Skills Development Scotland (SDS) is Scotland’s national skills body. We contribute to Scotland’s sustainable economic growth by supporting people and businesses to develop and apply their skills.

Scotland's Careers Services

Our careers advisers work in partnership with every state secondary school in Scotland, delivering career guidance to enable young people from S1-S6 to develop their Career Management Skills.

Apprenticeships

We are committed to developing and growing a world-class and inclusive work-based learning system in Scotland. Apprenticeships demonstrate and promote the benefits work-based learning brings to businesses, individuals and the economy.

Employability Skills

We support those from all communities through a range of inclusive programmes, to increase their work-based and employability skills, enabling them to take their first steps into the labour market, or make a successful career change.

Supporting Scotland's Employers

We works directly with employers across Scotland, providing trusted advice that helps employers invest in existing skills, develop new talent using equal and inclusive recruitment, and get the right products to grow their business.

Research and Insight

Skills Development Scotland produces and commissions high quality research on a variety of topics relating to skills and employability which informs policy and practice.

Local Employability Partnership

Skills Development Scotland has created this resource to support our Local Employability Partners (LEPs) when designing bespoke local services to help people into learning and employment.

Skills Planning

It shows how we aim to improve the response of education, training and careers services to the needs of industry and ensure that people have the best possible chance of succeeding in the world of work.