11.   The Howie Committee has recommended that a number of occupational areas should be developed under its proposals for the new SCOTCERT award.

12.   Three months after they were launched, the new awards are already generating a tremendous amount of interest.

13.   We will be offering advice and support, and listening carefully to feedback from centres on their experience of implementing the new awards.

14.   First impressions indicate that the new awards are being warmly welcomed by centre staff.

15.   In this issue, you will find a number of reports from centres describing their own experience of offering the new awards.

16.   Our questionnaire survey of centres involved in the pilot is now complete, and shows that the majority welcome the design of the new awards.

17.   The questionnaire asked for first reactions to both the general SVQs and the new Skillstart awards.

18.   The new awards in information technology are broadly based at level II, and provide a variety of options at level III.

19.   These provide advice on access to and progression from each of the new awards, and on designing and running cross-module assessment.

20.   A new award scheme to complement EC guidelines on bathing water quality has been established by the Tidy Britain Group.