Introduction: The Puzzle of Vocational Autonomy
The question seems ridiculous. Ridiculous to the point of absurdity. So absurd that it doesn't really deserve a response. And yet.
As I read through the characteristics of each level in the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework, that's precisely the question that came to mind..
Let me explain. Firstly, the background.
For the last dozen or so weeks, much of my time has been spent taking part in the Cambridge Assessment Network's course on the Fundamental Principles of Assessment. As part of our week studying the assessment principle of ‘comparability’, I compared the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and the Scottish Credit & Qualifications Framework (SCQF).
The EQF has eight levels (Level 1 up to Level 8) in which each level sets out the associated learning outcomes of skill, knowledge, and responsibility and autonomy. Level 2 doesn't have a great deal of skills and knowledge but it does allow the learner a small degree of autonomy.
The SCQF is Scotland's national framework for comparing different qualifications. It compares a different element from the EQF (qualifications v. learning outcomes) but it's still possible to put the two frameworks side-by-side and look at the similarities and the differences.
The SCQF has twelve levels, rising “up” from 1 to 12. The Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ) Modern Apprenticeship for electricians, in Scotland, is a Level 7 qualification. Each level has five characteristics, one of which is titled 'Autonomy, accountability and working with others.' However, when you look at the description for levels 1-7, the word 'autonomy' doesn't explicitly appear. It only explicitly appears at Level 8.
Level 8 is the beginning of what might be termed “Higher Education”; the upper level of college qualifications, such as an HND. The level below a university undergraduate degree.
And I found that odd. More than odd. I found it baffling. And it immediately raised a number of questions. And admittedly it also raised my hackles.
Some obvious questions+ Why is autonomy present in Level 2 of the EQF but not present until Level 8 of the SCQF?
+ What happens at Level 8 that makes autonomy present in a way that it's not present in Levels 1 - 7?
+ Where does autonomy lie at Level 8 and “above”? Is it in the individual? The course materials? The interaction between the two? The way that the individual uses their learning in the workplace?
Or is it a case that people who “work with their head” are regarded as having autonomy, but people who “work with their hands”, don't? Is the SCQF yet another example of white-collar supremacy?
The Electrician's Paradox: Why True Freedom Is Found in the Rules
We wanna be free, to do what we wanna do, we wanna be free. And we want to get loaded.
When we think about being "autonomous," we can easily imagine it in terms of Primal Scream’s Loaded—total freedom; being able to do whatever we want; unconstrained by external rules or limits. But if that's the definition, (and it is a dictionary’s definition), how can we possibly talk about autonomy for someone in a highly regulated profession, like an electrician? After all, unfettered freedom on an electrical system would lead to chaos rather than competence.
This question highlights a major issue about how the SCQF thinks about skilled trades. The absence of "autonomy" until Level 8, suggests that the framework has an incomplete understanding of what autonomy means for apprentice and qualified electricians.
So, what is a more accurate way to understand autonomy in a skilled trade?
From Following Rules to True Agency
When an apprentice electrician learns a critical safety task like "Safe Isolation" (making sure an electrical system is dead before working on it), they start by simply following instructions such as Select's ‘10 Steps’. Their actions are driven by what they're told to do and maybe even by the fear of making a mistake. This, in the language of the philosopher Immanuel Kant, is a state of "heteronomy"—acting from external instruction rather than internal reason. The journey of an apprenticeship is, or can be considered as the transcendence of heteronomous actions to autonomous ones. A qualified electrician performs the same task, but they act from a place of deep knowledge and reason. They understand the dangers, their responsibilities, and the necessary safety measures. At this point, in Kantian terms, they are an autonomous agent. But this is only part of the story.
Freedom Within Limits
An electrician's work is governed by a huge number of standards and regulations, such as the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and BS 7671. At first, it might seem like these rules restrict their freedom, forcing us to slavishly follow the rules.
Paradoxically though, these standards are precisely what enable autonomy. BS 7671, for example, isn't just a list of prescriptions; it’s a historical framework of dynamic embedded knowledge, experience, and expertise of the historical electrical trade. It's a living tradition that has been refined and developed over time.
When an electrician works "within the frame," their actions are given meaning and value by these standards. Their job isn’t just to follow the rules; it's to use their sophisticated judgement and deep understanding to navigate this complex set of regulations, client specifications, and the constraints of the physical world. Working within the frame is one way that we produce "good workmanship".
Contrast this with a DIY enthusiast. They might do safe and functional work, but their actions lack the deeper ethical, interpretive engagement of a professional. They are unconfined by the limits of the frame, which means their work is just an outcome, not a meaningful act that validates the worth of the trade's tradition.
As the philosopher Roger Scruton put it, freedom is "a very good horse to ride, but to ride somewhere". The electrician's autonomy is the horse, and the industry’s standards are the "somewhere" it needs to ride to—the safe, responsible, and skilled work that is only possible because of those rules.
Why This Matters
By not explicitly acknowledging autonomy below Level 8, the SCQF misunderstands this "situated autonomy". It fails to recognize the "intellectual demands and professional development" required of a trade qualification. If frameworks like the SCQF are to effectively compare the worth of a trade qualification to a university degree, they must recognize that professional autonomy in skilled trades is not about being unconstrained. Instead, it is a sophisticated form of agency that gives meaning, dignity, and respect to a skilled worker's labor.
My Scrutonian Texts
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