But how do we ensure our qualifications give learners the right skills while supporting employers in an ever-changing landscape?

By working closely with industry experts, businesses, and training providers, we develop qualifications and assessments that prepare learners for success. This National Apprenticeship Week, I want to give you an inside look at how we do it, and why it matters.

Developing qualifications that work for industry

Our qualifications are built through deep collaboration with industry professionals, ensuring they reflect current and future workforce demands. For example, in engineering and manufacturing, we’ve partnered with regulators, industry bodies, and employers to create skills solutions that help workers meet the challenges of productivity, sustainability and technological change.

This approach is particularly vital in industries undergoing rapid transformation. In sectors such as energy efficiency, retrofit, and solar installation, our qualifications equip learners with the skills needed to drive the transition to a net zero economy. By staying ahead of emerging trends, we ensure apprentices and learners develop skills that employers truly value.

But qualifications are only as strong as their assessments. We map knowledge, skills, and behaviours (KSBs) to clear assessment criteria, breaking them down into practical, real-world applications. In engineering and manufacturing, for instance, our qualifications don’t just test theoretical knowledge; they require learners to demonstrate machining techniques, calibration processes, and tooling and manufacturing operations, ensuring they can apply their learning in real workplace scenarios and demonstrate their overall competency at performing a role.

Delivering robust End Point Assessments (EPA)

When it comes to EPAs, fairness, consistency, and real-world relevance are at the heart of our approach. Independent, industry-experienced assessors evaluate learners against national standards to ensure assessments are unbiased and reflect what’s expected in the workplace.

Many EPAs include professional discussions where apprentices showcase their expertise by tackling real-world challenges. For example, a manufacturing apprentice might be asked how they would troubleshoot a machine calibration issue, demonstrating their ability to think critically and apply their skills under pressure. This method not only assesses technical ability but also the problem-solving skills employers value.

Supporting niche professions and apprenticeships

As a skills charity that champions the growth of trades and professions to meet future demands. The importance of supporting niche professions to regenerate traditional skills and sustain the built heritage This is one of our key values – we want to invest in apprenticeships for all, even where there may not be huge commercial viability. We pride ourselves on delivering skills solutions that support the impact of the industry in a wider sense. Stonemasonry has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity for new construction and restoration projects, there is a significant need for trained professionals. For example, stonemasonry helps protect our heritage as a nation.

A commitment to continuous improvement

One of the things I’m most proud of at NOCN Group is our commitment to continually refining our qualifications and assessments to ensure they remain future-fit. We don’t create a qualification and leave it unchanged for years, we listen to industry feedback, share this with trailblazer groups, find solutions and update content based on emerging trends and retrain our assessors to ensure consistency and fairness.

For instance, our recent work in retrofit qualifications involved direct input from industry specialists to refine practical demonstrations and ensure they align with evolving government regulations. This ongoing feedback loop keeps our qualifications relevant and impactful.

Why mapping standards to industry matters

Ensuring that qualifications and EPAs align with industry needs isn’t just a tick-box exercise, it’s what makes them valuable. When we map standards effectively, we:

• Bridge the gap between education and employment, giving learners job-ready skills.
• Ensure assessments reflect what happens in the workplace, rather than just theory.
• Maintain the integrity and quality of our qualifications, keeping them fit for purpose.

Final thoughts

National Apprenticeship Week is about celebrating the power of apprenticeships to transform careers and industries. At NOCN Group, we’re committed to making sure every qualification and assessment we design truly benefits both learners and employers. If you're a training provider, college, or employer looking to shape the future of skills development, we’d love to collaborate with you. Let’s build a future -fit workforce ready for the challenges of tomorrow.

 

Simon Lewis - Head of Apprenticeships

Simon Lewis is the Head of Apprenticeships at NOCN. With extensive experience in the apprenticeship sector, he works closely with the full team at NOCN, industry experts, training providers, and employers to develop high-quality apprenticeship programs that equip learners with the skills they need to succeed.