Apprenticeships?

[Rory-495]

G21 mate. Your LFF was in my group at Moreton. Good guy if it's the same one

I think they hold off your competency until the EPA is signed off as they're now tied but not related apparently. Just a load of nonsense if you ask me

[Messyshaw]

Harrow is a lovely station. I did a few years there myself, and enjoyed it, but its not a station for new recruits. 

Good luck there, but when you get the chance, have a look for a stronger posting 

[Rory-495]

Funnily enough I've been lucky with a great watch and a handful of solid incidents to get my signed off as competent bang on 18 months. However I've got sights on somewhere a bit busier just while I'm young. I'm sure I'll want to come back in a few years when I start having children!

[Damien]

Super late to the party here but I’m glad to know the issues we’ve faced aren’t specific to us in Staffs. 
 

I have my EPA’s in 4 weeks. I don’t think it got answered but our competency is directly related to the apprenticeship. 
 

We don’t pass, we don’t get get competent pay - although we’re all through the gateway. 

[Out In The Past]

Have you passed everything but been waiting for your EPA? If that’s been delayed and cost you money, you should be having a word with your branch rep. Covid or not, it shouldn’t be your financial problem. 

[Rory-495]

Update.... passed in July but alas no proof, certificate or anything. Although other courses passing well after have had theirs!

[Charlie_]

Our cohort and a number of others are in the situation where we have passed our end point assessment, but had our gateway cancelled due to covid. So we haven’t passed our apprenticeship until we complete the written exam. Chased, but no productive reply

Luckily it didn’t effect competency sign offs

[Rory-495]

Same thing has happened to A lad at ours. Still competent though so unless you're desperate for your apprenticeship don't worry about it, LFB obviously aren't!

[Rory-495]

Update.. apprenticeship certificate received last week.

I passed in July 2020 but according to my certificate I passed and was awarded the qualification in feb 2020. Another proud moment for Skills For Justice and Babcock!

[Charlie_]

They decided to care about us again, must be something to do with funding and successful numbers. 
Rescheduled our written exams for this week, think around 50/60 who missed out due to covid this time last year will be attending a fancy hotel to finish off the apprenticeship. 

[Rory-495]

I know that the success rate has been uncomfortably low for a while now, especially on the practical skills element of the EPA

[Charlie_]

I’ve heard people are struggling with BA mostly? 
Apparently the organisation of the resit isn’t brilliant either, with some coming back to redo the whole day and others coming back mid way through to just do the element they failed in 

[CaptainFlack]

Out of interest who's the external assessor for LFB?

Cornwall are doing GMFRS' and I assume for reasons of costs the apprentice cohort behind us are having their EPA at the same time - in fact some are due for theirs even before we have done ours so technically they'll finish in front of us 🤷‍♂️

[Charlie_]

Skills for Justice, then the assessors individually were from all over the country