UKFT – The Sector’s External Quality Assurance Organisation

The end-point assessment of apprenticeships must be externally quality assured by an outside organisation chosen by the employers who developed the apprenticeship standards. This is to ensure all the tests and results are valid, accurate and reliable across all end-point assessment organisations (EPAOs).

For fashion and textile end-point assessments, UKFT has been asked by employer groups to become the EQAO for the following apprenticeships:

• Level 2 Footwear Manufacturer
• Level 2 Leather Craftsperson
• Level 2 Sewing Machinist
• Level 2 Textile Manufacturing Operative
• Level 2 Textile Care Services Operative
• Level 3 Fashion Studio Assistant
• Level 3 Pattern Cutter
• Level 4 Fashion and Textiles Product Technologist
• Level 5 Bespoke Cutter & Tailor

UKFT will be checking the following key criteria:

• Quality and consistency of assessment
• Capability of assessors
• Effectiveness of internal quality assurance
• Management of information including reporting to stakeholders, employers, end-point assessment organisations, training providers and the Institute for Apprenticeships as required.

What employers need to know

Each new apprenticeship assessment plan has to set out how the external quality assurance process will work. This is a requirement of the Institute for Apprenticeships (IfA) who have to sign off the chosen arrangement.

External quality assurance is carried out on the end-point assessment organisations to ensure consistency and quality for all apprentices and their employers.

UKFT will charge £44 (+ VAT if applicable) per apprentice entering end-point assessment. This charge is to cover our costs and is a non-profit making exercise.

The cost is payable by the end-point assessment organisation at no additional cost to employers.

In the meantime if you have any questions please email us at skillsandtraining@ukft.org