Roles & Responsibilities

Who is involved with an apprenticeship?

Employers

The government wants employers to be at the centre of the new process for designing and delivering apprenticeships. This is why apprenticeship standards are now designed by groups of employers, known as trailblazers to ensure the new standards meet employers own skills needs and those of their broader sector. Trailblazers are a huge opportunity for employers to get involved and define what they need in terms of apprenticeships for their sector and to improve the quality of apprenticeships in England. The new apprenticeship standards also require employers to decide when their apprentices are ready for end-point assessment. End-point assessment occurs when the employer is satisfied that the apprentice is working consistently at, or above, the level set out in the apprenticeship standard.

Training Providers

Training providers are a key resource to employers, supplying specific learning and development solutions for the apprenticeship. Some employers with significant apprenticeship programmes may choose to deliver some, or all, of the apprenticeship themselves, and access the funding directly or as a sub-contractor to the main provider.

Organisations that deliver apprenticeship training are subject to the Education and Skills Funding Agency rules and must be on the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers.

There are three types of provider that can access funding. For each apprentice there will be one ‘main provider’, which takes on the responsibility for the entire programme and must deliver some of the apprenticeship training and/or on-programme assessment associated with each apprenticeship programme.

• Main provider: These will deliver apprenticeship training for employers who use the apprenticeship service to pay for training. They can also act as sub contractors for other providers.
• Supporting provider: These are organisations who will enter into subcontracts with main providers and employer providers to deliver apprenticeship training. Currently this can be up to a maximum value of £500,000 per year in total. For organisations with no history of apprenticeship delivery this is currently limited to £100,000 in their first year on the register.
• Employer-provider: These are employers who will directly deliver training to their own employees or those of connected companies and use the apprenticeship service to pay for apprenticeship training. Providers that meet this requirement can also act as subcontractors.

All providers must be on the register of apprenticeship training providers.

Apprenticeship end-point assessment organisations

Apprenticeship end-point assessment organisations (EPAOs) must demonstrate clear lines of separation from the on-programme training organisation and conduct the ‘independent end-point assessment’, which verifies that the apprentice is fully competent at the end of their apprenticeship.

Independent End Point Assessors

Are responsible for assessing apprentices during end point assessments. They must be independent of the Apprentice’s training journey and meet the role requirements detailed in the relevant assessment plan.

Apprentices

Of course, an apprenticeship cannot go ahead without the apprentices themselves!