Employer engagement – you have:

• Contacted Riverside Training to register interest in receiving training/identified the need for an Apprentice
• Discussed and identified training and Apprenticeship needs
• Received and understood the course/qualification literature and outlines
• Completed training needs analysis
• Signed a contract engaging with Riverside as a provider
• Agreed to fund the qualification
• Understood your commitments and obligations of the qualifications
• Confirmed the job duties to be undertaken and salary to be given (please note the minimum Apprenticeship wage is currently £5.28 per hour)
• Provided us with the learner/Apprentice’s name, email address, and training sector

Learner pre-signup

• The learner/Apprentice will complete a skills scan to identify that the qualification is achievable in their role and send it back to Riverside
• Based on the results of their skills scan, Riverside will confirm that the qualification is both suitable and achievable, if it is not then Riverside will try to offer an alternative
• Once the qualification has been confirmed, the learner/Apprentice will be added to BUD, our virtual learning environment within 24 hours
• A link will be sent via email for the learner/Apprentice to complete, comprising of:
  • Personal Details
  • Employment Overview
  • Qualification Overview

Once they have completed this information on BUD, their designated Work Based Tutor (WBT) will be assigned to them by Riverside’s Operations Manager, usually within 1 working day.

Riverside will then contact you or their Line Manager to arrange a sign-up date that is mutually convenient for you, the learner/Apprentice and their WBT. This sign-up will be conducted remotely.

• The learner/Apprentice and you or their Line Manager will receive an email from BUD confirming the time, duration, and date of the sign-up meeting
• Another link will be sent to them via e-mail with a ‘Basic and Key Skill Builder’ (BKSB) log in
• They will also be required to complete their Functional Skills Initial Assessments in Maths, English & possibly ICT (depending on what qualification they are doing). This can take 10-40 minutes to complete
• Lastly, they will also be sent a link to complete a neurodiversity analysis called CognAssist – this takes approximately 40 minutes to complete

For the sign-up meeting, the learner/Apprentice will need to find their:

• Maths, English and possibly ICT GCSE or Functional Skills certificates
• National Insurance number
• Photographic ID (Driving Licence, Passport, UK Biometric Residents Permit or EU Identity Card)

Sign up process

A sign-up meeting will take place between you or their Line Manager, the learner/Apprentice and their WBT remotely. This sign up meeting will take approximately 1.5 hours.

During this sign-up meeting, the learner/Apprentice will complete the registration process on BUD:

• Have their ID verified and recorded
• Complete a neurodiversity analysis called CognAssist – this takes approximately 40 minutes to complete
• Record any disabilities, learning difficulties or need for additional support
• You or their Line Manager will need to confirm the Employer Details section
• The WBT will record their qualifications from the evidence they have provided
• The learner/Apprentice will write a short written statement saying why they would like to complete the qualification and what they hope to gain from it
• You or their Line Manager and the learner/Apprentice will electronically sign an Application Summary of the above
• You or their Line Manager, the learner/Apprentice and the WBT will then electronically sign a Commitment Statement confirming:
  • The Standard or Framework
  • Any inbuilt qualifications
  • Any functional skills qualifications
  • The timeline for all of the above
  • The off-the-job hours
  • The learner/Apprentice’s commitments, the employer’s commitments, and the training provider’s commitments
  • Any exemptions
  • The full learning plan
  • You or their Line Manager and the WBT will then electronically sign a Funding Agreement
  • If required an Additional Learning Support plan will be agreed and signed

In-learning

• You and the learner/Apprentice will have access to their full learning plan via BUD
• The learner/Apprentice can access all set activities, learning resources, materials, due date and instructions via BUD
• The learner/Apprentice can message their WBT via BUD
• They can upload work via BUD

The learner/Apprentice will be able to see their progress:

• Activities completed
• Off-the-job hours completed
• Time on programme and key dates
• Assessment criteria completed

The status of all activities:

• Unset
• Set
• Submitted
• Partially complete
• Assessment complete
• Complete

The learner/Apprentice will attend quarterly reviews with their Line Manager and WBT – these are recorded in BUD.

The learner/Apprentice will receive email notifications when any of the following happens:

• A piece of work is set
• They receive a message from their WBT
• Their work has been marked
• Their work is soon to become overdue
• Their activity is overdue
• A review has been scheduled

Completion

Gateway – this is the planning and confirmation of the learner/Apprentice’s readiness to complete the End Point Assessment (EPA)

• They need to have their required Maths and English qualifications
• They need to have passed any mandatory additional qualifications if applicable
• They need to agree with the yourself as the Employer and WBT that they are ready for EPA
• They will need to agree and book a date and location for the EPA – this should be done approximately 12 weeks prior to the predicted end date
• They will create a portfolio of evidence, if required
• They will sit a mock EPA with a Riverside representative other than their WBT

Attend EPA – this is comprised of the following elements: