Every Scottish qualification sits on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework, so colleges and employers can see exactly what a level 3 or 4 is worth. We teach the first two rungs: National 3 Administration and IT (SCQF level 3) and NPA Administrative Activities (SCQF level 4). Levels 5–7 (National 5, Higher, HNC) are where you could go next.
What you can study
Two courses to begin with, both aimed at office and administrative work. More will follow once these are running properly.
SCQF level 3
National 3 Administration and IT
The starting point if you’ve no formal qualifications in office work. Covers what an administrative role actually involves day to day, and the software you’ll be expected to use.
- Administrative Practices
- IT Solutions for Administrators
- Communication in Administration
- Added Value Unit
SCQF level 4
NPA Administrative Activities
A step up. Suits you if you already work in an office and want the qualification to match, or if you’ve finished the level 3 and want to keep going.
- Administrative theory
- Word processing
- Spreadsheets
- Presentations
Free
Everyday digital skills
Short lessons with no assessment attached: keyboard shortcuts, organising files, spotting a phishing email, getting through a video call without fuss. Open to anyone with an account.
How it works
Video does the teaching. A tutor does the assessing. That second part is what makes it a qualification rather than a course you watched.
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Sign up and pick a course
You get an account straight away and can start the free digital skills lessons the same day.
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Work through the lessons
Short videos, in order, on whatever device suits. It remembers where you stopped. Most people do two or three a week.
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Submit your evidence
Each unit ends with a practical task — a document, a spreadsheet, a short piece of writing. You upload it when you’re ready.
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Get assessed and certificated
A tutor marks your work against the national standard and tells you what to fix if it’s not there yet. Pass everything and the certificate comes from the awarding body, not from us.
Why choose us
Skillskool teaches administration and IT on video, in your own time. Your work is assessed by a tutor against national standards, and what you come away with sits on Scotland’s qualifications framework.
National standards
Your work is assessed by a tutor against national standards, and what you come away with sits on Scotland’s qualifications framework.
Learn in your own time
No entry requirements. No timetable. Study from a phone if that’s what you’ve got. Short videos, in order, on whatever device suits.
A real certificate
Pass everything and the certificate comes from the awarding body, not from us — the same qualification a college would give you.
Training a team?
If you employ administrative staff, this is a way to get them a recognised qualification without losing them to a college timetable one day a week.
You get a single invoice, an account for each member of staff, and a record of who has completed what and when. That record is the part most employers want — it’s evidence for your own audits, not just theirs.
What employers get
- Seats, not licences — Buy a block, assign them as people join, reassign when they leave.
- Completion reporting — Who watched what, when they finished, and whether their assessment passed.
- One invoice — Annual or quarterly, on account. No per-person card payments to chase.
Questions people ask
Do I need any qualifications to start?
No. National 3 is designed as an entry point and assumes nothing. If you can read this page and use a computer for an hour at a time, you can start.
How long does it take?
There’s no deadline, which cuts both ways. The video content for National 3 is about three hours. Realistically, working at two or three lessons a week and allowing time for the assessment tasks, most people would finish inside three months.
Is this the same qualification a college would give me?
Yes — the qualification and the standard are set nationally, not by us. What differs is how you get there: on video in your own time rather than in a classroom on a fixed timetable.
What if my work isn’t good enough first time?
You get told what’s missing and you do it again. There’s no limit on resubmissions and no extra charge. Assessment is about reaching the standard, not about how many attempts it took.
Can I get funding for this?
Possibly. Individual Training Accounts and employer-led funding both exist in Scotland and the rules change regularly. Ask us and we’ll tell you honestly whether you’re likely to be eligible.
I need adjustments for a disability or a health condition. What’s available?
Tell us what would help and we’ll arrange what we reasonably can — extra time, alternative formats, a different way of producing evidence. Ask before you enrol so it’s in place from the start.
Start with the free lessons and see if it suits you.
No card, no commitment. If it works for you, the paid courses are there when the centre approval comes through.