Guidelines for the Learning Agreement
Introduction
The Learning Agreement is in place to ensure that sportscotland obtains benefit from its
investment in employee learning whilst recognising the importance of learning and
development to the continuing success of both individual employees and the business as a
whole.
These guidelines are not intended to establish an entitlement for employees to attend a
course of study; rather they have been developed to help understand the circumstances
when support for a course of study might be granted.
The decision to pursue a course of study and the expected support from sportscotland is a
matter for agreement between the employee and their Line Manager in the first instance with
approval being granted from more senior management where financial limits are exceeded.
Any final agreement and approval will be dependent upon a number of factors, including the
needs of the employee as well as the needs of the organisation.
The Learning Agreement defines the relationship between sportscotland and the employee
for whom the learning is provided (hereafter referred to as the "Learner").
The Learning Agreement defines the commitment:

from sportscotland - to provide (financial and other) support to attend a learning
activity as well as seeking and agreeing opportunities to put any new skills and
knowledge into practice;

from the Learner - to properly commit their time and effort to a course of study or
learning activity ("the Course") and to agree to the terms of acceptance of the
sportscotland sponsorship.
The Learning Agreement is to be used when employees accept sportscotland sponsorship
to study for an academic, professional or vocational qualification where the sponsorship
agreement exceeds £1,000, or where other sportscotland support is offered and deemed to
be substantial (beyond the usually accepted conditions of agreement).
The Learning Agreement should clearly specify the Course fees that the Learner is required
to repay should he/she fail to complete the Course or leave sportscotland during the period
the Learning Agreement is in force. The repayment structure can be found later in these
guidelines.
Types of Course, Support Provided and Duration of Agreement
Examples of Courses which require a Learning Agreement are described over. This is not an
exhaustive list but should provide sufficient information to allow a decision to be made as to
whether a Learning Agreement is required or not. The HR Business Partner (L&D) will be
able to recommend whether an agreement is required. Please contact a member of the HR
team if further clarification is required.
Category
Descriptor
Costs
Academic
SCQF level 8-12
E.g. SVQ level 4 or 5,
PG Diploma, BA, MSc,
PhD or equivalent
Professional
SCQF level 8-12
E.g. SVQ level 4 or 5,
or other qualification
that provides for
membership of a
professional
institute or body
Vocational
Any full/ part-time attendance
at a HE/FE or other
establishment offering a
course of study that involves;
 Day release/ part-day
release
 Evening attendance
 Modular / block release or
sandwich events
 ‘Summer schools’ or
residential events
Where financial
sponsorship
costs exceed
£1,000
SCQF level 7-9
E.g. SVQ level 3 or 4,
HND, HNC or equivalent
Repayment Schedule
 Failure to complete the course will
result in 100% of sponsored fees
being repaid to sportscotland
 If the Learner leaves sportscotland
up to 1 year after completion,
100% of sponsored fees will be
repaid to sportscotland
 If the Learner leaves between 12
and 18 months of completion, 50%
of sponsored fees
 Between 18 months and 2 years of
completion, 25%
 If the Learner leaves 2 years after
completing the course, no fees will
need to be repaid
Courses which do not require a Learning Agreement are described below. Again, this is not
an exhaustive list but should provide sufficient detail to allow a decision to be made. Please
contact a member of the HR team if further clarification is required.
Category
Descriptor
Vocational
SCQF level 1-6
E.g. SVQ level 1, 2, or
3, Skills for work, Skills
for work Higher
Any full/ part-time attendance at a FE or other
establishment offering a course of study that
involves:
 Day release/ part-day release
 Evening attendance
 Modular/ block release, distance learning or
sandwich courses
Work Related Training
A training course delivered by sportscotland
staff or by a training provider contracted by
sportscotland to deliver training
Costs
Where financial sponsorship costs
are less than £1,000.
Failure to complete a Course
If a Learner withdraws from a Course without prior written permission from their Line
Manager and/or Head of Department, sportscotland will be entitled to deduct the full
sportscotland sponsorship costs from the Learner's salary.
If the Learner leaves
sportscotland before having paid back the sponsorship costs, these costs will become
immediately recoverable as a debt. Only in the most exceptional circumstances will costs be
waived and this waiver must have the written agreement of the Line Manager and Head of
Department.
Resignation from sportscotland during study
If a Learner resigns from sportscotland before the completion of their studies the
sponsorship costs paid by sportscotland will be repayable in accordance with the Learning
Agreement.
Resignation from sportscotland after completion of studies but whilst Learning
Agreement still in force
If a Learner resigns from sportscotland whilst a Learning Agreement is still in force then the
amount of sponsorship costs repayable will be governed by the Repayment Schedule of the
Learning Agreement. Line Managers, with the agreement of their Head of Department, may
waive such repayments in exceptional circumstances. For such waiver to be valid it must be
confirmed to the Learner in writing.
Termination of Employment by sportscotland
If the employment of the Learner is terminated for reasons of redundancy, early retirement,
death or serious illness then the requirements to refund sponsorship costs by the Learner to
sportscotland will be waived. Requirements to repay will also be waived if the Learner is
subject to a TUPE transfer.
If the Learner's employment with sportscotland is terminated for disciplinary reasons then
the requirement to refund sponsorship costs by the Learner to sportscotland, as specified in
the Learning Agreement, will remain. However, HR will advise in situations where this may
be inappropriate.
Guide to Study Benefits
Benefit
Study Leave
Exam Leave
Exam Fees
Study Day Fees
Description
Time off to study for formal examinations
is permitted, and is to be agreed by the
Line Manager and the Learner and
recorded in the Learning Agreement.
Time required to sit formal exams. The
Learner must inform their Line Manager
as soon as the exam dates are known.
Fees payable to sit exams.
Books
Fees for study sessions over and above
that provided in the standard course fee.
Support for buying text books.
Membership of
Professional Body
Joining and other membership fees for a
relevant professional body.
Allowance
1 study day per exam to a
maximum of 6 working days in any
academic year (September through
to August).
Study time for exam re -sits will not
be provided.
1 day per exam.
Exam fees will be supported by
sportscotland only for the first
sitting of that exam. Re-sit fees will
be the responsibility of the
individual.
Not supported by sportscotland.
One text book, up to the value of
£50, per module/subject area The
book will be the property of
sportscotland and should be
returned upon course completion
for the benefit of other learners.
Fees will be covered by
sportscotland for one membership.
Any agreement on the range and amount of study benefits must be indicated in the
Conditions of Agreement section of the Learning Agreement.
Application for Study at Master Level
Gaining sponsorship for an MBA or any degree at Master’s level requires a well thought out
business case to be presented. This needs to identify the benefits of sponsorship both for
the applicant and also for sportscotland. This form will help structure a suitable business
case in order to gain the required authorisation.
Before starting an application the applicant must have discussed the needs of the business
and the demands of study with their Line Manager and gained approval form their Head of
Department. All applications for study at Master’s level will require approval from the
Education Awards Panel (EAP) before any sportscotland sponsorship can be confirmed.
This EAP will meet twice yearly, October and April to consider applications.
Studying for a Master’s degree must be part of the applicants Personal Development Plan
(PDP) and recorded as such in their PDP.
These Guidelines
These Guidelines are for information only and are not intended to be contractually binding.
In the event of any conflict between these Guidelines and the Learning Agreement, the latter
shall prevail. Accordingly, sportscotland reserves the right to amend or revise these
Guidelines from time to time as it may deem appropriate.