RTITB offers End Point Assessments for apprenticeships

The End Point Assessment (EPA) ensures that the apprentice can do the job they have been trained to do and typically comes at the end of a 12-month programme of training and experience in the job role. 

The EPA must be carried out by an independent organisation – the employer or training provider can’t carry out EPAs of their own apprentices.

Laura Nelson, managing director of RTITB said: “We are ready to work with employers who require an EPA centre for their apprenticeship candidates, and training providers who have contracts for employer’s apprenticeship programmes.”

Use or lose

Since 2017, employers with a payroll over £3 million each year have paid the apprenticeship levy at a rate of 0.5% of their total pay bill. Paid to HMRC, the money is held in a 'digital fund' which can then be used to pay for apprenticeship training and assessment.

“The problem is, that many businesses with transport and logistics operations are yet to use their pot of money. If they don’t use it, they lose it,” added Laura.

The fund in a company’s Apprenticeship Service Account can only be spent on costs associated with the training and assessment of apprentices – and the EPA is an eligible cost. Short courses do not qualify under the scheme and the funds remain available for 24 months from the date of payment.

RTITB will start by offering EPAs for Supply Chain Warehouse Operatives (ST259) and LGV Drivers (ST0257) and plans to extend our EPA offer to cover other apprenticeship standards in the transport and logistics sector later in 2019.