The Institution of Mechanical Engineers is now an Ofqual regulated end-point assessment organisation for apprenticeships in the engineering industry.
The approval will help the IMechE to support apprentice engineers by assessing their apprenticeships to ensure the skills, knowledge and behaviours they have gained meet industry standards.
According to the IMechE’s Chief Executive, Dr Alice Bunn OBE, apprenticeships are an important vocational route into engineering and the institution has been involved with End Point Assessment and its development since 2013.
“Our mission is to improve the world through engineering and we recognise that the challenges facing society today will need engineers with skills at all levels so it is very important that we are inclusive in our approach to supporting all engineers.
End-point assessment (EPA) is an independent evaluation of the knowledge, skills and behaviours which have been learnt throughout the apprenticeship and includes a test of the apprentice’s ability to apply them in the workplace.
IMechE has provided EPA since 2018 but 18 months ago responsibility for regulating the assessment moved to Ofqual, the qualifications regulator in England.
End point assessment providers are now required to be recognised by Ofqual and the approval received by the IMechE is part of a phased programme of approval applications which began in 2020.
The Institution will now be able to offer EPA for the Engineering Technician Standard (ST0457) and Railway Engineering Design Technician Standard (ST0315) with other standards due to transfer later in the year.
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