Scaffolding Association urges industry to have its say on whether the Scaffolder Apprenticeship end-point assessment confirms that apprentices have achieved occupational competence

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Press Release

Published: August 19, 2022

The scaffolding sector’s largest trade association, the Scaffolding Association, is urging the industry to complete two short surveys giving their views on the effectiveness of the scaffolder apprenticeship.

Each survey should take no more than ten minutes to complete, and your feedback will help ensure that the apprenticeship meets the training needs of scaffolding businesses (End-Point Assessment Stage). It will also allow industry to comment whether the occupation is similar or a duplicate of other apprenticeship standards (Standard Stage).

Download the EPA Stage for the Scaffolder Apprenticeship here

Download the Standard Stage for the Scaffolder Apprenticeship here.

Your feedback will be considered as part of the assessment process and help inform the final approval decision – a process overseen by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE).

Complete the EPA Stage Survey here.

Complete the Standard Stage Survey here.

Robert Candy, Chief Executive of the Scaffolding Association, said: “It’s vitally important that industry takes the opportunity to feed into this process which only occurs every three years and particularly the EPA Stage, given that duplication with other standards is unlikely because of the specialist nature of this occupation”.

He added: “It is disappointing that the Scaffolder Apprenticeship Trailblazer Group has made no effort to communicate this opportunity to industry and even more so, that the IfATE do not have robust processes and procedures in place to ensure that trailblazer groups do more to communicate these opportunities to the sectors they represent”.

Robert concluded: “If it wasn’t for the association’s recently established contact with the IfATE, the largest trade association in this sector would have no knowledge of this limited consultation window. To time this with the middle of the holiday season is also unacceptable – concerns we will be raising with relevant ministers.

-ENDS-

Notes for editors

The Scaffolding Association is the UK’s largest dedicated trade association representing the Scaffolding and Access industry.

The construction sector employs 2.7millon people, contributes over £100bn to the UK economy which is 7% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Press Contact: Chris Seaton – [email protected] or 07979 531464