AELP has teamed up with Innovate Awarding and Pearl Assess to bolster EPA capacity

Online assessor course launched for AELP members

The Association of Employment and Learning Providers has responded to capacity concerns about the roll-out of the new apprenticeship end point assessment requirements by teaming up with Innovate Awarding and Pearl Assess to launch a new online assessor training course.

The course will be free for staff working for AELP members, including providers and End Point Assessment Organisations (EPAOs), and is part of a growing suite of complimentary services and products that the Association offers to its members.

Broken down into 6 modules, the course will:

• provide an understanding on the basic principles of assessment
• support best practice for assessors involved in End Point Assessment
• provide further understanding to providers to help prepare apprentices for End Point Assessment
• provide End Point Assessment Organisations with a starting point to then build a further professional development programme for End Point Assessors.

Designed by Innovate Awarding in partnership with Pearl Assess and AELP, the course includes a multiple-choice question test at the end of the course.  A certificate will be issued to those who successfully complete it.

The course’s launch was announced by AELP chairman Martin Dunford OBE at the start of the AELP National Conference on 25 June in London.

Innovate Awarding managing director Charlotte Bosworth said:

“This free online course for AELP members ensures a good understanding of the principles of assessment, the types of end point assessment and the skills to deliver end point assessment. The aim is to provide them to a strong base knowledge that all End Point Assessment Organisations and providers are happy to recognise. Each EPAO will then further train successful completers on their specific processes and systems.”

AELP CEO Mark Dawe said:

“As an increasing number of apprentices start to complete their programmes under the new standards, it is vital that we avoid an assessment ‘car crash’ which would be extremely damaging to the reputation of apprenticeships with employers and apprentices left angry and frustrated. It means that the Institute for Apprenticeships must deliver on its promise to approve EPA arrangements faster and that the sector must increase its capacity to assess.

“Today’s course launch is a direct response to the need to build capacity and AELP is very grateful to Innovate Awarding and Pearl Assess for developing the course so quickly. Based on my own awarding body experience, I am confident that the course’s roll-out will make a very positive difference in helping to minimise any future possible log-jams.”