Ofqual and the Office for Students will take over responsibility for external quality assurance in apprenticeships, the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) has announced.
In its consultation response, published today, the IfATE said it had decided to proceed with its plans to move away from a system where EQA for apprenticeships was delivered by a wide range of different organisations to one where that is done by either Ofqual or, for integrated higher and degree apprenticeships, the OfS.
Apprenticeships: No extension to spending deadline
More: Chancellor announces apprenticeship support funding
IfATE: ‘In challenging times, you see what you’re capable of’
Employer directory
The institute added a “directory of employer-led organisations” would be created for Ofqual and the OfS to draw on, and this would ensure the employer’s voice remained central to ensuring that apprenticeships retained relevance and credibility with employers. According to the IfATE, there will be a transition period of two years as we implement these changes.
IfATE chief executive Jennifer Coupland said: “We believe that the new system will be stronger and much simpler for end-point assessment organisations. Most importantly it will ensure quality for apprentices. I’d like to thank all those who took the time to respond to our consultation and we now look forward to taking the next steps.”
Sally Collier, chief regulator at Ofqual, said: “We welcome the decision to expand our role in the provision of EQA for apprenticeship end-point assessments, and look forward to building on our existing approach.
“We will act on the feedback from the institute’s consultation, and ensure that we proactively engage with endpoint assessment organisations so that they understand our requirements.”
She added that Ofqual welcomed the opportunity to work in partnership with professional bodies through the new arrangements, and valued the perspective and insight that occupational expertise brought. “Drawing on this is something we have been doing successfully across a range of qualifications for some time. We hope that the new arrangements will provide clarity and consistency for EPAOs and increase confidence in the apprenticeship system.”
