From 1 January 2026, Level 7 apprenticeships will only be government-funded for apprentices who, at the start of their apprenticeship training, are either aged 16-21, or aged under 25 and have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan and/or have been, or are, in the care of their local authority. Any individual who started a level 7 apprenticeship before 1 January 2026 will continue to be funded through to completion.
Rigorous robust and independent assessment undertaken by an apprentice at the end of training to test that the apprentice can perform in the occupation they have been trained in and can demonstrate the duties, and knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) set out in the occupational standard
End-point assessment organisation (EPAO)
An organisation approved to deliver end-point assessment for a particular apprenticeship standard. EPAOs must be on the register of end-point assessment organisations
Holistic or synoptic
Assessment of an apprentice’s knowledge, skills and behaviours in an integrated way i.e. assessing several KSBs at the same time
Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSB)
What is needed to competently undertake the duties required for an occupational standard
Valid
Referred to in relation to assessment methods; fit for purpose
Change request policy
Most changes to an apprenticeship are made as a result of a holistic review of it. We prioritise the need for such reviews based on a range of factors. These include:
the time since the apprenticeship was developed or last reviewed (taking account of its typical duration)
the existence of any known problems with it (e.g. lower than expected starts, low achievement rate, high withdrawal rate, any issues with the availability of training or end-point assessment provision)
whether the apprenticeship is currently subject to a dispensation
the relative significance of the apprenticeship based on how many users it has
The availability of an employer group to support a review and its potential impact on any related technical education product also inform the timing of a review.
Details of apprenticeships that are currently being revised or adjusted are available in our revisions and adjustments status report.
Employers involved in creating the standard: Arcadis, Askew Land and Soil, Atkins Limited, British Society of Soil Science, Cornwall College Group, Cranfield University, ERS, Land Research Associates, Natural England, RSK ADAS, Tim O’Hare Associates, Wardell Armstrong, WPS Compliance Consultants, Defra, Society for the Environment
