“Qualifications Scotland is not and can never be a rebrand of SQA,” said chief executive Nick Page. The Scottish Government has now laid the legal tidy‑up that makes that promise real, with the Education (Scotland) Act 2025 (Consequential Provisions) Regulations 2025 signed on 3 December and laid at Holyrood on 5 December.

In plain terms, the instrument replaces ‘Scottish Qualifications Authority’ with ‘Qualifications Scotland’ across a raft of existing rules. It touches council tax discounts for apprentices and students, staff training for licensed premises, road works qualifications, equality regulation, animal welfare certificates, St Mary’s Music School provisions, and student support. It’s the legislative housekeeping that follows the creation of the new body under the Education (Scotland) Act 2025.

Crucially, the switch only takes legal effect once section 1 of the Act is commenced “for all purposes”. Ministers brought section 1 into force on 1 December 2025 for limited purposes to stand up the new board; Street Works officials have told centres to plan for a full operational handover on 1 February 2026. Expect these consequential changes to bite at that point.

For households counting every pound, the council tax rules still allow many apprentices and students to be ‘disregarded’ when bills are calculated. The only change is that the qualifying training is now described by reference to Qualifications Scotland rather than SQA, so council teams should accept updated wording on forms and letters.

Road works firms from Cumbria and Northumberland that regularly cross into the Borders or Dumfries and Galloway don’t need to re‑test. Existing Street Works cards remain valid; the approved awarding bodies list is unchanged and the registration body named in the regulations becomes Qualifications Scotland. Cards still follow the five‑year cycle with reassessment at renewal, and the two‑month grace period after certification remains.

For hospitality, the legal requirement for at least two hours of staff training to sell or serve alcohol does not change. Where venues use an accredited qualification instead of a personal licence holder’s training, that accreditation will now be by Qualifications Scotland. No one needs to redo training because of the name change.

On equality, the 2010 regulations are amended so that Qualifications Scotland becomes the ‘appropriate regulator’ for general qualifications in Scotland. That matters for disabled learners because section 96 of the Equality Act 2010 sets the framework for reasonable adjustments in exams and assessments.

Abattoirs and meat processors should note a wording update in the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing rules: qualification certificates granted by bodies recognised and regulated by Qualifications Scotland will count. Day‑to‑day, the route to a certificate of competence stays the same.

Student Support regulations are tweaked so Education Maintenance Allowance eligibility and designated course lists now reference Qualifications Scotland. Colleges will need to refresh prospectuses and websites, but learners shouldn’t see any change to entitlements just because the accrediting body’s name has changed.

Social care providers should clock a small but important change: the Scottish Social Services Council must now consult Qualifications Scotland when updating Codes of Practice and when recognising training establishments for relevant qualifications. It’s administrative, but it affects how colleges and training centres evidence quality.

The wider context is political as much as procedural. The Act dissolves the SQA and transfers its staff and property to Qualifications Scotland, a move aimed at rebuilding confidence after years of criticism. Page talks of “a clear and compelling need for change”, while ministers have signalled a shift towards “less reliance on high‑stakes final exams”.

What should employers and learners do now? Keep award letters and certificates handy; check providers are updating references from SQA to Qualifications Scotland; road works teams should plan reassessments against existing expiry dates; hospitality managers should make sure induction packs reflect the new accreditor; and if you’re applying for a council tax discount, use the new name to avoid delays. No drama-just a bit of sensible housekeeping before the February handover.