Taking Functional Skills before End-Point Assessment
Apprenticeships bring a world of opportunity to individuals over the age of 16 who want to earn a wage whilst gaining hands-on experience.
The sky is the limit when it comes to taking an apprenticeship, especially since there are a variety of sectors and levels to pick from, giving individuals a chance to progress in the career of their dreams!
Whilst apprenticeships offer an alternative option to an academic-based pathway, apprentices still need to complete a minimum GCSE grade C/4 or level 2 Functional Skills qualifications in English and maths before they can reach their end-point assessment and finish their apprenticeship.
Why are Functional Skills important?
There are a variety of exciting factors baked into an apprenticeship that contribute to boosting an apprentice’s skills, knowledge and behaviour.
For example, apprentices can look forward to gaining sector knowledge from industry specialists during off-the-job training and learning how to master the tricks of the trade by shadowing work colleagues.
However, to fully succeed and flourish within their role, apprentices need to crack open their laptops (or exam papers!), put on their maths and English thinking caps and complete their Functional Skills qualifications before reaching the gateway.
The reason why? Functional Skills give apprentices the essential skills needed to competently complete tasks within the workplace with accuracy and efficiency.
Having a firm understanding towards maths and English not only helps individuals face each day with newfound confidence, it also gives apprentices the ability to go into their workplace and:
read instructions
understand safety regulations
communicate effectively with colleagues, customers and clients.
By ensuring apprentices are qualified for their role and have the knowledge to complete the tasks assigned to them, employers can avoid any workplace disasters that might reflect badly on the company or pose a safety risk to others, such as:
misplacing a decimal point in a supplier invoice
miscalculating the dimensions of a pipe
incorrectly reading power tool instructions.
How do apprentices take Functional Skills?
When it comes to taking Functional Skills, some apprentices may face concerns that they don’t have the time in their jam-packed schedules to squeeze in any extra qualifications.
We completely understand the stress that comes from trying to balance work and education, especially when it feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day.
Luckily, our super flexible Functional Skills are here to save the day as they can fit around even the busiest of apprentice’s schedules!
Apprentices will be able to let out a breath of relief because when joining us they can take advantage of remote on-demand assessments that can be taken anytime, anywhere!
It’s important to note that employers need to grant apprentices leave to complete their Functional Skills, as they cannot be taken as part of off-the-job training.
Functional Skills and end-point assessment with TQUK
It can be a bit of a faff working with different providers for Functional Skills and end-point assessments, especially when it creates unnecessary onboarding processes!
As an End-Point Assessment Organisation (EPAO) and Awarding Organisation (AO), we are the ultimate dream team that offers Functional Skills and end-point assessments.
We have the superpowers to help apprentices succeed with both milestones of their apprenticeship journey without any of those unnecessary admin, gateway or onboarding delays.
By minimising supplier lists, training providers can ensure their apprentices complete their Functional Skills and benefit from a smooth transition into the gateway before year end!
Interested in finding out how we can streamline your experience? Contact us today!