About us
Aberlour Futures is an SQA Accredited Training Centre and is unique in its position as a non-profit making voluntary sector training service.
The roots of the service are in the local community-based childcare provisions of Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City. It was created in 1994 in response to a lack of training opportunities for adults working with children.
Aberlour Futures is part of Aberlour Children’s Charity which provides a range of services for disadvantaged children, young people and families across Scotland.
What we do
Our service is underpinned by our ambition to deliver high-quality training and qualifications which nurture a love of learning to boost the skills, knowledge and practice of the ELC workforce. The motivation for our work is inspired by the needs of our learners and the children and families you support.
Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs)
We are an SQA approved centre and deliver a range of Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) suitable for the early learning and childcare workforce.
Modern Apprenticeship Programmes
Our Modern Apprenticeship Programmes were included in Education Scotland’s 2019 National Review of the Modern Apprenticeship Programme for Social Services (Children & Young People). It found “examples of excellence in all aspects of the programme” and described the centre as “sector leading”.
Schools programmes
Our schools programmes, Skills for Work in Early Education and Childcare and the Foundation Apprenticeship programmes are available for young people in Aberdeen City Secondary Schools.
Partnership with NESCOL
We also work in partnership with NESCOL to provide access to the PDA Childhood Practice SCQF 9 award for the managers and leaders of early learning and childcare services. We provide the pathway qualifications to support entry and access to the PDA.
Multi-Disciplinary Safeguarding Training
Multi-Disciplinary Safeguarding and Child Protection Training Programmes for staff in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire. In addition, our continuous professional learning courses can be accessed by all ELC staff in Scotland through our “live and interactive” MS Teams training sessions!
CPL training courses
With 25 years+ of experience behind us, and a staff team committed to providing a high-quality service, we believe we have a bright future ahead of us to deliver CPL training and vocational qualifications with and for the ELC workforce across all areas of Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire.
Our values
Aberlour Children’s Charity has a range of values which we embed within our practice through our provision of training, support, and guidance for all learners accessing our service:
Respect
Means acting in a way that shows we care about one another’s feelings and that we listen to one another’s opinions.
Integrity
Means being courageous and brave enough to speak up when we know we need to.
Innovative
Means finding new, efficient and unique ways to do things.
Challenging
Means testing ourselves and those
around us.
Accreditations
OSCR
Investors in People
Happy to Talk Flexible Working
Disability Confident Employer
Living Wage Employer
Investing in Volunteers
Good Fundraising
Cyber Essentials