance in any workplace. They are embedded within Modern Apprenticeships and help apprentices develop the capabilities needed to work safely, communicate clearly, and solve problems on site.

The five Core Skills are:

• Communication — The ability to effectively convey information through oral and written formats.
• Numeracy — Interpreting, processing, and communicating quantifiable and spatial information (e.g., using graphs, numbers, and calculators).
• Information and Communication Technology (ICT) — Using digital tools to access, process, and present information.
• Problem Solving — Critical thinking, planning, and evaluating situations to reach a solution.
• Working with Others — Collaborating, negotiating, and cooperating with others to achieve a common goal.

No. Apprentices are never charged for any part of the Modern Apprenticeship programme. This is a contractual requirement under the SDS MA conditions.

Training costs are jointly funded by:

• SDS — public funding contribution towards training and assessment costs
• The employer — who invests through paying the apprentice’s wage and supporting their development
• CITB grants — available to levy-paying employers in construction, which can cover a significant proportion of training costs

Modern Apprenticeships are primarily workplace-based. The majority of your assessment takes place on the job, in your normal working environment. Your assessor comes to you.

Some frameworks may include an element of off-the-job training or short block learning. Where this is required, it will be clearly set out in your Learning Plan at the start of your programme.

RADD Training will always aim to structure your programme in a way that minimises disruption to your employer’s operations and your work commitments.

Progress Reviews are a key part of the Modern Apprenticeship programme. They are individual meetings (not group sessions) held between you, your employer representative, and your RADD Training assessor.

Reviews must take place at least every 13 weeks throughout your apprenticeship. At each review, your assessor will:

• Review progress made against your Learning Plan and goals
• Record units and qualifications you have achieved
• Discuss your development of transferable skills (core skills, career skills, meta-skills)
• Update any changes to your contact details or expected end date
• Set goals and objectives for the next review period
• Record comments from you and your employer

All parties — you, your employer representative, and your assessor — must sign and date each Progress Review record. You will receive a copy for your own records.

Yes. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is built into the initial assessment process. If you already hold relevant qualifications, have completed prior training, or have significant workplace experience, this can be taken into account when mapping your Learning Plan.

Where RPL evidence is presented, it must be:

• Valid — directly relevant to the units being claimed
• Authentic — genuinely your own work or experience
• Current — sufficiently recent to remain applicable
• Sufficient — covering the required evidence criteria
• Reliable — verifiable through documentation or records

RPL can shorten the duration and reduce the evidence requirements of your programme. Your assessor will clearly identify any RPL at the start of your apprenticeship and map it against the relevant Milestone claims.

There are provisions within the MA programme to manage changes in employment:

• Change of employer: If you move to a new employer whose role supports your continued apprenticeship, a new Training Agreement is completed and your programme continues. Your original start date is retained.
• Redundancy: If you are made redundant, RADD Training will work with you and CITB/SDS to identify alternative employment opportunities. Additional SDS support may also be triggered.
• Maternity/paternity leave: Training is treated as temporarily interrupted. On return to work, you re-enter the programme as a re-entrant and continue from where you left off.
• Temporary interruptions: Extended sick leave, compassionate leave, or other temporary breaks can be accommodated. RADD Training must be notified immediately.

If your circumstances change at any point, contact us as soon as possible so we can advise on the right course of action and update your records accordingly.

RADD Training is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all apprentices throughout their programme. As an SDS approved provider, we are required to:

• Have a nominated safeguarding lead for children, young people, and vulnerable adults
• Maintain a robust safeguarding policy covering PREVENT and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) where applicable
• Ensure all staff are trained in safeguarding and PREVENT responsibilities
• Actively encourage equality of opportunity and take steps to support underrepresented groups
• Comply fully with the Equality Act 2010, ensuring no unlawful discrimination takes place
• Maintain clear procedures for reporting concerns

If you have a safeguarding concern at any time, contact your RADD Training assessor or our safeguarding lead directly. In an emergency, contact Police Scotland.

Getting started is straightforward. Here’s what to expect:

• Get in touch: Contact RADD Training by phone or email to discuss which apprenticeship is right for you or your employee
• Initial discussion: We’ll talk through eligibility, the relevant framework, and any prior qualifications that may count
• Initial Assessment: A formal assessment is carried out to confirm your suitability and create your personalised Learning Plan
• Training Agreement: All parties sign the SDS Training Agreement — this must be completed, signed, and dated before training begins
• Induction: You attend a programme induction so you understand how everything works, what’s expected, and who your contacts are
• Training begins: Your assessor visits you in your workplace and your apprenticeship journey starts