The Apprenticeships Conference 2024 and EPAOs Challenges

The Apprenticeships Conference 2024 was held in Birmingham. The conference was attended by many notable experts from different fields, and some really good speeches were delivered by industry leaders. Director of Apprenticeships, Jake Tween at DSW (Doran Scott Williams), talked about artificial intelligence and gave brilliant insights. The hall was packed with attendees, which was as busy as ever after the pandemic. 

EPAOs at The Apprenticeships Conference 2024

risr/ a British assessment and learning software company, conducted a survey at the event, which provided a detailed inside look into the challenges faced by end-point assessment organizations (EPAOs). As they face a lack of resources with increasing apprenticeship demand, the key problems identified are the problems in managing regulatory change, assessment creation, and also assessor capacity.

risr/ availed the opportunity to have people from the leading EPAOs of the nation under one roof for a survey to understand the pressing issues for the companies in this particular sector. The survey provided some interesting insights on what are the challenges that they are facing and their current priorities.

Findings of the risr/ survey

65% of EPAOs find it difficult to manage the regulatory change, as many find it a real challenge. The already resource strained EPAOs find it challenging to understand and implement new rules and regulations as they require more work, despite the fact that they are designed to adjust more apprentices and reduce load.

Assessor capacity vs. demand is also a problematic issue to handle, according to 45% of participants. Recently, the prime minister announced 20,000 more apprentices. This can be a problem to accommodate, as along with the increasing number of apprentices, the growth of the assessor’s capacity is also important. As the prime minister’s announcement came after the survey, the results would vary if surveyed now.

Writing assessments and managing them is also a problem, according to 50% of participants. As big costs are incurred in producing unique assessments, AI can be used to author questions to meet the increased demand. AI can deliver faster outcomes in a cost effective way, but it must be done in accordance with regulatory compliance.

Last but not least, A lack of resources is a genuine problem for the majority of EPAOs in the apprenticeship sector, and the increasing demand and regulations are putting them under more strain. The government and all stakeholders need to commit to building and maintaining an excellent system so that apprenticeships remain beneficial for employers and apprentices. 

Find original report here.