Overview
A challenge includes the apprentice finishing a big and outlined piece of labor that has an actual enterprise software and profit. The challenge should begin after the apprentice has gone by means of the gateway. It provides the apprentice the chance to display the KSBs mapped to this evaluation methodology.
The challenge should meet the wants of the employer’s enterprise and be related to the apprentice’s occupation and apprenticeship. The EPAO should affirm that it offers the apprentice with the chance to display the KSBs mapped to this evaluation methodology to the best accessible grade. The EPAO should seek advice from the grading descriptors to make sure that tasks are pitched appropriately.
This evaluation methodology has 2 elements:
- challenge with a challenge output
- presentation with questions and solutions
Rationale
This EPA methodology is getting used as a result of
- it’s a holistic evaluation methodology, permitting the apprentice to display KSBs in an built-in means
- it permits for a variety of house techniques engineering actions to be demonstrated
- it offers a cheap evaluation, because it minimises impartial assessor time and makes use of the apprentice’s employer’s office, tools and assets, and will contribute to office productiveness.
Element 1: Challenge with a challenge output
Supply
The challenge report and presentation with questions should be structured to offer the apprentice the chance to display the KSBs mapped to this evaluation methodology to the best accessible grade.
The apprentice’s challenge may be based mostly on any of the next:
- a selected drawback
- a recurring concern
- an thought or alternative
- top-level evaluation of the necessities of a selected programme and era of normal house challenge administration constructs corresponding to work package deal breakdowns and descriptions, challenge plans (for instance Gantt charts with crucial path), organograms and danger registers
- analysis to determine the traits of the working environments inside which the system should function, leading to quantitative specs that drive system design (for instance, establishing orbital necessities and subsequent thermal limits, particle radiation ranges)
- enterprise detailed trade-off research to determine the optimum design of mechanical elements, mechanical/digital assemblies and subsystems, management techniques and mission architectures (for instance communications hyperlink budgets, spacecraft radiator design)
- utilizing applicable mathematical fashions and business evaluation packages to hold out detailed evaluation of explicit facets of an area mission, system, sub-system or instrument. For instance, software of finite aspect evaluation to find out thermally-induced stress and deformation in a mechanical part because of publicity to the anticipated setting, documenting outputs and suggestions
- devising check plans and procedures in compliance with the related requirements adopted by the enterprise, essential to confirm the anticipated operation and efficiency of a subsystem (e.g. prescribing vibration testing of a mechanical meeting with ranges applicable to the meant launch automobile and mannequin philosophy)
- main sensible check and verification actions within the workshop or laboratory (for instance, a vibration check of a construction, or practical check of an digital subsystem that the apprentice has been concerned in designing), together with comparability with anticipated efficiency, evaluation of deviations from anticipated efficiency, and documentation of outcomes and suggestions
- administration of a small design and construct challenge to incorporate funds and schedule management (for instance, designing and constructing a mechanical sub-assembly, aspect of floor assist tools, or rapid-prototyping proof-of-concept mannequin, which offers the apprentice with the chance to display data, abilities and behaviours regarding challenge administration)
- reviewing earlier tasks and missions delivered by the enterprise, together with evaluation of general techniques engineering and administration approaches, crucial evaluation of classes realized and rationale for subsequent implementation of adjustments to processes to enhance high quality and effectivity
- enterprise manufacture and meeting of mechanical or electrical and digital subsystems adopted by integration and practical testing with the broader system
- desk based mostly analysis into new applied sciences and practices being adopted within the sector (e.g. New Area approaches to entry house, elevated adoption of off the shelf options, elevated onboard autonomy), and functions or implications for future programmes inside the enterprise
- upkeep and operation of floor assist tools together with vacuum, cryogenic and digital techniques as a way of bettering understanding of the design and position of GSE in mission growth and the significance of interfaces in a system of techniques
The challenge should require:
- apprentices to utilise every of the next: experimental approaches, numerical approaches, and drawing on present information by means of desk research
- a literature overview to develop an intensive understanding of the issue, to agency up proposed goals and aims, to develop an acceptable methodology for the challenge and, if enterprise a desk-based research determine appropriate datasets to underpin information evaluation. Nonetheless, a literature overview alone can’t meet the wants of the challenge evaluation as a result of lack of knowledge interpretation and engineering choice making
- information assortment section (for instance, from site-based operations, laboratory sourced information, numerically sourced information or information from the literature, if enterprise a desk-based research)
- evaluation and interpretation of knowledge to develop an engineering understanding for the premise of engineering choices
- software of sensible abilities together with working with floor assist tools, and elements within the house section
- software of practices regarding Well being and Security concerns corresponding to danger evaluation previous to an exercise, adopted by implementation of obligatory procedures and precautions in the course of the sensible exercise
To make sure the challenge permits the apprentice to fulfill the KSBs mapped to this evaluation methodology to the best accessible grade, the EPAO ought to sign-off the challenge’s title and scope on the gateway to verify it’s appropriate.
The challenge output should be within the type of a report.
The apprentice should begin the challenge after the gateway. They need to full and submit the report back to the EPAO by the top of week 32 . The employer ought to make sure the apprentice has the time and assets, inside this era, to plan and full their challenge. The apprentice should full their challenge and the manufacturing of its elements unaided.
The apprentice may go as a part of a group to finish the challenge which may embrace technical inner or exterior assist. Nonetheless, the challenge output should be the apprentice’s personal work and reflective of their very own position and contribution. The apprentice and their employer should affirm that the challenge output(s) is the apprentice’s personal work when it’s submitted.
The report should embrace at the very least:
- not more than a 500-word government abstract (or summary)
- an introduction
- the scope of the challenge (together with key efficiency indicators, goals and aims)
- a challenge plan that features:
- a Gantt chart
- a short commentary on how the analysis methodology can be applied and the goals and aims met
- the required administrative types, which may be saved inside an appendix (for instance: danger assessments, moral opinions, budgetary necessities)
- analysis outcomes
- information evaluation outcomes
- literature overview findings
- dialogue and reflections on sensible laboratory/workshop actions
- challenge outcomes
- dialogue of findings
- suggestions and conclusions
- references (cited utilizing one of many normal referencing types)
- appendix containing mapping of KSBs to the report.
The challenge report has a phrase depend of 10000 phrases. A tolerance of 10% above or beneath the phrase depend is allowed on the apprentice’s discretion. Appendices, references and diagrams usually are not included on this whole. The challenge report should map, in an appendix, the way it evidences the KSBs mapped to this evaluation methodology.
Element 2: Presentation with questions
Supply
Within the presentation with questions the apprentice delivers a presentation to an impartial assessor on a set topic. The impartial assessor should ask questions following the presentation. This offers the apprentice the chance to display the KSBs mapped to this evaluation methodology.
The apprentice should put together and submit their presentation speaker notes and supporting supplies. The impartial assessor should ask questions after the presentation. The presentation should embrace:
- an outline of the challenge
- the challenge scope (together with key efficiency indicators)
- abstract of actions undertaken by the apprentice
- challenge outcomes and the way these had been achieved
The apprentice should put together and submit their presentation speaker notes and supporting supplies to the EPAO similtaneously the report by the top of week 32 of the EPA interval.
The apprentice should notify the EPAO, at that time, of any technical necessities for the presentation. Throughout the presentation, the apprentice should have entry to:
- Audio-visual presentation tools
- Flip chart or whiteboard and writing and drawing supplies
- Laptop.
The impartial assessor will need to have at the very least 2 weeks to overview the challenge output(s) and presentation speaker notes and supporting supplies, to permit them to arrange questions.
The EPAO should give the apprentices at the very least 4 weeks discover of the presentation with questions.
The apprentice should ship their presentation to the impartial assessor on a one-to-one foundation.
The impartial assessor should ask questions after the presentation.
The aim of the impartial assessor’s questions can be to permit the apprentice the chance to proof occupational competence on the highest stage accessible.
The presentation and questions should final 60 minutes. This can sometimes embrace a presentation of half-hour and questioning lasting half-hour. The impartial assessor can improve the full time of the presentation and questioning by as much as 10%. This time is to permit the apprentice to finish their final level or reply to a query if obligatory.
The impartial assessor should ask at the very least 5 questions. They need to use the questions from the EPAO’s query financial institution or create their very own questions in-line with the EPAO’s coaching. Observe up questions are allowed the place clarification is required.
The impartial assessor should use the total time accessible for questioning. The impartial assessor should make the grading choice. The challenge elements should be assessed holistically by the impartial assessor when they’re deciding the grade.
The impartial assessor should maintain correct information of the evaluation. They need to document:
- the KSBs demonstrated within the report and presentation
- the apprentice’s solutions to questions
- the KSBs demonstrated in solutions to questions
- the grade achieved
Evaluation location
The presentation with questions should happen in an acceptable venue chosen by the EPAO (
The presentation with questions ought to happen in a quiet room, free from distractions and affect.
The presentation with questioning may be performed by video conferencing. The EPAO will need to have processes in place to confirm the identification of the apprentice and make sure the apprentice just isn’t being aided.
Query and useful resource growth
The EPAO should develop a purpose-built evaluation specification and query financial institution. It is suggested that is performed in session with employers of this occupation. The EPAO ought to preserve the safety and confidentiality of EPA supplies when consulting employers. The evaluation specification and query financial institution should be reviewed at the very least every year to make sure they continue to be fit-for-purpose.
The evaluation specification should be related to the occupation and display how you can assess the KSBs mapped to this evaluation methodology. The EPAO should make sure that questions are refined and developed to a excessive normal. The questions should be unpredictable. A query financial institution of ample measurement will assist this.
The EPAO should make sure that the apprentice has a unique set of questions within the case of re-sits or re-takes.
EPAO should produce the next supplies to assist the challenge report and presentation with questions:
- impartial assessor EPA supplies which embrace:
- coaching supplies
- administration supplies
- moderation and standardisation supplies
- steerage supplies
- grading steerage
- query financial institution
- EPA steerage for the apprentice and the employer
The EPAO should make sure that the EPA supplies are topic to high quality assurance procedures together with standardisation, coaching, and moderation.
