This study examined the extent to which existing awards and qualifications for the paraprofessional workforce in Scottish early education and care are appropriate to the needs of the sector as it responds to increasing regulation and concerns about quality. The study considered whether the qualifications provided a clear framework, how the qualifications are understood and accepted by employers and students, and the extent to which qualifications meet the requirement to support integrated service delivery. Information was collected through surveys and interviews with training providers, child care providers, current students, and key stakeholders. A relational database was constructed to compare the content of 13 current awards in early education, child care, and playwork to 15 topics drawn from an analysis of the standards and quality indicators in The National Care Standards and The Child at the Centre (a guide to self-evaluation for early years workers). Findings revealed that the mandatory components of the 13 awards offered common content across only 2 of the 15 topics: (1) organization of children and young people's play and learning; and (2) safety. Despite variations, there was a core purpose common to the awards, centering on working with children, safety, and professional relationships. Training providers and key stakeholders felt that child care providers had a very poor understanding of the qualifications framework. Although many interviewees felt that the theoretical aspects of awards equipped people to deal with the practical elements of the work, child care providers were concerned with increasing the practical elements of the awards. Although informal links between training providers and employers were plentiful, they did not represent the full range of employers involved in the sector. Child care providers and students were not fully familiar with the Care Standards. Interviewees made suggestions for improving the content of training to better meet future needs of the early care and education sector. (KB)