Northern employers and colleges are being asked to check their paperwork after Scottish Ministers signed off the regulations that underpin the move from the Scottish Qualifications Authority to Qualifications Scotland. The instrument was made on 3 December 2025, laid at Holyrood on 5 December and will take effect when section 1 of the Education (Scotland) Act 2025 is commenced for all purposes.

Key dates matter here. The Act that creates Qualifications Scotland began its staged switch‑on on 1 December 2025 under the first commencement regulations. Qualifications Scotland’s own update said it would begin work on Tuesday 2 December, with government programme papers pointing to full operational status from 1 February 2026. The tidy‑up regulation covered in this piece will “bite” only when section 1 is fully commenced, so organisations should prepare now and watch for the next commencement order.

What’s actually changing is mainly housekeeping across Scottish law: dozens of references to “Scottish Qualifications Authority” are being replaced by “Qualifications Scotland”. That sweep includes social care codes, council tax rules for apprentices and students, charity asset protections, alcohol licensing training, equalities regulation, animal welfare at slaughter, St Mary’s Music School aided places, road works qualifications and student support rules. It’s technical, but it matters for registrars, HR leads and compliance teams across the North who deal with Scottish learners and staff.

For civil engineering and utilities contractors crossing the Border, the 2017 road works regulations now name Qualifications Scotland as the registration body and keeper of the register for certificates of competence. If your crews operate in the Borders or Lothians, check crew cards, training certificates and procurement templates so the awarding body is recorded correctly.

Hospitality operators should note that the licensing training regulations are being updated so the mandatory training for staff who sell or serve alcohol must be delivered by a licence‑holder or a person with a qualification accredited by Qualifications Scotland. Chains running venues on both sides of the Border will want provider accreditation notes and staff records to reflect the new name.

College admissions and finance teams will see Student Support (Scotland) Regulations adjusted so designated courses and definitions that previously pointed to SQA now refer to Qualifications Scotland. Expect application forms and MIS look‑ups to show both names through the transition. If you enrol Scottish school‑leavers onto courses in Cumbria, Tyne and Wear or Northumberland, allow searches under either SQA or Qualifications Scotland while systems are updated.

Council tax rules in Scotland that define who can be disregarded when a bill is calculated are also being updated, so apprentices working towards a Qualifications Scotland award and certain students continue to qualify. That’s mainly a Scottish local authority issue, but it matters for Northern families with teenagers moving north for training or work.

Equalities and animal welfare law get tweaks too: the equality regulations now recognise Qualifications Scotland as the “appropriate regulator” for Equality Act qualifications provisions, and the animal welfare regulations update what counts as a “qualification certificate” at slaughterhouses. Food processors serving Scottish plants from Northumberland and Cumbria should amend staff files and SOPs accordingly.

Social care training providers and FE centres that were previously SQA‑approved will engage with Qualifications Scotland under the Scottish Social Services Council consultation order. Centres in the North East delivering Scottish social care units for placements over the Border should update quality manuals, centre approval letters and marketing copy to the new name.

Continuity across the UK is being supported by a UK‑wide Section 104 Order, laid at Westminster, which the Welsh Government says will update reserved law so that references to SQA read as Qualifications Scotland. That gives admissions teams and employers in England confidence that recognition will track the name change as the new body beds in.

One final timing detail. The Commencement No. 1 Regulations confirm 1 December 2025 as the start for selected provisions and include a temporary reading of “relevant qualification” (for board membership) that covers SQA awards until 30 November 2029. The consequential tidy‑up described here starts on the day section 1 is brought in for all purposes, so keep an eye out for the next commencement order. Qualifications Scotland has said it is prioritising learners and educators in early decisions-plan your admin changes now.