Apprenticeship Assessors Assessing the quality of end-point assessment in integrated higher and degree apprenticeships (Fixed Term) We are seeking experts to undertake assessments of the quality of end-point assessments (EPAs) of apprenticeships to ensure they are valid, reliable and effective, and show that an apprentice has achieved occupational competence. In this recruitment exercise we are particularly interested in hearing from applicants who have academic expertise and experience in the design and delivery of assessment, with direct experience of apprenticeships and assessing occupational competence. We would particularly welcome applications from people with experience in the apprenticeship standards listed below, but we also welcome applications from those that have a broader range of apprenticeship assessment experience and are able to effectively form a view about effective assessment of occupational competence. Police Constable Digital and Technology Solutions Professional Advanced Clinical Practitioner Digital and Technology Solutions Specialist The deadline for applications in this recruitment round is 16 February 2025. About the Office for Students and the role of apprenticeship assessors The Office for Students (OfS) was established by the Higher Education and Research Act 2017 (HERA) and became fully operational in April 2018. Our primary aim is to ensure that English higher education is delivering positive outcomes for students – past, present and future. Our objectives are to ensure that students, from all backgrounds, particularly those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds: are supported to access, succeed in, and progress from, higher education receive high quality academic experience and their interests are protected while they study or in the event of provider, campus, or course closure are able to progress into employment or further study, and their qualifications hold their value over time receive value for money. External Quality Assurance (EQA) assessment The OfS is the body responsible for EQA of institutions that are registered with the OfS and that deliver integrated higher and degree apprenticeships and are responsible for undertaking EPAs of apprentices. EQA is performed to ensure EPAs are fair, consistent, and robust across different apprenticeship standards and between different institutions. We are seeking experienced apprenticeship practitioners to help us undertake independent assessments of apprenticeship standards. You will use your expert judgement to make a recommendation to the OfS about the suitability of apprenticeship assessments. You will also be expected to take a view on the quality of EPA delivery and identify any emerging issues to be addressed by the institution. Your expert judgements will assess and provide assurance to the OfS about whether, for example, an apprenticeship standard’s assessment and support materials, including the EPA delivery plans, are relevant, reliable, efficient, and fair in its delivery. We are looking for individuals with academic expertise from current or recent employment in higher education; who also have experience in delivering and or assessing apprenticeships; and can therefore provide both academic and industry perspectives on the delivery of EPA. The role is likely to involve a desk-based review of the preparations and related documentation to assure assessment readiness and ongoing monitoring, including undertaking site visits to observe and assure the assessment processes. Your expertise You will have experience of designing and delivering learning, teaching and assessment in integrated higher and degree apprenticeships. You will be a practitioner in EPA for your specialism and may also have experience of evaluating their quality. Either way, you will be able to use your expertise, both subject expertise and experience of assessing occupational competence of apprentices, to reach a judgement about the quality of EPA apprenticeship standard delivery. You will apply your knowledge of integrated higher and degree apprenticeships to review and evaluate an institution’s ability to assess apprentices against the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education’s (IfATE’s) EQA framework criteria, providing clear and structured feedback where the provider’s approach requires improvement. You will be well organised, personable, have good communication skills and excellent written English to produce the report in the format required. You will be able to contribute to designing the scope of the assessment, identifying questions and lines of enquiry to ensure EPAs are delivered appropriately and consistently. You will seek to secure evidence and insights that can be used to address risk and ensure that EPAs are a sufficiently valid and reliable measure of occupational competence. You will be employed by a higher education or further education provider as academic staff or have recently been employed as such. More information about this role including the full role description and person specification is available here Available roles We are recruiting assessors for an appointment for a two-year period, initially, with the possibility of reappointment subject to business need. For each EQA quality assessment at an institution, we will select apprenticeship assessors from a pool of assessors, based on their specific skills, experience and expertise, their availability, and the apprenticeship standard subject areas. In our current recruitment round, we are seeking applications from individuals who have academic expertise in the apprenticeship subject areas specified in the list above. In addition, we welcome applications from candidates with broad experience of assessing apprenticeships. Time commitment and remuneration For each assessment undertaken in 2025-26: Apprenticeship assessors will be remunerated at a flat fee, calculated as £300 x 6-8 number of days set out by the OfS in advance. The estimated time commitment for each assessment in 2025-26 is 6 to 8 days. The time commitment may include training and some overnight travel to visit an institution’s premises and may vary depending on the scope of an assessment. The flat fee payable for an assessment will be set out in advance. Training and continuing professional development Each apprenticeship assessor will be required to undertake initial training in the OfS’s regulatory approach, the requirements we impose for quality and how these may relate to your academic expertise, and the assessment methods for EQA of EPA. Each apprenticeship assessor will also be required to maintain their knowledge through continuing professional development activities. Apprenticeship assessors will be remunerated for training activities. Application process and other requirements Each applicant will be required to upload a CV and answer some online questions setting out how they meet the experience, knowledge and skills requirements of the apprenticeship assessor role for which they are applying. Applicants who are shortlisted will be invited to an online assessment centre and will be asked to complete some group assessment tasks, expected to take place week commencing 24 March 2025. Successful applicants will be appointed to our pool of apprenticeship assessors. We may wish to retain applications from applicants who are not appointed at this stage, in our application pool for further consideration in subsequent recruitment rounds. We will contact relevant applicants if this is the case. The deadline for receipt of applications in this recruitment round is 16 February 2025 .