EPA Standard
Employability Practitioner
Level 4 
£6,000 24 months
1. What the role entails
Employability Practitioners specialise in working with a specific group of service users, developing strategies to address and overcome the multiple and complex barriers to employment in order to improve employability prospects. The end goal of an Employability Practitioner is to help the service users secure employment or to progress in work if they are already employed. This requires a broad appreciation of the types of public services, community offerings and funding streams available and an understanding of how these fit together, so that they can put in place a bespoke plan of support that takes a well-rounded approach to supporting the service user.
2. On-programme assessment
Before entering Gateway, the apprentice must complete the following on-programme assessment requirements:
- Level 2 English and maths
- a Portfolio of Evidence and Research to underpin the Presentation.
3. Gateway requirements
The employer, independent training provider (ITP) and apprentice make the decision to take the apprentice through Gateway. The apprentice must complete all the required on-programme elements before they enter Gateway.
4. End-point assessment
The EPA for Employability Practitioner contains three methods of assessment:
Presentation underpinned by a Portfolio of Evidence and Research
The title of the Presentation will be “A Summary of Employability Practice, Using Evidence”. The Presentation will cover work done during the apprenticeship and will allow the apprentice to evidence the end-to-end support they deliver to service users. It’ll be underpinned by a Portfolio of Evidence and Research that covers evidence showing that the apprentice has taken a minimum of four and a maximum of six service users from first engagement through to achieving action plan goals.
The Presentation will last 90 minutes (+10% at the Independent End-Point Assessor’s discretion). The apprentice will present for 60 minutes and this will allow 30 minutes for the Independent End-Point Assessor (IEPA) to ask up to six questions to clarify any points, or allow the apprentice to expand where necessary.
The presentation is graded Fail, Pass or Distinction.
Observation of Interventions with Service Users
The Observation will take place in the apprentice’s place of work and will last for three hours (+10% at the IEPA’s discretion). The IEPA will observe the apprentice interact with a minimum of two service users. These interactions could include conducting an initial assessment, writing an action plan, carrying out a progress review, conducting an intervention to improve their employability or providing in work support if they have secured a job.
There will be a 30-minute questioning session after the Observation. The IEPA can ask up to six opening questions and then may ask follow-up questions if clarification is required, but they must ask these questions within 30 minutes.
The Observation is graded Fail, Pass or Distinction.
Knowledge Test
The Knowledge Test will consist of 40 questions and will last for 120 minutes. This will include 14 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and 26 short answer questions (SAQs). For the MCQs, each question will contain four possible answers, only one of which is correct. Each correct answer is worth one mark and any missing or wrong answers are worth zero marks. For the SAQs, the apprentice will provide a short, written response to a given question, and each answer will be worth up to two marks.
The Knowledge Test is graded Fail, Pass or Distinction.
5. Grade aggregation table
| Presentation underpinned by a portfolio of evidence and research | Observation of Interventions with Service Users | Knowledge Test | Overall Grade |
| Pass | Pass | Pass | Pass |
| Pass | Pass | Distinction | Pass |
| Pass | Distinction | Pass | Pass |
| Distinction | Pass | Pass | Pass |
| Distinction | Distinction | Pass | Distinction |
| Distinction | Pass | Distinction | Distinction |
| Pass | Distinction | Distinction | Distinction |
| Distinction | Distinction | Distinction | Distinction |
If any assessment method is failed, the overall grade will be deemed a Fail.
6. Completion and certification
We’ll activate certification once the apprentice has successfully completed all EPAs, and the IEPA has verified this. Working with the apprenticeship certificate issuing authority, we’ll ensure the apprentice receives their certificate.
7. What next?
Once the Employability Practitioner apprenticeship is complete, typical job titles include Job Coach, Employment Coach, Careers Advisor and IAG Advisor. Completion of this apprenticeship aligns with Associate or Member level membership of the Institute of Employability Professionals.
Why NCFE?
We’re an approved End-Point Assessment Organisation (EPAO) specialising in EPA delivery across health, education, early years, digital, social care, finance and business apprenticeship standards. We offer flexible and reliable EPA solutions supported by sector expertise, guidance documents and proactive service and support.