Flemish delegation visit The standards development and approvals process 23rd May 2018

quality The Institute has been established to drive the quality of apprenticeships in England, primarily through its role as the regulator of apprenticeship standards and assessment plans. It will be a permanent feature of the apprenticeships landscape, providing a sustained focus on quality in a sector that is undergoing huge amounts of change. The Institute will embed the central role that employers must play in the apprenticeships system if it is to operate effectively. Employers have a better understanding than Government of what their skills needs are and the Institute will continue to put them in the driving seat of developing the high quality standards they need.  The point is that we do care about this: I’m new to CS working, and wondered if I’d find myself surrounded by emotionless bureaucrats who saw this as just another policy area to work on – but the passion around embedding quality within the system and enabling employers to do so is palpable. The same is true of the employer groups we work with (trailblazers and route panels) and our own employer-led board. There is a strong feeling that we must get this right, that we should approve apprenticeships that do the job they need to and meet the needs of those we aim to serve – employers and apprentices – as well as the wider economy. That has meant taking some tough choices, and holding the line on important policy positions in the face of challenge and uncertainty.

= an apprenticeship quality Partnership with apprentice Employer-led Skilled occupation Employer-led Transferable Institute approved standard On-the-job training = an apprenticeship quality 20% off-the-job training Literacy and numeracy Occupational competence End-point assessment Certification External Quality Assurance

How do we ensure smaller employers’ voices are heard? Policy and guidance need to be clearer and simpler Employers want more support and understanding from the Institute The end-to-end process of developing a new standard takes too long challenges for IfA The process is not as ‘employer led’ as it should be We need to provide better support for Trailblazers in writing Assessment Plans And here are the things we’re having to work on: lots of activity is going on with all of these, and changes are in the pipeline: be patient – we’ve only been at it for 8 months so far! Hopefully it’s reassuring to you that we know what needs to be fixed. Do the Higher Education sector and Institute understand one another well enough? Sector expertise at the Institute could be stronger Intensively support employers to develop a standard in a single workshop More context is required to explain why policy is the way it is

Revised ‘High Level’ Policy What are we doing about it? Revised ‘High Level’ Policy Better rules governing qualifications Clearer support and expectations Revised templates Revised guidance & Intensive workshops faster better New funding process A transformed apprenticeship standards development process…?

Occupational Standard TB group forms Proposal (& initial funding) Approvals (RP and A&FC) Occupational Standard Optional Approvals (RP) EPA Plan (& final funding) Approvals (RP and A&FC) Final publication Trailblazer is a recognised and representative group of employers Occupation is Transferable Sufficiently broad, deep and skilled Provides full competence for new entrants Recognised and stands alone Occupational standard is Short, concise and clear Based on a clear occupational profile with KSBs derived from duties Defines full competence in the occupation Aligns with regulatory requirements or professional recognition Used as the basis for T Levels EPA Plan Delivers valid and accurate judgments of occupational competence Produces consistent and reliable judgments Ensures independence of assessment Should be graded with at least one grade above pass Is feasible, manageable and affordable Enables EPAOs to make reasonable adjustments The criteria

& faster better Intensive workshops Intensive workshops 2 days Proposal agreed by Institute Occupational Standard agreed by Institute Preparatory work Preparatory work Workshop plenary: policy, practice Workshop plenary: theory, policy, practice Workshop development: Development of OS Workshop development: Development of EPAP 2 days IfA Compliance Check IfA Compliance Check Post-workshop: Consult and submit Post-workshop: Consult and submit IfA approvals process IfA approvals process

Occupational Standard 12 weeks TB group forms Proposal (& initial funding) Approvals (RP and A&FC) Occupational Standard Optional Approvals (RP) EPA Plan (& final funding) Approvals (RP and A&FC) Final publication c. 6 weeks 6 weeks 6 weeks 7 weeks c. 37 weeks What causes delays? Trailblazer ‘drift’ Trailblazer can’t/won’t meet policy requirements Trailblazer misses submissions deadline/isn’t ready to submit IfA returns submissions for further work How it should work (if everything goes well…!)

& faster better A new funding process Proposal Standard EPA Plan Approved for delivery Initial Funding Band Calculation (automated) Submit funding evidence forms Final funding band (Route Panel Recommendation) One funding decision, later in the process, based on stronger data

& faster better What does it mean? Better rules governing qualifications No fundamental change: apprenticeship = the qualification; three criteria for mandating other qualifications remain (below) Mandatory Quals Criteria 1. Regulatory requirement for the occupation 2. Professional body requirement for the occupation 3. “Hard sift” (the apprentice would be disadvantaged in job applications without it) Degree apprenticeships brought into line Off-the-job technical qualifications – allowed in certain circumstances & faster better Time period for the removal of ‘occupational competence’ qualifications What does it mean? Employer expertise and informed judgment to approving the inclusion of all qualifications meeting these criteria

“Off the job Technical Qualification” Better rules governing qualifications Is needed for full occupational breadth and/or structure of off-the-job training Only accredits learning acquired in off-the-job training (knowledge and some skills) Does not require more cost or off-the-job training than required in the standard Does not accredit occupational competence (because it doesn’t cover what is learned in the workplace) Not normally more than one-level higher than the level of the occupational standard Criterion: “Off the job Technical Qualification” = & faster better What does it mean? Employers (in the form of Route Panels) will form a view about the suitability of/need for a proposed qualification.

& faster better Revised templates Revised templates What does it mean? Information will be structured more consistently and intelligibly, with each stage building directly on the last What does it mean for Route Panels? Information will be structured more consistently and intelligibly, with each stage building directly on the last

& faster better Revised guidance Revised guidance What does it mean? Trailblazers will be clearer about how and why approvals decisions have been made. What does it mean for Route Panels? Trailblazers will be clearer about how and why you’ve made certain decisions.

Questions…? The standards development and approvals process