Exams body AQA has continued to expand into the skills sector by buying another apprenticeship end-point assessment organisation.
Construction EPA Company was today acquired by the independent non-profit charity, three years after Training Qualifications UK (TQUK) joined its ranks.
Construction EPA was set up in 2020 and gained Ofqual recognition 2022. The company’s website claims it is the “home of the only all-inclusive EPA offer including assessor, materials, venue, technician, end-to-end software as well as all the basics you would expect”.
The firm recorded 1,680 end-point assessment completions in 2023-24, more the double the number it hit in 2022-23 of 795, according to Ofqual data.
AQA said Construction EPA is now the country’s third largest construction EPAO covering 30 standards in areas like bricklaying, carpentry, and plastering, with centres in Chorley, Leeds and Stoke. Ofqual’s stats place Construction EPA as the 19th largest EPA across all sectors currently.
Construction EPA has now become an independent subsidiary under AQA – much like TQUK, which AQA bought in December 2022. TQUK operates in a range of sectors including health and social care, leadership and management, education and hospitality.
The acquisition will further boost the presence of AQA, which is better known for its GCSE and A-level offering, in the vocational education and training market.
AQA CEO Colin Hughes said: “I’m delighted to welcome the Construction EPA Company to our team. It’s grown swiftly in a short period of time in part due to its all-inclusive pricing model, which means that it provides the venue, materials, assessors and equipment to assess apprentices.
“It neatly complements TQUK and is further evidence of our growing presence in this dynamic sector.”
The acquisition is timely given the government’s goal of building 1.5 million homes by 2029, and amid estimates that show the UK needs an additional 250,000 construction workers from now to meet demand.
Construction EPA CEO Samuel Riley, who founded the company five years ago, said: “We are proud that our unique model has driven great growth in the past five years and are excited at the opportunities that joining AQA brings for future growth.
“We believe that, together with AQA, we can strongly support our government to achieve its housebuilding and construction targets by closing the skills gap and supporting people into employment in our growing and rewarding sector.”
AQA said the acquisition was for a non-disclosed amount of money. Construction EPA has 24 full-time employees.
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