Guidance

Apprenticeships standards versioning: release of the revisions status report

Published 24 February 2021

Applies to England

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IFATE) has published the second edition of its Revisions Status Report. This is a new report which will be updated every 8 weeks to show which live standards have entered IFATE’s formal revisions process, and their progress. The report does not include standards that are currently subject to an IFATE Route Review, as the process of revising such standards only begins once the Route Review has been completed.

The report will be housed on the IFATE website here and updates notified every 8 weeks through the ESFA Update to providers, ESFA Business Update to employers, ESFA’s newsletter to EPAO’s, IFATE’s communications to EQAOs, and ESFA intermediaries contacts.

We have listened to user feedback and through this report we will prewarn the sector when new versions of apprenticeship standards are upcoming and when they will go live. This means that training providers and EPAOs can prepare for the new version, and work with employers and apprentices to ensure all parties are aware of how a new version being issued may impact their choices. Going forwards, it will improve sector awareness where employers’ or professional bodies’ feedback has led to the creation of multiple versions of a standard.

The report will also provide IFATE with an opportunity to consult the sector on the appropriate notice period for each version change (the period between all elements of a new version being approved and available to see online, and the date from which it replaces the old version for new starts). Feedback can be provided by emailing the relevant IFATE Relationships Manager, links to which are provided in the Revisions Status Report.

As part of this enhanced communications process, notifications have been added to the individual standard webpages on the IFATE website to flag when a standard is subject to revision and the stage it is at.

We listened to sector feedback asking for earlier notification of potential content changes, in bulk and via familiar routes to market such as our regular newsletters, to give the sector more time to decide which changes will impact delivery, and for us to be clear particularly about start and switch off dates, and funding band changes. The process has been tested with provider review groups and will be reviewed shortly after it goes live to ensure it is working.

Action

Providers and EPAOs should regularly review and monitor these Revisions Status Reports.

To ensure the smooth delivery of the correct version, it is important to take the following action in relation to any standards on the list for which they are delivering either training or assessment.

Training providers

• Ensure the employers and apprentices they engage with are aware of an upcoming new version so they can factor this into their choices
• Prepare to deliver the new version, as more information on the change becomes available as the revision process progresses
• Where multiple versions of a standard have been issued, ensure apprentices are entered for the correct assessment. This is best done through early and detailed engagement with the EPAO, taking particular care to ensure that all parties (apprentice, employer and EPAO) know which version of the apprenticeship is being delivered and whether there have been any changes to the assessment plan.
• Engage in the revisions process, in particular where IFATE is requesting feedback on the appropriate notice period via the relationship managers on individual standards linked to the report
• Contact the IFATE relationship manager (contact provided on report) if further information is required on specific standard revisions

End point assessment organisations (EPAOs)

• Take note of the apprenticeship standards in revision, and engage in the revisions process, in particular where IFATE is requesting feedback on the appropriate notice period via the relationship managers on individual standards linked to the report.
• Prepare to assess against a new version , as more information on the change becomes available as the revision process progresses
• Where multiple versions of a standard have been issued, ensure apprentices are entered for the correct assessment. This is best done through early and detailed engagement with the provider, taking particular care to ensure that both know which version of the apprenticeship is being delivered and whether there have been any changes to the assessment plan.
• Depending on the nature of changes within a new version (for example, changes to the assessment type within the assessment plan) you may need to provide additional information to the ESFA. This will be to confirm your continued capacity and capability to assess new versions. Should you wish to deliver a new version, please contact the RoEPAO team through the ESFA Helpdesk in the first instance.
• Contact the IFATE relationship manager (contact provided on report) if further information is required on specific standard/EPA revisions .

Future developments

The creation of this new report forms part of a wider suite of enhancements to how we manage new versions of apprenticeship standards entering the market. We are developing the apprenticeship service, building on the existing apprenticeship service journey to support the management of standards versioning. This will provide a clearer, smoother way of managing the entry of new versions to the market through targeted communications for the sector. It will also support the sector to prepare and be equipped to deliver new versions, and allow the sector to make informed choices with apprentices.

We are taking a phased approach in developing and implementing these changes. Initially we will look to build the standard versioning digital footprint within the apprenticeship service which will allow the digital capabilities required to track standard versions and ensure that apprentices sit the right assessment.

As this work develops, we will continue to undertake user research with our user groups to ensure that the solution best meets user needs. The sector can take part in user research sessions to provide feedback about this by mailing user.researchers@education.gov.uk.