FOI23/24 015 Street Works Qualification Numbers

With regard to Street Works qualifications awarded, can you provide me with the following:

1. The number of Supervisors awarded NRASW C&G Units 001 & 010-014 (LA, S1, S2, S3, S4 & S5) or the equivalent in each of the following years - 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 & 2023 by your awarding body.

2. The number of Supervisors awarded NRASW Units 001 & 010-014 & 016 (LA, S1, S2, S3, S4, S5 & S7)or the equivalent in each of the following years - 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 & 2023 by your awarding body.

3. The number of Operatives awarded NRASW Units 001 - 006 & 009 (LA, O1, O2, O3, O4, O5 & O8) or the equivalent in each of the following years - 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 & 2023 by your awarding body.

4. The number of Operatives awarded NRASW Unit 002 (O1) or the equivalent in each of the following years - 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 & 2023 by your awarding body.

5. The number of Supervisors awarded NRASW Unit 010 (S1) or the equivalent in each of the following years - 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 & 2023 by your awarding body.

In addition to the above, please can you provide the same information year by year by Training Provider and by Region. Thank you.

The sheet shows the total number who achieved each of the separate awards for each of the different units and for each year.

We are unable to provide some of the information requested as it is not held by the SQA. Section 17 of FOISA provides that where an authority does not hold information requested it should notify the requester to that effect.

We are unable to provide the numbers of supervisors or operatives who achieved the awards as our records do not separate the awards, we only have the numbers who were successful.

We are unable to provide a regional and provider breakdown as it is considered that this is exempt under section 33 of the Act, Commercial Interests and the Economy.

It is considered that providing this breakdown would be likely to substantially prejudice the commercial interests of SQA. Street Works is a commercial activity undertaken in a competitive environment as opposed to delivering national qualifications, for example, which attracts public funding and releasing the SQA’s awarding activity, geographical breakdown and provider profiles would afford competitors to unfairly target high uptake regions and providers and exploit markets that SQA has spent significant time and resources to develop.

When information is provided through freedom of information legislation, it is effectively placed into the public domain, even though the information may not be published anywhere. Accordingly, if anybody else was to request the same information, we would be unable to refuse the request

When a section 33 exemption is being applied, a public authority must undertake the public interest test.

It is understood that the geographical breakdown and provider profiles may be of some interest to the public. However, it would be of greater interest to competing awarding bodies. It is in the public interest that the commercial interests of the SQA are not substantially prejudiced by losing centres that it works with to competitors. Providing the geographical breakdown and provider details would allow competitors to target any relevant centres and this would have an adverse effect on SQA’s business. It is considered that the public interest is better served in preserving the commercial interests of SQA.

Accordingly, the public interest in disclosing the information is outweighed by maintaining the exemption.

FOI23/24 015 Information Sheet