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

2. 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.

3. = 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

4. 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

5. 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…?

6. 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

7. & 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

8. 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…!)

9. & 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

10. & 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

11. “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.

12. & 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

13. & 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.

14. Questions…?
The standards development and approvals process