NAJ approved as Apprenticeship End Point Assessment Organisation

19 Dec 2022

The National Association of Jewellers has been approved as the only End Point Assessment Organisation for the jewellery manufacturing apprenticeship standard, opening up nine specialist pathways to help members recruit and train for the future.

In the name of its parent body and legal entity, the British Allied Trades Federation, the National Association of Jewellers can now formally assess apprentices who have completed their Level 3 Jewellery, Silversmithing and Allied Trades apprenticeship training.

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Ben Massey, Principal Officer, said,

“This is fantastic news for the whole UK jewellery manufacturing industry. The status opens the door for the jewellery businesses to be able to start recruiting and training new apprentices into the specialist skills areas required after a three-year hiatus.

“At the Association, we’re proud to support such a passionate and professional group of jewellery businesses. With this new standard, and related projects, which we are continuing to work on, it’s important we continue to invest in the future of the trade.”

The new apprenticeship standard has nine specialist pathways, covering casting, silversmithing, mounting, stone setting, engraving, enamelling, polishing/finishing, CAD/CAM and lapidary. Apprenticeship training is currently offered by the British Academy of Jewellery.

As an approved end-point assessment organisation, the role of the Association will be to ensure that apprentices have reached the required standard and have obtained the knowledge and skills necessary to formally pass their apprenticeship

In order to receive the status, the NAJ team developed a whole raft of policies to protect the apprentices and to preserve the integrity of the apprenticeships, which included equality, diversity and inclusion; assessment and quality assurance practices; staff development; conflict of interest; and malpractice. Once the team at Ofqual had reviewed the documentation, the Association was then invited to a review panel meeting to defend the case for approval.

Marie Garnett, Head of Education, said,

“Our approval came after a long and intensive period of scrutiny by the national qualifications regulator, Ofqual, and the Government’s Education and Skills Funding Agency. We now move to the delivery phase of this standard as well as move forward with approval for the Level 2 Retailer and level 3 Retail Team Leader apprenticeship, something we look forward to announcing in the new year.”

Gary Wroe, NAJ Deputy Chair and Managing Director of Hockley Mint, states,

"As Managing Director of one of the UK's largest jewellery manufacturers, I understand first-hand the importance of attracting and retaining skilled professionals into the trade. The NAJ team has worked hard to gain this end-point assessment that will significantly benefit the jewellery manufacturing industry. As the trade continues to recruit the next generation of skilled workers, we have to look at broadening different routes of entry to help safeguard the sector."

What’s next?

In 2023 the next phase of the programme will start as the team begins to develop the assessment tools. This will involve writing a bank of around 300 questions to be used by assessors in the professional discussion, project presentation and observation part of the end-point assessment, as well as nearly 30 example project briefs. NAJ will also need to prepare to mark sheets for all parts of the assessment and handbooks for apprentices and employers.

In 2023 the team also hopes to get approval to be an end-point assessment organisation (EPAO) for the Level 2 Retailer and Level 3 Retail Team Leader apprenticeships. This means that colleagues in jewellery retail who are undertaking their retail apprenticeships (with JET 1 embedded) with the NAJ’s partner training provider (the London Fashion and Retail Academy) will be able to be assessed by an assessor with an in-depth knowledge of the jewellery industry.

Alongside existing partnerships, the team are developing new ones too and is currently working with Impact Futures to bring on two new apprenticeships, hopefully also incorporating JET 1. These are the Level 2 Customer Service Practitioner, Level 3 Customer Service Specialist and the Level 3 Digital Marketer apprenticeship. As apprenticeships are 90% Government funded (100% if you have a large enough salary bill to pay the apprenticeship levy), they are an efficient and cost-effective way to provide high-quality workplace training to new and existing staff.

As part of its strategy, the NAJ is also investing in additional initiatives to help bolster the jewellery manufacturing industry in the UK. This includes developing a careers portal to start raising the profile of jewellery manufacturing as a rewarding and interesting career option for young people, as well as continuing to participate in trade discussions to deliver targeted support and resources where it is needed most.

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Source: National Association of Jewellers