Blog article written by CDN College Awards 2024 Gold Sponsor – SQA
SQA is designing the next generation of HNCs and HNDs in partnership with industry, colleges, sector skill bodies, and other stakeholders, to ensure learners acquire and develop the meta-skills, knowledge, and experience needed to succeed in the modern workplace. These qualifications are known as NextGen:HN.
Jane Henderson, SQA New Product Development Manager, reflects on the development of the NextGen: HN Television.
The next generation of Higher National Certificates and Diplomas in Television were validated earlier this year – this first NextGen: HN qualifications to pass this milestone. This means they formally finished their pilot and are ready for delivery.
Looking ahead, I’m struck by many things.
The qualifications hit the mark: the HNC has two large 5 credit units, enabling meaningful learning and assessment across key areas of television programme production and technical production.
The qualification is project-based and focuses on professional competencies, as well as academic and technical knowledge and skills – an approach praised by the validation panel.
Values and vision can feel intangible when reduced to words on a page, but are brought to life in the people you work with through collaboration, alongside the willingness to innovate and meet challenges together. That’s when you realise the power of values and vision. The professional goodwill, respect, commitment, knowledge and drive in this sector has been outstanding.
We’ve worked alongside unit writers and vetters, qualification design teams, university and industry stakeholders, and external quality assurers. Everyone played a vital part in moving this forward.
The delivery teams from New College Lanarkshire, Edinburgh College and North East Scotland College have been pivotal, often leading the way.
Pilot centres have been innovative and creative, and the dynamic teams have been a force for change across centres. Colleagues in the TV sector spearheaded change before NextGen: HN was developed, but we’re happy to be supporting them.
“The new qualification covers all bases. It’s learner-centred, outcome-focused and looks to industry for validation. There will be some huge challenges ahead in education post-COVID and NextGen: HNs go some way to help the transformation.” – Alan Moffat, Lecturer, New College Lanarkshire
“Teaching the NextGen: HNC, I feel more like a practitioner working with new talent rather than a lecturer working with students. I think that’s all down to how the course has been designed. It feels like a well-rounded learning experience, based around projects like those you’d find in the industry. The learning outcomes and meta-skills are baked into the projects, which feels more like the learning you would do on the job. I’m looking forward to seeing the results of this approach in the work of these future filmmakers.” – Kevin Walls, Lecturer, New College Lanarkshire
