Scotland has formed a Strategic Advisory Council for Qualifications Scotland, the new body replacing the SQA. The regulations are published as Scottish Statutory Instrument 2026/36 and take effect on 12 March 2026. The instrument was signed at St Andrew’s House by Jenny Gilruth on 28 January. For schools, colleges and employers on both sides of the Border, it’s another step in the reform of how qualifications are designed, awarded and understood. (tsoshop.co.uk)

Ministers were required to set up the council under section 9 of the Education (Scotland) Act 2025. The law fixes key rules: two conveners, one of whom must also be a member of Qualifications Scotland, and a bar on Qualifications Scotland staff serving as council members. The regulations then broaden the table to include voices for children and young people, people with additional support needs taking a qualification, parents and carers, recognised trade unions, business and skills, directors of education, the Scottish Funding Council, plus colleges and universities. (legislation.gov.uk)

Appointments will run for up to four years at a time, with a hard cap of 12 years’ service overall. Ministers can end a term early where a member no longer meets the category they were appointed to represent, has missed meetings for more than six months without good reason, or is judged unable or unsuitable to continue. Conveners and members can receive allowances and expenses. (legislation.gov.uk)

On how it will work, the council must consult, where appropriate, with Qualifications Scotland and with its Learner Interest and Teacher and Practitioner Interest Committees. It can set up committees and sub‑committees (including with people who are not council members), regulate its own procedures and, at least once each financial year, hold a meeting open to the public, with active promotion of attendance. A representative of Scottish Ministers, and members of Qualifications Scotland staff, may observe or take part at the conveners’ discretion. (legislation.gov.uk)

Substance matters as much as structure. The council is tasked with considering issues linked to Qualifications Scotland’s awards and to the organisation’s functions and procedures, and it can advise Ministers and the exams body-either when asked or on its own initiative. The Act also places a duty on Qualifications Scotland to consult the council when it thinks it appropriate, and to publish how it will respond to advice. (legislation.gov.uk)

For Northern employers, the practical angle is clear: learners and apprentices move across the Border, and hiring managers often need to compare the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework with England’s RQF. Official tables show how levels line up-SCQF Level 6 broadly equates to RQF Level 3, while SCQF Level 12 aligns with RQF Level 8-helping HR teams read CVs with confidence from Glasgow to Carlisle and beyond. (sqa.org.uk)

Timing matters for planning. Qualifications Scotland becomes fully operational on 1 February 2026, with no immediate changes to this year’s courses or assessments, according to transition guidance. The advisory council follows in March, offering an early forum for learners, teachers, unions and employers to feed into how qualifications are developed and run. (sqa.org.uk)

What to watch next: public appointments to fill the named seats, the selection of two conveners (one drawn from the organisation’s board), and the first open meeting date. The Scottish Government’s own update says the board was established in December 2025 with Shirley Rogers as chair, and that recruitment for the Strategic Advisory Council and the new Learner and Teacher Interest Committees was scheduled to begin that month. (gov.scot)