Glossary of terms

Glossary of terms

Agreed / agreed subject to final apprenticeship standard approval – decision relating to a submission of an occupation proposal, occupational standard and end-point assessment plan during the development stages, before ‘approval’ of the apprenticeship standard in full at the end of the process

Agreed with conditions – decision relating to a submission of an occupation proposal, occupational standard and EPA plan. Conditions outline changes needed or additional evidence required before the submission can be agreed.

Apprenticeship – an apprenticeship is employment with training to industry standards in a recognised occupation. It will involve a substantial programme of on and off-the-job training

Apprenticeship framework – old-style apprenticeship based on qualifications, currently being phased out in England in favour of apprenticeships based on standards developed by employers.

Apprenticeship standard – new-style apprenticeship based on an occupational standard that defines the duties carried out by someone in the occupation and knowledge, skills and behaviours required to achieve that competence in those duties. The apprentice’s occupational competence is tested by an independent, end-point assessment

Approval & Funding Committee – a sub-committee of the Institute’s board. It makes final decisions on the approval of occupational standards and end-point assessment plans and makes final decisions on behalf of the Institute on funding band recommendations

Approved for delivery – an apprenticeship standard that is finalised for apprenticeship starts – occupational standard and end-point assessment plan must be agreed and published and funding band allocated

Conditions – changes needed or additional evidence required before an occupation proposal, occupational standard and/or end-point assessment plan can be agreed

Degree apprenticeship standard – an apprenticeship that mandates a full bachelor’s or master’s degree

Department for Education – responsible for children’s services and education, including higher and further education policy, apprenticeships and wider skills in England

Duty/duties – the activities/competencies that will be carried out by a competent person in a specific occupation; requires the application of knowledge, skills and behaviours in the workplace. Duties always begin with a verb

Education and Skills Funding Agency – agency accountable for funding education and skills for children, young people and adults

End-point assessment – rigorous robust and independent assessment undertaken by an apprentice at the end of training to test that the apprentice can perform in the occupation they have been trained in and can demonstrate the duties, and knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) set out in the occupational standard

End-point assessment organisation (EPAO) – an organisation approved to deliver end-point assessment for a particular apprenticeship standard. EPAOs must be on the register of end-point assessment organisations

Funding band recommendation – recommendation made by the Institute, taking account of information submitted by a trailblazer group. It is notified to trailblazer group when the end-point assessment plan is agreed

Funding bands – each apprenticeship standard is allocated to one of 30 funding bands. The upper limit of each funding band caps the maximum amount of digital funds an employer who pays the levy can use towards an individual apprenticeship

Funding evidence – what you must submit regarding costs of delivery of your apprenticeship standard. Used to inform the Institute’s funding band recommendation

Holistic / synoptic – assessment of an apprentice’s knowledge, skills and behaviours in an integrated way i.e. assessing several KSBs at the same time

Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education – (‘the Institute’) – the body responsible for improving the quality of apprenticeships in England

Integrated degree apprenticeship standard – an apprenticeship that mandates a full bachelor’s or master’s degree, which incorporates the end-point assessment. The higher education institution delivering the degree must be on the register of apprenticeship training providers and the register of end-point assessment organisations

Knowledge, skills and behaviours – what is needed to competently undertake the duties required for an occupational standard

Relationship Manager – primary contact within the Institute for a trailblazer group, who supports you through the entire apprenticeship standard development process

Requirements – what needs to be met when developing an apprenticeship standard. There are requirements relating to trailblazer groups, an apprenticeship occupation, occupational standard and end-point assessment 

Route/Pathway – grouping of sectors initially devised as part of the reforms to technical education. There are 15 different routes; pathways are groupings of occupations within a route

Occupation – a recognised job role. The basis for apprenticeship standards

Occupation level – level assigned to an occupation based on its difficulty and degree of autonomy

Occupational profile – description of what someone in the occupation usually does, including duties

Occupational standard – document that details what someone competent in the occupation does – duties and the knowledge, skills and behaviours they require to do it; the basis for apprenticeship standards and T-levels

Standard occupational classification – common classification of occupational information for the UK. It is used to classify workers into occupational categories for the purpose of collecting, calculating, or disseminating data

Route panel – there are 15 sector-based route panels made up of industry experts. They scrutinise occupational standards, end-point assessment plans and funding evidence as part of the Institute’s approvals process. They make recommendations to the Approval and Funding Committee who make the final decisions on submissions

T Levels – T Levels are new, two-year, technical study programmes, designed with employers to give young people the skills that industry needs. They will provide a mixture of:

Technical knowledge and skills specific to their chosen industry or occupation
An industry placement of at least 45 days in their chosen industry or occupation
Relevant maths, English and digital skills.

Trailblazer group – group of employers developing an apprenticeship standard, recognised by the Institute as representative of those who employ people in the occupation

Training provider – any organisation that delivers apprenticeship training. For example, a college, higher education institution, private training organisation. Training providers delivering training for apprenticeships must be on the register of apprenticeship training providers

Valid – referred to in relation to assessment methods; fit for purpose

Abbreviations

DfE – Department for Education

AELP- Association of Employer and Learning Providers

AFC – Approvals and Funding Committee

AoC- Association of Colleges

EPA – End-Point Assessment

EPAO – End-Point Assessment Organisation

ESFA – Education and Skills funding Agency

GLH – Guided Learning Hours

HE – Higher Education

HEFCE – Higher Education Funding Council for England

HEI – Higher Education Institution

KSB- Knowledge, Skills, Behaviours

NQF- National Qualifications Framework

NVQ – National Vocational Qualification

OfS – Office for Students

QAA – Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education

RM – Relationship Manager

RoEPAO – Register of End-point Assessment Organisations

RoATP – Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers

RQF – Regulated Qualifications Framework

SOC – Standard Occupational Classification

UVAC- University Vocational Awards Council

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