Skills Group Apprentice Achieves “Distinction” in Brand New Assessment Process

Leon Horn achieved a “Distinction” in all areas of his Customer Service Practitioner Apprenticeship through Skills Group, while working at Plymouth Community Homes

The End Point Assessment (EPA) is part of the new Apprenticeship Standard that is being rolled out nationally, replacing Apprenticeship Frameworks. The apprenticeship reforms aim to provide a more thorough and practical foundation to the profession, with emphasis on equipping learners with the core knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to progress and thrive throughout their career.

As part of the Level 2 Customer Service EPA, Leon had to complete an Apprentice Showcase, Observation and a Professional Discussion, demonstrating excellent understanding in all three areas to achieve the Distinction mark from awarding body Pearsons. For the Showcase, Leon had to prepare a summative portfolio highlighting how he had identified and applied the required core skills in his everyday work. For the Observation, Leon was assessed how he interacted with customers and responded to their needs, and in the Professional Discussion, Leon underwent a structured conversation with the independent end-point assessor, designed to test his knowledge and understanding of specific areas of the apprenticeship. Leon will now be remaining at Plymouth Community Homes as a permanent member of staff.

Ryan Coles, Contact Centre Experience Manager at Plymouth Community Homes comments, “I have worked with Leon over the past fourteen months, and he is a very knowledgeable and valuable team member. The qualification recognises the skills he has developed throughout his apprenticeship and has also enabled him to be offered a full time place with us. Leon is a great example to other learners, highlighting what can be achieved by completing an apprenticeship.”

Leon Horn said: “I am delighted by the EPA result and also the offer of a permanent positon. I would like to thank Plymouth Community Homes for this opportunity and Skills Group for its support throughout my apprenticeship.”

Sharon Chaffe, Managing Director at Skills Group comments, “We are very proud of Leon for his hard work. The EPA is a new and rigorous assessment process and therefore the Distinction result is a credit to his commitment, as well as to our dedicated trainers and Plymouth Community Homes whom we have a long established relationship with. Our apprenticeships provide a brilliant platform to start a career, providing on-the-job training with top local employers and complemented by training in our state-of-the-art facilities. We look forward to Leon’s progress going forward.”