Apprentices4England Conference 22 August 2017 Welcome Centre, Coventry

What is NOCN? Ofqual regulated Awarding Organisation – over 540 qualifications Apprenticeship Frameworks (SASE) & Functional Skills Leading independent Apprentice Assessment Organisation On RoAAO to deliver End Point Assessment for 29 standards International presence

Globalisation/BREXIT UK Workforce 31.75 million Average annual cohort through the education system is 0.62 million Gross immigration is 0.63 million Net immigration is 0.3 million Move to more L4, L5 & L6 jobs Globalisation/BREXIT Productivity - 30% [ONS] Low Level Skills

Take Stock Target 600,000 starts per year

Take Stock It’s been nearly four years since launch of Trailblazers 387 Apprenticeship Standards in total – all stages [334 in Oct’15]: 177 ready for delivery [76 in Jan ’16] 122 with AAO in place [23 in Jan ’16] 210 development [137 in Jan ‘16] Old SASE - 334 frameworks approx. 1,700 different job roles

Take Stock Institute of Apprenticeships (IfA) - no CEO appointment Apprenticeship reform and T-Levels run separately Some sectors making good progress e.g. financial services, retail etc. with apprentices on-programme and starting EPA Other sectors very slow May apprenticeship starts - low

Take Stock 19,120 Levy payers - end of June (DfE experimental statistics) Registered accounts 9,100 (47.6%) 11,400 commitments fully approved and 2,100 commitments in process Factors Payroll cost small % of total costs Insufficient numbers of standards Not what employers are looking for Seen as slow and bureaucratic Easier to just pay the tax Waiting and seeing

End Point Assessment Preparation is key 12/06/2018 End Point Assessment Preparation is key Employers, Training Providers. Apprentices and AAO work together closely Employers to have a key influence on how well an apprentice is prepared. Training Providers to ensure that apprentices have a full understanding and are prepare for EPA Clear structure of how the EPA will work, timings. Good “Gateway” process and use “mock” End Point Assessments for the Assessment Instruments

End Point Assessment Communication and Responsiveness 12/06/2018 End Point Assessment Communication and Responsiveness Communication with everyone involved and responsive AAO to answer questions, offer opinions and provide advice Ensure everything is up to date. Structured support network for Training Providers, Employers and Apprentices Clear on Re-sits, Complaints and Appeals Feedback

End Point Assessment Planning 12/06/2018 End Point Assessment Planning Robust recruitment of End Point Assessors End Point Assessors, with clearly identifiable CPD record. Maintain CPD - industry practice and competence developments. Induction training of Assessors Structured Standardisation events Moderation of End Point Assessment decisions Feedback to Employer, Training Provider and Apprentice

Failure is not an option Failure is not an option! We need to make the reforms a success No repeat of 14-19 Diplomas

Way Forward Manage as a Major Investment Project – it is the major reform of a life time – like HS2, Crossrail, Nuclear Build etc. Fully establish the IFA-TE and properly resource it Recruit personnel with industry and skills development experience Apprenticeships and T-Levels integrated into a single reform programme – with clear career progression pathways 30% productivity improvement to be integral Re-think EQA - next year establish single set of QA rules and regulations and a common efficient EQA delivery model

Way Forward Establish the list of Apprenticeship Standards and T- Levels for each Sector/Route Prioritise and ‘Fast Track’ quick wins Streamline the processes for Standards development and AAO approvals, with better definition on curriculum Establish and implement a communication plan for young people, potential apprentices, parents, schools, career advisers, employers, training providers and AAOs/AOs etc.

Any Questions? Contact Details Graham Hasting-Evans | Group Managing Director T: 0114 227 0500 | Graham.Hasting-Evans@nocn.org.uk Further information – visit NOCN exhibition stand or speak to staff