The Scottish Government provides a range of financial and logistical support to early learning and childcare (ELC) practitioners seeking to upskill through formal qualifications.

(a) Financial Support

In 2024-25, the Scottish Government allocated over £8 million to support Skills Development Scotland to deliver Modern Apprenticeships in childcare.

A tuition fee grant of up to £1,820 is available via the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) through the Part-Time Fee Grant (PTFG) for individuals with a personal income of £25,000 or less. This funding supports eligible higher education courses and professional development at SCQF Levels 7–10, delivered by approved providers in Scotland. This funding is available to those working in childcare who are looking to study for a degree or college-based qualification.

The Scottish Government is also providing funding to enable 100 practitioners to study Masters degrees at the Universities of Strathclyde and Aberdeen to support their early years practice.

(b) Logistical Support

Practitioners benefit from a range of logistical support options to help them upskill while continuing to work in ELC. Many training providers offer flexible routes such as part-time, online or modular learning, enabling practitioners to balance study with existing commitments.

Work-based qualifications, including Modern and Technical Apprenticeships, allow staff to gain experience and qualifications on the job. In addition, many ELC employers support professional development by providing study leave, protected learning time and mentoring.

Practitioners can also access resources through the Scottish Social Services Council’s Continuous Professional Learning (CPL) portal, which offers a range of ELC-specific training opportunities and guidance.

“Best Start, the strategic early learning and school age childcare plan 2022 to 2026” outlines four key priorities that will move us closer to achieving our vision that, through access to rich and nurturing early learning and school age childcare experiences, children, families, and their communities are enabled to reach their full potential and the poverty-related outcomes gap narrows.

Priority 3 is “Ensuring that the delivery of our priorities is supported by a sustainable, diverse and thriving sector and profession”. We recognise that we cannot deliver positive outcomes for children and families without a sustainable, diverse and thriving childcare sector. For that reason, we have taken forward actions including:

• making Fair Work central to the 1140 expansion to date - our investment to support sustainable rates and the ELC real Living Wage has already led to increases in pay across private and third sector providers;
• developing a range of new resources and learning signposting tools for the childcare workforce, including a new continuous professional learning portal and a new National Induction Resource;
• working with local government and our partners in the sector to develop long-term workforce plans that address workforce issues and ensure sustainable delivery of the 1140 funded entitlement;
• allocating over £8 million in 2024-25 to Skills Development Scotland to deliver Modern Apprenticeships in childcare;
• providing funding for 100 childcare professionals to study for Masters qualifications each year at the University of Strathclyde and the University of Aberdeen; and
• investing in the Programme for Scotland’s Childminding Future, launched in June 2024 and backed by more than £1.6 million in 2025-26.

The Skills Development Scotland Sectoral Skills Assessment Childcare Report 2024 contains both a mid-term (2024-2027) and long term (2024 – 2034) future demand forecast for the childcare sector. In both forecasts, employment growth in the childcare sector is predicted to continue and with a larger percentage growth than is forecast overall across Scotland. However, the forecasts also suggest that recruitment will remain challenging in the sector.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-37815 on 4 June 2025

“Best Start: Strategic early learning and school age childcare plan for Scotland 2022-26" sets out our vision for early learning and school age childcare, our strategic priorities and the principles which guide our approach to working with partners and families.

With regard to reviewing and enhancing qualifications, we have worked with the Scottish Qualifications Authority to support the development and piloting of next generation Higher National qualifications for the childcare profession, which we anticipate will be rolled out fully for the next academic year.

The Scottish Government is also working with the Scottish Social Services Council on the current review of National Occupational Standards and will support the forthcoming review of Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQ). This work ensures qualifications are fit-for-purpose in providing the childcare profession with the knowledge, skills and experience required to deliver high quality services for children and families.

The response to question S6W-37815 on 4 June 2025 outlines additional actions that the Scottish Government is taking to support the ELC profession.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

The Scottish Government has not undertaken any such analysis. However, research undertaken by Public Health Scotland shows that the best experiences for children are found where professionals hold higher-level qualifications specific to early childhood, or those with a background in early years methodology, and where there is a range of staff with complementary skills in settings.

This information is not available broken down by qualification level or local authority.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-37812 on 4 June 2025.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

We recognise how vital early learning and childcare is in all parts of Scotland, both in relation to giving children the best start in life and supporting families to work.

We are working with local government and our partners in the sector to develop long-term workforce plans that address workforce issues and ensure sustainable delivery of the 1140 funded entitlement.

At a national level, several work programmes are underway to support childcare provision in rural areas and areas of disadvantage including:

• funding the national childminder recruitment and retention programme;
• making grants available to local authorities via the Addressing Depopulation Action Plan Fund, two of which will contain a focus on addressing childcare issues in areas affected by acute population decline;
• continuing our investment of £16 million over two years into our early adopter communities;
• providing funding to local authorities to enable payment of the real Living Wage to childcare workers in private and voluntary services providing funded ELC; and
• continuing to provide funding to local authorities to enable additional teachers or degree-qualified childcare professionals to work in ELC settings in the most disadvantaged areas.

The Scottish Social Services Council published their ‘Have Your Say’ Workforce Wellbeing Survey 2025 report on 22 April 2025. The survey aims to capture the experiences of people working in the social work, social care and children and young people workforce, to inform the development of national policies and strategies on how best to support the workforce, and to inform national workforce planning. We are considering the findings of the report carefully with partners.

The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

The Care Inspectorate report data publicly on their Datastore which may be able to assist with this question or alternatively the Care Inspectorate could be approached directly for a response.

Information about the Scottish Government’s steps to reform or modernise these public bodies is included below.

(a) Scottish Enterprise

As our national enterprise agency, Scottish Enterprise is focused on delivering a programme of support to help businesses to start and scale, increase and improve productivity, access finance and attract investment, develop new products and services, enter new markets, and positively impact on their communities. Through its missions-based approach, Scottish Enterprise focuses on targeted areas and opportunities with the greatest potential for transformational change and impact on Scotland’s economic growth Scottish Enterprise’s workforce innovation specialists can offer businesses tailored guidance to help build workplace culture across areas like workforce planning and organisational design.

(b) Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council

On 22 January 2025, the Minister for Higher and Further Education; and Minister for Veterans announced the next steps in delivering plans to simplify the post-school funding body landscape. Changes will include funding of apprenticeships moving from Skills Development Scotland to the Scottish Funding Council, as well as moving all student support funding within the Student Awards Agency Scotland.

On 5 February, the Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill was formally introduced to the Scottish Parliament. On 6 February, the Minister for Higher and Further Education; and Veterans announced the introduction of Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill to Parliament.

We are pressing ahead with the proposal to consolidate all post-school provision funding within the Scottish Funding Council and all student support funding within the Student Awards Agency Scotland. This Government committed to bringing learner support funding together in one place, and funding for apprenticeship provision together in one place

None of the changes we are bringing about are a reflection on the performance of any individual organisation, indeed there is strength and depth across all our public bodies. Skills Development Scotland will continue to play an important role working to Ministerial priorities across the skills system, particularly their ongoing careers delivery role. We will work with Skills Development Scotland regarding their remaining functions and will set out further details in the coming months. All of our public bodies will have to transform to meet the needs of the system following these changes.

The Scottish Funding Council will be a fundamentally different organisation. This change means that all apprenticeships will be overseen by the Scottish Funding Council. This will also result in Student Awards Agency Scotland taking responsibility for all further education student support funding, with the Scottish Funding Council no longer involved in this process.

(c) Scottish Social Services Council

Last year, following Scottish Government investment, the Scottish Social Services Council launched their ‘Futureproofing Programme’, an ambitious programme of streamlining and modernisation to registration services which have brought in efficiencies and multiple improvements which benefit the registered workforce, including those working in early learning and childcare. More information on the Futureproofing Programme can be accessed here: Registration is changing - Scottish Social Services Council.