IMI sets out to support Colleges and Training Centres as Ofqual releases Extraordinary Regulatory Framework

Automotive industry professional body ramps up resources to help Colleges and Training Centres complete End Point Assessments before the end of July

Ofqual has today (22nd May 2020) released its Extraordinary Regulatory Framework so that Colleges and Training Centres can carry out the examinations that mark the end of the education year for hundreds of thousands of learners, including apprentices.  As the leading provider in the automotive apprenticeship sector, registering more than 5,000 apprentices in the last year for End Point Assessments, the IMI made its contribution to the consultation for the Framework and is now gearing up to support the Further Education Colleges and Training Centres that are running automotive courses where it is the Awarding Body or End Point Assessment Organisation.

The professional body has a team of experts available to provide guidance to Colleges and Training Centres. It has also already delivered online End Point Assessments for a number of Training Centres since the COVID-19 lockdown. It is therefore confident that it can support a reasonable proportion of qualification achievers and End Point Assessments scheduled for completion before the end of July 2020.

Mark Armitage, Head of Membership Products & Services explained: “Ofqual’s new Extraordinary Framework provides clear guidance on how Colleges and Training Centres can complete courses so that students who have worked hard can receive their qualifications. And whilst there are clearly some courses requiring hands-on technical testing that will probably need to be delayed to later in the year, we are encouraging the Colleges and Training Centres we support to access our experts and resources to help them tackle as many achievements as possible before the end of July.

“Our key motive is to help these Further Education establishments ensure that they are ready for the next cohort of learners starting in September. Clearly this needs to be done safely in the context of the social distancing guidelines from government, and we are working on guidance that will help Colleges and Training Centres carry out the appropriate risk assessments.”

The IMI is also holding a special webinar on the Regulatory Framework at 11am on Wednesday 27th May 2020. Click here to register.

To find out more about the Ofqual Extraordinary Framework visit the GOV.uk website.