EQA | FE Week

IfA and Open Awards reach deal on EQA contract extension

The Institute for Apprenticeships has reached a deal with the organisation that delivers external quality assurance on its behalf to extend its contract for a further six months – but will go out to tender for a “longer term contract” after that. Open Awards first won the contract to deliver EQA on behalf of the […]

IfA close to losing external quality assurer as contract expires at end of the week

The organisation that delivers external quality assurance on behalf of the Institute for Apprenticeships has yet to sign a new contract, FE Week understands – just days before its existing contract runs out. Open Awards, a small awarding organisation with a turnover of just £1.5 million and around 30 members of staff, was first awarded […]

IfA quality committee fears conflict of interest the ‘biggest risk’, newly published documents reveal

Conflicts of interest are the “biggest risk” to the effectiveness of external quality assurance, the Institute for Apprenticeships has admitted. Employer groups developing apprenticeship standards name the organisation to deliver this service, but so far just a quarter – 10 out of 40 – of those chosen have been approved by the IfA. The body’s […]

New quality assurance rules will create a tiered apprenticeship system

The latest announcements on quality assurance of end-point assessments are a game-changer for assessment organisations – some standards will now be regulated more stringently than others, predicts Terry Fennell Things just got serious for end-point assessment organisations (EPAOs) delivering standards that are externally quality assured by Ofqual, with new enforceable rules coming into effect on […]

IfA approves quality assurer that is scheduled to close

A company approved to provide external quality assurance for digital apprenticeships will fold in September, in a situation described as an “unworkable short-term solution”. The Institute for Apprenticeships approved the Tech Partnership for the role in December, two months after it announced plans to shut up shop. The IfA also confirmed that if no suitable […]

IfA appoints small exam board as apprenticeship ‘External Quality Assurance’ delivery partner

A small awarding organisation that appears to have little experience in the apprenticeships market will deliver external quality assurance of end-point-assessment on behalf of the Institute for Apprenticeships next year. The tender for the EQA contract was finally launched by the institute in May – three months after it was originally supposed to go live. […]

Tendering for external quality assurance finally launched

Tendering for the external quality assurance of apprenticeships has finally been launched by the Institute for Apprenticeships – three months after it was originally supposed to go live. The opportunity to apply to deliver EQA services on behalf of the IfA was posted on the gov.uk contracts finder website last night, with a closing date of […]