This week, we hosted two live Q&A sessions on Twitter, with our expert Cailean Carvalho answering questions around the forthcoming apprenticeship levy and end point assessment (EPA).
Here’s a summary of all the questions and answers from the sessions. Thank you to those who participated – we hope you found it useful. If you’d like any further information, please get in touch with us on 0191 239 8000 or email [email protected].
End point assessment:
Q: Who will conduct end point assessment? What will it involve?
A: Our 154 qualified assessors are ready. It involves different things for different standards – we have solution briefs for each one.
Q: What happens if the learner doesn't achieve it? Can they re-take?
A: We support learners to re-take if they don't achieve first time. We do provide mock assessment materials to help achievement.
Q: Will EPA be offered for all Apprenticeships?
A: We are approved to deliver 12 standards. We will continue to strengthen our portfolio as more standards go live.
Q: Will learners get a certificate for their end assessment?
A: Yes, they will get an NCFE-branded certificate from The Federation for Industry Skills & Standards to mark their success.
Q: What will NCFE’s EPA delivery model include?
A: There are 5 stages; training support, mock assessment, gateway, end point assessment and certification. Each standard is different. We have solutions briefs ready to go that describe execution of each assessment.
Q: There are 12 standards at the moment – will this number increase?
A: Absolutely – we are committed in the leadership & management and healthcare & childcare sectors, and we'll grow them.
Q: In the case of an SME that only deals with SMEs, what impact will using Trailblazers have on them financially?
A: Non-levy payers can still maximise their opportunity with 90% government funding of your apprenticeship programme.
Q: How have EPA assessment times been decided?
A: The appointed assessor will aim to complete all assessments within an 8 week window beyond the gateway.
Q: What support is available from NCFE on this?
A: An end-to-end employer solution to out-task the entire apprenticeship programme and partnership options for providers.
Q: If I have both trainers and assessors (separate) can I work with NCFE to EPA my apprentices?
A: Yes we can. We ensure high quality standards of assessment materials and absolute independence in line with policy.
Q: How can we apply to be end point assessors for NCFE?
A: We’ll be recruiting in early 2017 to expand our team of experts. Keep an eye on our website for our vacancies.
Q: What are the methods of assessment that will be used for EPA?
A: There are between 2 and 5 assessments per standard. We have solutions briefs with all the detail.
Apprenticeship levy:
Q: How can NCFE support employers with this?
A: We have an end-to-end apprenticeship solution, and our expert apprenticeship consultants are happy to guide employers.
Q: What happens if an employer already employs apprentices?
A: If an employer already has an apprenticeship programme, they can use levy funds for the programme in future.
Q: How can we spend our levy fund?
A:Employers can spend their apprenticeship levy fund on 2 things: training from a provider, and end point assessment.
Q: Can employers use levy funds to offer apprenticeships to existing staff?
A: Yes, and we offer a broad range of higher level apprenticeships up to level 6 (degree level) to meet that demand.
Q: How can employers access apprentices?
A: As part of our apprenticeship solution, we can out-task recruitment to find hungry-to-learn talent.
For more information, sign up to our free upcoming webinars:
Apprenticeship levy – 6 December from 11-11.30am: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8106697411291549954
End point assessment – 6 December from 1-1.30pm: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3407316544457654276
