TRAINING
We are also supposed to take off their holidays when accounting for the hours or days of training. ‘On-the–job’ means that the employer must fulfil their role thus: “In order for apprentices to meet the Gateway requirement of a completed apprenticeship development journal, the employer must supervise workplace activity of the apprentice to allow them to demonstrate that they have achieved the required knowledge, skills and behaviours at work for the Gateway.
“Employers must also arrange sufficient off-the- job learning whilst the apprentice is on-programme. “Employers will confirm whether the apprentice is ready to be entered for the End Point Assessment at the Gateway stage and complete the Gateway form.” Now, the only mandatory qualification is the “Level 2 certificate in F-Gas and ODS regulations category 1”. This should be the City and Guilds 2079, although the wording is not clear. They must also achieve Maths and English at Level 2, but there is no other training prescribed within the Trailblazer. City and Guilds have launched the 6090 suite of diplomas in refrigeration and air conditioning at Levels 2 and 3. It must be conveyed that these are not mandatory, but are certainly to be recommended.
It is all geared towards the End Point Assessment. In order to qualify for entry to the Gateway, the apprentice will have achieved the F-Gas certification, have Maths and English at Level 2 and will have gained the necessary competencies. The apprentice will also need to complete an apprentice development journal. This journal will be formulated over the three year period under the employer’s guidance and confirmed as correct.
The employer will confirm that the apprentice has completed everything required, and is ready for the
EPA by completing the Gateway form. The EPA can then be applied for through the training provider. The EPA is split into three parts, of which the apprentice must pass all: ■ Knowledge and skills synoptic test – a multi- choice test paper covering three years of training/ experience set and marked by the EPAO. At the moment there are only three different tests comprising 50 questions. I am sure that more will be developed as time goes on.
■ Practical tests: Two to three days of practical assessments assessed by an independent assessor. Briefly, there will be two practical tests. One that includes the retrofitting of a dual temperature refrigeration system from a high GWP refrigerant to a low GWP refrigerant. There must be the option of using a flammable refrigerant. The other is electrical and mechanical fault diagnosis and repair. The apprentice will be put through their paces under the watchful eye of the IA. Note that the End Point Assessment is on refrigeration systems, which means that whether you work in refrigeration, air conditioning or heat pumps, the assessment will be on the prescribed equipment and systems.
■ Professional interview supported by a synopsis of the apprentice development journal. The apprentice will need to forward the completed journal to the IA a month before the interview. The apprentice will need to prepare a synopsis and, based on this, the IA will conduct a verbal one- to-one interview to assess skills, knowledge and behaviours demonstrated therein. Only 55 minutes are allowed for this interview.
The passing grades the apprentice can earn are a pass, merit or distinction. This grading is excellent,
allowing the apprentice to really prove their worth and reap the benefits of all their hard work. Unfortunately, if one does not pass their EPA then the employer will decide the route their apprentice takes, and new definitions have been introduced here: ■ Retake – involves further training before a second attempt is made.
■ Resit – involves another attempt without any training.
It is not yet clear whether all three parts of the EPA need to be retaken or resat if the apprentice does not pass everything first time.
We do not know exactly what the cost implications will be. The good thing is that the Trailblazer amounts to funding of £18,000 over the three year period. They will hold back 15-20% for EPA until the end of the programme. On the surface, this seems like a considerable amount of money, but when you take into account the different parts of the jigsaw it is not a lot. Speaking of funding, if you are a large employer, you must pay into the Apprenticeship Levy. Then, you must claim from this levy to pay for your training. If you are a small employer then you only need to pay 10% of the training costs. There are even some reported cases where there was no cost. In addition, employers can now contract with training providers of their own choice.
This RACHP Trailblazer is certainly set to be changing the face of training and funding, but there are a lot of challenges and obstacles in the way. Never before has it been so important for everyone to work together to safeguard our future, but I know that as an industry we thrive and rise to any challenge.
www.acr-news.com
August 2018 47
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72
