Healthcare employers looking to make the most of the new apprenticeship levy will have help on hand from one of the UK’s leading awarding organisations.
Highfield Qualifications has been approved by the government to provide end-point assessment (EPA) services for the new healthcare assistant practitioner, healthcare support worker and senior healthcare support worker standards – which are currently being introduced throughout the sector – and will be offering healthcare employers a full range of support services to make the most of their potential apprenticeship levy payments.
The changes are some of the biggest ever to training in the UK, and will see new apprenticeship standards use EPAs instead of continuous assessment, meaning individual apprentices will have their work and competence assessed towards the end of their learning against criteria established by healthcare employers.
There has also been the introduction of the apprenticeship levy from May 2017, with larger employers paying into a central fund that must be used for apprenticeship training, while smaller employers will see 90 per cent of their costs covered by the government.
Chris Sprenger, Highfield MD, said, ‘With our recognition by the government as an apprentice assessment organisation (AAO), Highfield is in a position to provide specific assessment services for those organisations already taking on healthcare apprentices.
We can also offer consultancy and advice to any organisation still trying understand the changes and make the most of them – whether they are looking to take on apprentices for the first time, wanting to have their existing in-house training recognised, or searching for services and resources to ensure they claim the full share of their funding entitlement’.
He added, ‘Apprenticeships are great for businesses and can provide a welcome boost to staff development and productivity when it is most needed, but it’s vital that organisations understand from day one how to make sure the changes are of benefit to them and their employees’.
Highfield’s apprenticeship services are being offered through its Highfield Assessment brand.
For more on the healthcare standards, go to the ‘Apprenticeship Qualifications’ section of www.highfieldassessment.com
You can also contact Highfield at info@highfieldassessment.com or by calling 0845 2260350.
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