NOCN is a market-leading independent End Point Assessment Organisation (EPAO) who have been successfully delivering End Point Assessments since 2017. NOCN is at the forefront of apprenticeship reforms including the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy in the UK, working in partnership with employers, Further Education colleges, Training Providers and skills experts to develop a range of standards and assessments for new apprenticeships.

NOCN is also an established Ofqual regulated Awarding Organisation, bringing this level of quality assurance to its End Point Assessment provision

This occupation is found in Trade Unions, Staff Associations and Professional/Trade Associations covering a broad range of industries and sectors. The broad purpose of the occupation is to develop and deliver union organising activity and campaigns that will recruit and retain union members and activists, ensure union members are represented in their workplaces and to deliver improved terms and conditions, protection of employment rights and security of employment for union members. For many trade unions, the ultimate aim of the Trade Union Official is to help members build self-sustaining unionised workplaces with effective lay member structures in place so that members and their elected representatives in the workplace are competent and able to manage their own affairs.

The occupation, therefore, involves a mixture of direct delivery of a range of member services whilst also training, supporting and motivating volunteer lay trade union activists to do the same, all the while ensuring that union activity is in line with overall union policy. The balance between the direct delivery of membership services and overseeing volunteers varies from union employer to union employer according to the respective union's operating model. In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with interacts with volunteer lay member activists, other union members, potential members, employers (often Human Resources and Operations Managers but other roles too), other union staff (both from within their own employer and other trade unions), elected representatives and workplaces branches, external bodies such as trade federations, national and local governments, political parties, Non-Government Organisations and other campaigning organisations, press and media. An employee in this occupation will be responsible for implementing their union's organising strategy covering a number of workplaces, employers or a geographical area. They would normally report to a more senior union official and/or a lay member executive. They may have responsibility for leading a team of local volunteer representatives. Work allocation and reporting structures vary; Trade Union Officials may for instance have lead responsibility for collective negotiations with employers or may represent an individual case up to Tribunal level.

NOCN works in partnership with employers and Training Providers to provide a quality-first End Point Assessment (EPA). End Point Assessment is the final stage of the apprenticeship where the apprentice demonstrates the Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours gained on-programme to an independent End Point Assessor.

The required Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours of the Trade Union Official apprenticeship standard will be fully communicated to the apprentice at the start of their apprenticeship, in preparation for End Point Assessment. End Point Assessment is carried out independently by qualified NOCN End Point Assessors to ensure a quality robust End Point Assessment you can trust.

The required Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours of the Trade Union Official apprenticeship standard that the apprentice will be required to learn during the on-programme phase of the apprenticeship, are found on the Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education website.

Click the link below to see the apprenticeship standard and assessment plan in further detail:

https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/trade-union-official-v1-0

The apprentice will be supported by their employer and the Training Provider throughout the On-Programme phase of the apprenticeship. As a leading Ofqual regulated Awarding Organisation, NOCN offers a number of qualifications to support the apprentice, including:

• NOCN Functional Skills Maths and English

The EPA period should only start once the employer is satisfied that the apprentice is consistently working at or above the level set out in the occupational standard, that is to say they are deemed to have achieved occupational competence. In making this decision, the employer may take advice from the apprentice’s training provider(s), but the decision must ultimately be made solely by the employer. In addition to the employer’s confirmation that the apprentice is working at or above the level in the occupational standard, the apprentice must have completed the following gateway requirements prior to beginning EPA: English and mathematics at level 2.

For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement the apprenticeships English and mathematics minimum requirement is Entry Level 3 and British Sign Language qualification are an alternative to English qualifications for whom this is their primary language.

There will be two stages; (Professional Discussion underpinned by a portfolio and the second element is a Work-based Project (WP) followed by a report and a presentation with questions and answers)

Professional Discussion
The professional discussion will be a two-way dialogue that involves both the independent assessor and the apprentice actively listening and participating in a formal conversation. It gives the apprentice the opportunity to make detailed and proactive contributions to confirm their competency across the KSBs mapped to this method. The professional discussion must last for 60 minutes. The independent assessor has the discretion to increase the time of the professional discussion by up to 10% to allow the apprentice to complete their last answer. The NOCN End Point assessor will conduct and assess the professional discussion. Only the NOCN EPA and the apprentice shall be present. NOCN will give the apprentice a minimum of one weeks’ notice of when the professional discussion will take place. The apprentice may take their portfolio into the professional discussion and make reference to it throughout.

Work-based Project (WP) and Presentation with Q&A
The work-based project will be designed by NOCN’s Technical Leads to ensure that the apprentice’s work meets the needs of the Trade Union and its membership, is relevant to their role and allows the relevant KSBs to be demonstrated for the EPA. Therefore, the project’s subject, title and scope will be agreed upon between the apprentice, the employer and NOCN as the EPAO. The employer will ensure it has a real Trade Union application and NOCN will ensure it meets the requirements of the EPA (including suitable coverage of the KSBs assigned to this assessment method). TNOCN will sign off the project title to confirm its suitability prior to the project commencing as part of the gateway checks and this will form the first interaction the apprentices has with the End Point Assessor.

Due to the often confidential nature of Trade Union activities, the apprentice must redact from their report any references to Trade Union members (including potential members) by their actual name.

Presentation & Q&A
After the project report has been submitted, the EPAO must arrange a date for the presentation, for which the apprentice will be given 2 weeks’ notice. During this period, the apprentice will have the
equivalent of 2 days time to prepare and complete the presentation. The apprentice is not required to submit any material ahead of the date of the presentation to the independent assessor but must notify the EPAO of any presentation requirements when they are advised of the date of the presentation. The presentation with the questions and answers component of the assessment method will last for a total of 45 minutes.

Both the professional discussion, presentation and following Q&A will be conducted using Microsoft teams by NOCN as the EPAO. To maximise the efficiencies gained through the COVID pandemic.

NOCN organises the EPA at a suitable time for the employer, training provider and apprentice. We then book the independent expert assessor who will deliver the EPA.

Because arranging a quality EPA involves a number of people and organisations, NOCN requires a minimum of three months to ensure all elements of EPA are in place including, contracting, invoicing and scheduling.

When the Gateway stage is reached, NOCN will expect the employer or the Training Provider to inform NOCN and to make the final booking for the End Point Assessment. The End Point Assessment for the apprenticeship standard will take place after the apprentice has completed a minimum of 20% off-the-job training, and achieved all required mandatory elements of the apprenticeship.

NOCN will provide the employer and Training Provider guidance on the pre-requisite requirements needed to be submitted to NOCN and how the End Point Assessment will be undertaken.

When the Gateway stage is reached, NOCN will expect the employer or their Training Provider to inform NOCN and to make the final booking for the End Point Assessment. The End Point Assessment management system allows the apprentice/s data to be added to the system, and this data will match the ESFA database. All pre-requisites for the apprentice will be added to the system before the End Point Assessment booking

NOCN has a range of useful EPA resources available and our friendly team is available to offer expert advice and support for both Employers and training providers.

On successful completion, NOCN will issue an EPA grade notification and apply to the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) to produce the final apprenticeship certificate.

NOCN EPA services are priced fairly and competitively. As a leading non-profit organisation we ensure our charges are below the maximum 20% of the total apprenticeship. A pre EPA fee is charged at the contracting phase to secure support materials and assessment booking. The remaining balance for the EPA is charged upon Gateway entry and EPA booking. NOCN applies a flexible approach to pricing based upon cohort size and delivery model.

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