Provider Readiness Report

Transcription

1 Provider Readiness Report PRACTICAL INSIGHTS AND GUIDANCE FOR DELIVERING APPRENTICESHIP STANDARDS Surveying Technician

2 Provider Readiness Report Surveying Technician (Level 3) Introduction: Provider Readiness Reports are delivery guidance documents for an apprenticeship standard. They are created by training providers (including colleges, independent training providers, higher education institutions and others). The reports provide practical insights and guidance to help with planning for delivery and in negotiations with employers. They will help providers make decisions about the commitment of time and other resources required to train apprentices to meet the requirements of the new standards. Standard Link to Standard Assessment Plan (end point) Organisations involved with the development of the standard for Surveying Technician SASE Overlap Mandatory Qualification(s) on standard Additional optional qualifications recommended by the trailblazer group. Maximum Core Government Contribution (CGC), subject to employer contribution (15/16 & 16/17) Anticipated Volume Link to Assessment Plan Led by organisations including: Gardiner and Theobald; Axis; DTZ; Faithorn Farrell Timms; DSB Construction Consultants; Valuation Office Agency; Transport for London; EC Harris; Martin Arnold Associates; Collier & Madge and CBRE Surveying (England); Property Services (England) Apprentices will achieve a Level 3 Diploma in Surveying as a prerequisite to end-point assessment and will become an Associate Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (AssocRICS) on completion. None required 6000 maximum CGC, subject to employer 3000 contribution. The price of on-programme training and end-point assessment is subject to employer/provider negotiation and may be higher or lower than combined values above; where higher the maximum CGC remains the same and the employer would need to pay the difference in full. The employer may be eligible for incentive payments, which they can use as they wish. See current funding rules for further guidance per annum from a base of 100 starts on programme in September Level 3 English and Maths Requirements For Level 3 to 7 apprenticeships, apprentices must achieve Level 2 English and maths prior to taking their end-point assessment. Apprentices must start English and maths at Level 2, unless the provider has conducted a formal, recognised assessment that demonstrates they need to study at Level 1 first in order to PRG-Surveying Technician v3.docx Page 1 of 13

3 successfully achieve their Level 2. SFA provides a flat rate for English and maths up to Level 2 as part of an approved apprenticeship standard. Employers will not need to make an employer contribution. End-point assessment Methods See current funding rules for further guidance. Work based submission including: Summary of experience Case study Record of a minimum of 48 hours of continuing professional development Ethics test Assessment by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors for Associate membership PRG-Surveying Technician v3.docx Page 2 of 13

4 Supporting Information and Glossary of Terms Assessment Role Employer Training Provider Notes To agree a candidate s preparedness for the interview and to participate in the professional dialogue. They will not have a role in final grading of the apprenticeship. Supports the apprentice in the workplace, may provide training, coaching or mentoring. Employers wishing to access funding must appoint an SFA approved lead provider via the Register of Training Organisations (ROTO) Employers may choose to engage with one or more providers to deliver the on programme training. Providers wishing to deliver on-programme delivery must registered and be approved on the, Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers (RoATP). Also providers who wish to deliver to employers without a digital account, must register and be approved on the Invitation to Tender (ITT). Please follow the link for further information. End-point assessment Organisation Employers must select an end-point assessment organisation from the SFA Register of Apprentice Assessment Organisations (RoAAO), approved to deliver this particular standard: Term On-Programme General Definition within Trailblazers This is the period from start until the end-point assessment gateway is met. Apprentices require a minimum period of 12 months on-programme training, with 20% off-the-job training prior to taking the end-point assessment to meet funding eligibility requirements. It will include training to develop the skills, knowledge and behaviours detailed on the standard and completion of any mandated qualifications, including English and maths where required. Preparation for the end-point assessment should be completed in this phase. This is an area of significant interest for apprenticeship training providers. Gateway Trainer Any requirements that must be completed/achieved as a pre-requisite to undertaking the end-point assessment are termed the gateway. For example, English and maths minimum requirements. The gateway components are therefore the key outputs of the on-programme training period. The term trainer is commonly used in relation to roles within the on-programme period. A trainer may be appointed by the employer or training providers to deliver some or all parts of the on-programme phase of training. This includes delivering any mandated qualifications, preparation for the end-point PRG-Surveying Technician v3.docx Page 3 of 13

5 assessment and all gateway components. The trainer has no status within the end-point assessment, unless specifically referenced and approved within the assessment plan (for example being a signatory to a portfolio or a panel interview). Independent Assessor AssocRICS Individuals involved in administering and delivering the end-point assessment are commonly termed the assessor, end-point assessor or independent assessor and must be appointed by an approved end-point assessment organisation. Associate of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Suitable for those who have work-based experience or vocational qualifications. Associate is a respected qualification that demonstrates commercial and technical standards and professional ethics. It shows an individual is qualified, regulated and trusted. To qualify as an Associate an apprentice will need to demonstrate their competence in a chosen pathway. PRG-Surveying Technician v3.docx Page 4 of 13

6 On programme components: to develop the skills, knowledge and behaviours detailed on the standard and to prepare apprentices for endpoint assessment This apprenticeship standard is driven by two distinct components: 1. The on-programme component and pre-requisite to end-point assessment; achievement of a Level 3 diploma qualification (made up of core, specialist, pathway and core skills elements) plus a portfolio of evidence. 2. The end-assessment and competency component; successful achievement of Associate membership/qualification of the RICS. A large difference between this standard, SASE apprenticeships and other vocational programmes, is that the specialisms and pathways do not allow for combining technical expertise such as quantity surveying with project management, which are a particular feature of comparable civil engineering and construction led training valued by employers at this level. RICS competencies differ greatly from the requirements of the diploma and in industry terms most practising surveyors are involved in maintenance works. The core elements are well considered but, the rules of combination make it difficult for a single provider to create an offer that covers all pathways and creates tension between technical and project management skills requirements. Issues, potentially of cohort size and infilling, are a consideration and will present a challenge for some providers. The Safeguarding and Prevent duty requirements of Ofsted need to be considered, and the apprenticeship individual learning plan (ILP) will need to cover all aspects of the programme including milestones up to and including certification. On-programme diploma is subject to Ofqual and Ofsted. Lead providers will need to ensure that the portfolio of evidence etc., completed by the apprentices, will be sufficient for meeting the requirements of the end-point/gateway to end-point assessment. RICS could pull together a due diligence type approach to ensure providers can deliver, not just the diploma, but support and prepare the apprentice for meeting the professional body requirements for membership and award. Assessment Methods On-programme assessment will be by way of a Level 3 diploma and a separate portfolio of evidence. Methods of on-going assessment include essays and reports; practical tasks; tests and exams. The Standard The Assessment Plan SFA funding guidance: Apprenticeship standards quality statement Embedded functional skills materials Register of Training Organisations (RoTO) ctions/sfa-register-of-trainingorganisations Future Apprenticeship Toolkit PRG-Surveying Technician v3.docx Page 5 of 13

7 Delivery models/ Infrastructure: the drive towards effective competence-based and situational training Each module of the diploma will use a range of curriculum methods to demonstrate knowledge. The portfolio of evidence will demonstrate skills and behaviours. The assessment plan recommends an on-programme independent vocational assessor to assess the portfolio every three months it is less clear what the role of the employer has other than to support and provide guidance when required. Achievement of the Level 3 diploma and completion of the portfolio of evidence are the gateway to end-point assessment. Whoever has oversight or role in the apprentice completion of the case study and record of CPD, the summary of experience needs to be clearly identified and recorded as part of the agreement between the provider, employer and apprentice. On-Programme Aspects Before the apprentice can start, the lead provider must draw up its written agreement, with the employer and any other provider(s), so that all responsibilities are set out clearly. If appropriate, the lead provider will co-ordinate payment arrangements with other providers and ensure they are ready for delivery. Working with a consortium of employers, to ensure the learning approach is fit for purpose, is highly recommended and can help verify use of the most appropriate units of qualifications and training. Management of regular meetings with employers and ways of working with a consortium of businesses, is a factor of delivery that can ensure the most effective way of safeguarding individual apprentices on programme. Establishing skills gaps via ILP can form part of an intensive and comprehensive induction plan. Significant blocks and/or day release (depending on the locality of the place of employment) are both suitable approaches to teaching and learning. Blended learning will also allow providers to get nearer the learner and create flexibility in methods. Employer/site visits and pastoral care are a crucial aspect of any delivery and apprentice review and should form an on-going element of provider on-programme support. Professional Body (RICS) Requirements The competency part of the apprenticeship will be to gain Associate member status with The Standard The Assessment Plan The employer brief (under development) to accompany the plan will provide description of high level learning outcomes to support employers and providers to prepare apprentices for assessment PRG-Surveying Technician v3.docx Page 6 of 13

8 RICS and acts as the end-point assessment. The RICS Associate (AssocRICS) qualification recognises the skills of individuals with relevant work experience and/or vocational qualifications. Associate is a respected qualification that demonstrates commercial and technical standards, professional ethics and shows an individual is qualified, regulated and trusted. With a Level 3 diploma, two years relevant work experience and achievement of the Associate assessment plus completion of an online ethics module AssocRICS can be achieved. RICS runs four Associate assessment sessions each year; results will be issued approximately four weeks after the final submission deadline date and must be factored in to the ILP as milestones to be aimed for in a timely way. Teaching and Learning The programme can be blended in its approach, effectively using online content as the knowledge and content store, with a mixture of online activities based on a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE); the flipped approach to pedagogy can be usefully used here. The VLE study may be complemented by monthly full day workshop sessions. These workshop sessions create the opportunity to apply the concepts, theories and models, and engage creatively with the subject. The delivery can be broken up into eight stages, six of which are paired against specific learning outcomes. Students can be assessed by a mixture of online computer marked assessments and the production of portfolios of evidence. In year one, students will work on a single project to enable them to meet the portfolio assessment requirements for the three units utilising problem based approaches. Mandatory Elements The technical part of the apprenticeship will be the Level 3 diploma. The competency part of the apprenticeship will be to gain Associate member status with RICS. 20% off-the-job learning achieved by block and/or day release. Behaviours PRG-Surveying Technician v3.docx Page 7 of 13

9 Apprentices should be allocated an assessor to coach, mentor and guide them through the process. The submission of the Associate would typically be in the summer or last phase of their second year and identification of specialisms and pathways should be done ideally by the end of the first quarters training. Resources: materials/ resources/ equipment Staffing: Staff qualifications and skills needed The three credit bearing additional learning units on core skills, are designed to drive personal effective development and should be linked to study development materials. Teaching Resources New e-portfolio/on-line materials may need to be developed to meet the requirements of delivery. Cost of hard copy resources, especially in quantity surveying, are high and are a necessary requirement for teaching and learning for each apprentice. The largest expense in industry standard materials and resources (with the exception of staff costs) will remain the cost of specialist equipment such as laser levels; IT software/3d CAD plotter; information modelling systems; maintenance and in-service costs; thermal imaging cameras etc. Some providers manage to reduce their liabilities in this respect by buying reconditioned equipment while others will buy new. RICS requires all training provider assessors to attend their standardisation days (two per year). Delivery staff will need the practical, technical and professional experience of the industry as well as familiarisation with the standard. It makes the cost of qualified assessor staff expensive with the requirement for RICS membership and the decisions about the balance between training and assessment need to be made. There is still a requirement for qualified assessors on-programme and the mandatory achievement of a qualification means the normal requirements of the relevant awarding organisations will apply. Preparation for supporting the learner towards the end point will be critical. The acute shortage of qualified and industry experienced quantity surveyor lecturers, particularly in FE, is a potential recruitment issue. Differences in pay and terms and conditions tends to see many of these lecturers operating within higher education. This See Annex A RICS: mpliance1/continuing-professionaldevelopment-cpd/cpd-requirementsand-obligations/ PRG-Surveying Technician v3.docx Page 8 of 13

10 may force greater collaboration across FE, HE and private training providers. Costing: costs associated with the resources Marketing / Communication: promoting the offer to employers/ apprentices For some providers, the funding CAP is seen as potentially restrictive given the intensive nature of learning on this standard; employers may therefore need to contribute in full above the co-investment level The lead provider should co-ordinate the funding and the delivery of the apprenticeship and the lead provider should ensure employer contributions are being received. The costing for resits is detailed in the funding rules. The assessment plan states the cost of the end-point assessment will be typically 10% of the total apprenticeship costs. Questions remain whether other professional bodies with a vested interest in the occupations related to this standard will become end-assessment bodies; for example, organisations such as Chartered Institute of Building and the Chartered Institute of Civil Engineering Surveyors despite the latter not having a technician class of membership (only student member). There is no recognition of prior certified learning or of prior experiential learning according to the assessment plan, but for learners 19+ particularly, prior experience is recognised if a sub-diploma is the best pathway to follow. Learners must require a minimum of 12 months training with 20% off the job training to be eligible for funding. The lead provider can help employers advertise their vacancies using the Find an Apprenticeship free service, or can provide an end to end recruitment service to be priced separately to the cost of the external training. Once the apprentice is recruited, the lead provider can help an employer organisation to check and confirm whether it is eligible for the small employer and 16 to 18 incentive payments. SFA funding guidance FA website example contracts, costings for on-programme activity BIS/NAS materials WISE: PRG-Surveying Technician v3.docx Page 9 of 13

11 End-point assessment: Managing relationships with Employer and Apprentices: employer/ provider/ apprentice Clear entry requirements including for English and maths may well negate the need for on-programme provision. Where functional skills/english/maths is delivered, the lead provider will need to ensure appropriate teaching and learning and QA oversight exists with the relevant awarding organisation and accredited centres. Marketing of the potential to progress from craft and trade occupations through to technician, managerial and professional level skills and job roles, can be highly motivating and appealing when recruiting for this apprenticeship standard. Bridging pathway experts in schools and careers services will be crucial as will promoting opportunities through campaign organisations such as Women into Science and Engineering (WISE). End-point assessment is subject to RICS operated quality assurance audit process. RICS runs four Associate assessment sessions each year. Individual apprentices are assessed in the pathway of their chosen area of specialism (for example, commercial property or project management). Each pathway consists of: The technical competencies needed for the role The business skills that all practitioners need (known as mandatory competencies). There is a guide for each pathway covered by the Associate qualification. It is essential apprentices download the pathway guide that relates to their chosen specialism. Each pathway guide explains the requirements of all competencies in that pathway. Referring to it will enable the apprentice/provider to evaluate how the experience meets the competency requirements. There will be no grading; end-point assessment is aligned with professional recognition and AssocRICS is not a graded outcome. Professional Body Relationship A good relationship between the delivery partner(s) and RICS is crucial, as achievement of the apprenticeship is determined by apprentice meeting the professional body criteria for Associate. The RICS has exacting standards and rules (as have the other interested professional bodies) and this aspect must be carefully managed by any single provider. The Assessment Plan PRG-Surveying Technician v3.docx Page 10 of 13 RoAAO RICS Associate: SFA funding guidance

12 contracts Risk of failure to complete the end-test/end-point assessment can be mitigated by improving familiarity with the body of assessors and RICS provisions and processes. Sub-Contracting relationships: Lead provider role and potential for collaboration on apprenticeship delivery Employer Relationship Notwithstanding the legacy of providers working with employer organisations over a considerable period of time, useful vehicles for better understanding and co-operation, such as consortia of providers and employers, can help to broker good working relationships and help address any issues regarding quality of delivery in an open and transparent way. It would be of benefit if representation from RICS also be included locally. Apprentice Relationship Good ongoing pastoral care by the provider(s) is a big requirement, whatever the age of apprentices, to ensure on-programme retention and achievement and provide motivational support through to end-point assessment. Lead provider and subcontracting provision remains a feature of this standard s delivery; this will give employers a one point contact with a provider. Service level agreements will need to be in place for all subcontractors, quality checks will also be important with the subcontractor with regular reviews to ensure learners are progressing with learning towards the standard and the end-point assessment. Collaboration between colleges, commercial providers and universities is an aspect of delivery and partnerships that needs to be explored in greater detail to support progression and meet individual career aspirations. Lead provider role and responsibilities, service level agreements, subcontractor role and responsibilities, assessment resources and decisions on who owns the learner/learning outcomes, all need to be discussed and considered prior to any engagement in learning. SFA funding guidance PRG-Surveying Technician v3.docx Page 11 of 13

13 Progression: professional registration Achievement of the apprenticeship standard and AssocRICS, recognises the skills of individuals with relevant work experience and vocational qualifications. Associate is a respected qualification that demonstrates commercial and technical standards and professional ethics. It shows the apprentice to be qualified, regulated and trusted. As a result, this achievement allows progression to a related BSc (Hons) programme (including the Degree Apprenticeship in Qualified Surveyor), leadership and management roles. Achievement of this technician level provides an excellent foundation for working in the surveying profession and for reaching the next level of career and further study. Completion of this standard can lead to a one year bridging course allowing access to higher education in specific surveying undergraduate programmes. It ensure apprentices are equipped with the knowledge of sustainability, construction technologies, economics, law and health & safety, along with a technical & associate professional specialism. This standard is an excellent example of how individuals starting out in craft type trades and careers can achieve professional level recognition in the building, property and valuation industries. PRG-Surveying Technician v3.docx Page 12 of 13

14 Annex A Major elements of the surveying technician requirements for equipment and specialist resources are detailed below. Other manufacturer options are available and volumes used will depend on numbers and type of customers, providers specialisms as well as the qualification route itself: RECOMMENDED / POTENTIAL SURVEYING EQUIPMENT 3 and 5 Metre Tapes Leica - TCR Total Station - Reconditioned 3D Printers Leica Runner Automatic Levels 50KKia Total Station Levelling Staffs 50KKISHA - Set 6E - Total Station Metre Sprint Level 50kkisha Digital Theodolites (DT6 20") Nikon Illuminated Target 50KKISHA DT4 Theodolites + Red Mini EDM NRM 1 NRM2 NRM3 Abney Levels Optical Squares Altimeter (Thommen Pocket) Pipe Laser 100 pack C/W In case BIM Software 3D/4D/5D/6D Planimeter - Digital Borescopes Precise Engineers Level Kit Box Sextant Prism (mini) Set + Case & 100mm Extension CAD Plotters/printers Prismatic Compass CESMM4 Profile - PTH 10 - Digital Theodolites Chain Arrows Profile Automatic Levels Circular Compass (50KKISHA) Ranging Rods Clinometer Compass Site Square & Tripod Conquest QS Software SMM7 Cowley Level + Tripod 2 staff Surveying Specialist Software Damp meters Tapes 100m & 50 Metre Digital Levels with Tripod & Staffs (Leica Sprinter) Tapes Metres Distometers Targets - 50KKISHA Educational Unit Traverse Kit + 3 Tripods Tension Handles - 10KG G.P.S Base Station With ICG Theodolite - Topcon Digital (DT2020AP) Garmin G.P.S 12 X L + Software Cable Kit Topcon Automatic Levels Half Traverse C/W In case Total Station - 50KKISHA SET 5 Hand Level Traverse Kit Land Chains - Imperial 1 Metric 2 Traverse Kit with Optical Tribachs Laser Level - 55R (Interior Package) Leica Trimble Robotis Tital Station - SP5610 5"/5" Global Laser Meters (Disto - Leica) Trough Compass Leica - TCR Total Station Walkie Talkie Sets (Hand IPRO Euro 446) Leica - TCR Tital Stations PRG-Surveying Technician v3.docx Page 13 of 13