NOCN Group first Awarding Organisation to be approved to deliver EPA for new Low Carbon Heating Technician Apprenticeship

NOCN Group(@NOCNGroup) is the first Awarding Organisation to be approved to deliver End Point Assessment for the new Low Carbon Heating Technician Apprenticeship Standard.

Training Providers and employers offering the new apprenticeship to their learners and employees will be able to choose NOCN as the approved independent End Point Assessment Organisation on the Government’s online Apprenticeship portal.

The 36 month-long Low Carbon Heating Technician programme is a designated ‘Royal Apprenticeship’ hand-picked by industry experts to celebrate the King’s Coronation due to its green credentials. The broad purpose of the occupation is to plan, select and size, install, commission, service and maintain (including fault finding, diagnosis and repair) zero carbon central heating and hot water systems in buildings including dwellings and industrial and commercial premises.

The first cohorts of learners will be starting on the programme from August 2024 and will be able to go on to work in roles including renewable heating installers, technicians or engineers. City of Liverpool College has already committed to using NOCN as its End Point Assessment Organisation for the new apprenticeship and many others are expected to sign up over the coming months.

NOCN Group is an education charity which has been creating opportunities through learning & skills solutions since 1987. It is a leader in the construction & built environment sector and is campaigning to get ‘green skills’ to the top of agenda in the UK and internationally. Read this blog summarising insights from NOCN’s recent green skills conference ‘A Skills System for a Net Zero Economy’.

Simon Lewis, Head of Operations and Customer Experience at NOCN Group, says:

“We’re huge supporters of the new Low Carbon Heating Technician Apprenticeship having been involved in the development of it and we’re proud to be approved as an official End Point Assessment Organisation for the programme. We’ll be working with Colleges, training providers and employers to support the success of as many learners as possible on this vital programme for the future of green skills in the UK.”

NOCN has also developed a Low Carbon Heating Technician Level 3 Diploma; a vocational qualification which meets the training requirements for delivering the ‘off the job’ component of the apprenticeship programme. It will be available from the end of June 2024.