Graduate Apprenticeship in Social Work
The Graduate Apprenticeship in Social Work offers a new, additional route to qualifying as a social worker.
In January 2026 the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs, Ms Angela Constance, officially launched the pilot of the Graduate Apprenticeship in Social Work (GA in SW).
The pilot programme commenced in November 2025 at the University of the West of Scotland.
The pilot cohort comprises 26 apprentices from across 5 employers (including local authorities and third sector), with a mix of urban and rural geography. This pilot will be evaluated by the Scottish Funding Council prior to national roll-out.
Overview
The Graduate Apprenticeship in Social Work offers a new, additional route to qualifying as a social worker.
It blends workplace learning with academic study over a 4 year undergraduate degree programme.
It creates an additional opportunity for people wishing to enter the social work profession but who cannot access traditional routes, and for people already employed but without a first degree. This provides a development opportunity for current employees and opens a pathway for external recruitment.
Development
The GA in SW’s development was led by Skills Development Scotland. The Scottish Social Services Council, the Scottish Funding Council, and partners from across the social work sector worked together to develop the Framework and Standards and Occupational Profile.
These documents form the national structure of the GA in SW, and set out what apprentices need to learn, and the skills they must develop, to become a qualified social worker.
Any university wishing to offer the GA in SW must develop its own delivery programme centred around the framework and occupational profile. This ensures consistency of learning for apprentices across Scotland.
News releases and further information
You can learn more about the Graduate Apprenticeship in Social Work, from Skills Development Scotland and the University of the West of Scotland, through these links:
Development
- News about the start of the development of the GA in SW
- Summary of the development consultation (which had over 500 responses)
- National survey seeking feedback on the draft Framework and Standards, and Occupational Profile documents