At SIAS, we take pride in designing qualifications that meet the highest industry standards and future needs. Our qualifications are developed in collaboration with employers and industry specialists, ensuring they are relevant, valid, and reliable.

We employ a customer-centric approach, leveraging our subject matter expertise and commitment to quality. Every qualification is designed to support the development of skills, jobs, and services, benefiting learners, providers, and employers within our specialized sectors.

We caught up with Debroah Hoggett, our Head of Product and Assessment to learn more about our approach to designing qualifications and how it can benefit you:

 

Q: What’s SIAS’s approach to designing qualifications?

A: We take an industry-first approach to designing qualifications.  By working closely with employers, sector experts and regulatory bodies we ensure that our qualifications truly address the needs of each sector.  Our focus is on developing rigorous, flexible qualifications that equip learners with the knowledge, skills and competencies essential for the evolving global STEM industries.  We achieve this through a highly collaborative process, partnering with a diverse range of stakeholders and technical experts to guarantee that every qualification is current, relevant, valid and reliable.

 

Q: You’re developing a set of qualifications for the initial phase, what sort of subject areas are you going to be targeting?

A: In our initial phase, we focused on developing flexible, modular qualifications tailored to key industry sectors. Our current focus includes the process industries and manufacturing, with plans to expand into engineering and low-carbon sectors. These industries face significant skills shortages, with growing demand for qualified professionals. By offering purpose-built, high-quality solutions, we aim to work with our partners and industry leaders to help bridge the skills gap and create pathways for learners to enter sustainable, rewarding careers.

 

Q: Have you been talking to customers about qualifications and how much input has this given you in developing the portfolio?

A: Absolutely, customer and stakeholder feedback plays a vital role in our qualification development process. We’ve actively collaborate with employers, training providers, and industry bodies to gain insight into their needs and challenges. This input has been instrumental in shaping our qualification portfolio, allowing us to refine the content, structure, and assessment methods to better meet market demands. As a result, our qualifications are not only fit-for-purpose but also impactful in addressing industry needs.

 

Q: How do we engage with SIAS if we’re interested in finding out more or want to become an ‘Approved Centre’?

A: We are passionately committed to putting our customers at the heart of everything we do. You can find out more by visiting our newly launched website at www.siasuk.com, where you will be able contact our team who can talk you through the process of becoming an Approved Centre.

 

Q: What’s the longer-term ambitions for SIAS Awarding?

A: The longer-term ambition for SIAS is to become the go to Awarding Organisation for the technical science, engineering, manufacturing and low carbon sectors – renowned for developing qualifications that truly align with industry demands. We aim to broaden our portfolio across the sectors that we specialise in, further driving the development of skills critical to the economy. Additionally, we are focused on enhancing our digital offerings to create flexible, innovative learning pathways and assessments that meet the diverse needs of learners and employers.  Ultimately, our goal is to help bridge the skills gap while equipping learners with the knowledge, skills and competencies for successful, long-term careers.

 

Thank you for taking the time to speak with us Deb, we can’t wait to see the next phase in SIAS’ Awarding Organisation journey!