Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-03-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the role of (a) the Institute of Apprenticeships, (b) the Skills Funding Agency and (c) Ofqual is in relation to the independent assessment of Apprenticeship Trailblazers.

Nick Boles

The Institute for Apprenticeships (IfA) will be fully operational from April 2017 and will be responsible for the scrutiny and approval of expressions of interest, apprenticeship standards and assessment plans submitted by employer groups. As in the current system, employers will continue to come together to design new apprenticeship standards, should they choose. The IfA will be responsible for maintaining a public database of apprenticeship standards and may publish information on potential gaps.

The IfA will also have a role in quality assuring the delivery of apprentice end-point assessments where employer groups have been unable to propose employer-led arrangements.

It will work closely with the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) and Ofqual. The SFA registers of training providers and assessment organisations will continue to vet the appropriateness of organisations involved in the delivery of apprenticeships. Ofqual will continue to quality assure any qualifications, where included in apprenticeships.