Proposed apprenticeship assessment reforms must bring strength not weakness to UK engineering and manufacturing, says the head of the leading awarding organisation EAL.
AL Parkes, Managing Director of EAL, is calling on government to ensure that sector concerns are addressed.
EAL, part of the Enginuity Group, is unique in dedicating all its profits to charitable initiatives that help close the skills gap.
“No system should stand still. But change must work with the realities of safety-critical sectors, not against them.” said Al.
“I have spent my career championing apprenticeships as a powerful route into skilled, meaningful work. In engineering, manufacturing and building services engineering, apprenticeships do more than fill vacancies.
“They shape competence, confidence and skills in sectors where people’s safety, and the public’s, depends on getting things right.
‘That is why the current proposals to reform apprenticeship assessment matter so much to the employers, providers and learners we serve. Improvement to the end-point assessment process is not only reasonable, but it’s also expected.”
“EAL was created by the sector, to serve the sector. For over 30 years, we have worked with employers to design qualifications and assessments that reflect real jobs, real risks and real responsibilities.
“Today, a significant proportion of our team are engineers drawn from across engineering and building services engineering. We make that investment deliberately, because people who understand the job comprehend what competent practice actually looks like. That insight shapes everything we do, from qualification and assessment design and development to quality assurance.
“As the proposed reforms have been discussed across our sector, employers and providers have raised consistent concerns. The first is the move towards increased sampling and reduced external quality assurance. In engineering and building services engineering, safety is not abstract. It is embedded in day-to-day decisions, behaviours and procedures.
“Employers need confidence that every apprentice has been assessed against the full range of critical requirements, including health and safety, not just a subset. Sampling may work in some contexts, but in high-risk environments, it introduces uncertainty where there should be none.
“We are also hearing strong concerns about a one-size-fits-all approach to assessment. Engineering and manufacturing are diverse by nature. Electrical installation, mechanical maintenance and building services engineering all involve different risk profiles, working conditions and competence thresholds.
“A single assessment model cannot reflect that complexity. When responsibility for elements of assessment shifts without clear, common expectations, the risk of inconsistency grows. That affects employers’ trust in outcomes and undermines the portability of apprenticeships for learners.
“None of this is about resisting reform. It is about protecting what makes apprenticeships work. There are no laybys in the sky in the sectors we serve. We cannot compromise on competence, quality or safety, because the consequences are real and immediate. Whatever the final shape of the reforms, EAL will not lower the bar.
“At EAL, quality is not a slogan. It is the foundation of our role as an awarding and assessment organisation created by the sector, for the sector. In a period of significant reform and uncertainty, our commitment is clear. We will continue to support employers and providers with high-quality, robust assessments that are shaped by what the sector actually needs, not what is easiest to deliver.
“We work closely with employers, providers and industry bodies to co-design assessment approaches that are practical, trusted and grounded in real workplace competence. We invest in people, systems and quality assurance because that is what protects standards over time. Change in policy or process will not alter that focus.
“EAL reinvests its surplus back into the sector through our parent charity Enginuity, supporting skills development and capability building across engineering and manufacturing. We want to bring that same long-term commitment to working with Government, employers and providers to improve the assessment system. That means taking time to engage properly with safety-critical industries, involving subject matter experts meaningfully, and setting clear national expectations for assessment, grading and evidence.
“Apprenticeships have earned their reputation because employers trust them and learners value them. That trust must be protected. I would welcome the opportunity for employers, training providers and FE institutions to work with EAL to preserve the integrity of apprenticeships, so they continue to be a route the sector believes in.
“If we collaborate, listen and apply sector expertise, reform can strengthen confidence rather than erode it. Our apprentices, and the sectors they support, deserve nothing less.”
The reforms are due to be fully implemented later this year.
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