What is the new flexibility for Functional Skills in apprenticeships?
With Covid-19 still disrupting many workplaces, there have been delays to apprentices who were about to complete their apprenticeship.
In light of this, the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) has announced a temporary flexibility that allows apprentices to take end point assessment (EPA) ahead of receiving their calculated functional skills qualifications (FSQ) later on in the summer.
With effect from 22nd May 2020, throughout the Covid-19 crisis, IfATE is allowing Gateway to be passed and EPA taken before the FSQ calculated result is received.
This will apply to:
- all apprentices due to take an FSQ test and receive a result between 20 March and 31 July;
- those apprentices that are deemed by their training provider to have the required level of functional skills and sufficient evidence to demonstrate this to receive a calculated FSQ pass; and
- occupationally competent apprentices at gateway who are ready to progress to sit their EPA.
These measures are temporary and have been introduced to allow apprentices to complete the EPA without undue delay.
Apprentices will only achieve their apprenticeship and receive their certificate once they have passed EPA and received their FSQ pass.
The ESFA will shortly release further guidance on how to implement this flexibility.
Do you have a question about EPA? Our team are on hand to help – get in touch to find out more.
