Level 5 Payroll Assistant Manager Apprenticeship Approved!

There are three things that make an apprenticeship ready to be delivered.  By ‘ready’, I mean that Apprenticeship Training Providers (ATPs) can start to deliver, knowing that employers can draw down on the levy funds to pay for the course:

1. The Standard
2. The End-Point Assessment Plan
3. Confirmation of the Funding Band

At the end of December 2020, my Relationship Manager at the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IFATE) advised that all three were in place and the Payroll Assistant Manager Apprenticeship is now ‘approved for delivery’.

I want to go through each of the above in brief:

This is a high-level document outlining the purpose of the professional apprenticeship.  This details such things as what the role is about, where it is found and the overall responsibilities.  Importantly, the Standard demonstrates that it is ‘transferable’ – i.e., it doesn’t just apply in one organisation or one sector but payroll is a UK-wide profession that applies to every company that pays workers.

Apprenticeships in England are strict in that they define a number of overarching typical tasks that will be performed by the Payroll Assistant Manager.  These are known as Duties.  Then, under each Duty, a number of specific knowledges, skills and behaviours elements will be allocated, i.e., the KSBs.  For example, a duty may be to oversee ‘complex payroll’ situations, however, it is the KSBs that define what these complex situations are (the knowledge) and how they will be achieved in the workplace (the skills and behaviours).

The Standard was submitted on 09 September 2020, underwent the required ‘peer review’ and was published on the IFATE’s Website on 27 November 2020.

Stage 1 complete.

The EPA Plan is an essential document for both Apprenticeship Training Providers (ATPs) and End-Point Assessment Organisations EPAOs:

1. For ATPs, it indicates what has to be taught (the KSBs)
2. For EPAOs, it defines how these KSBs will be independently assessed

There are three distinct, robust, appropriate and deliverable assessment methods - 'distinct' and different assessment methods, 'robust' to test that KSBs have been learnt, 'appropriate' for the payroll profession and 'deliverable' by EPAOs:

1. Tests - for knowledge recall and scenario-based questions, covering some KSBs
2. Presented Project – agreed at the point that the apprentice reaches End-Point, work-related, covering the associated KSBs
3. Professional Discussion – this is, essentially, a discussion between the apprentice and assessor capturing any KSB that has not been assessed by one of the above methods

The EPA Plan was also submitted on 09 September 2020 and underwent the necessary reviews at the IFATE.  Some minor amendments were made, however, nothing that changed assessment at all.  This was published on the IFATE’s Website on 07 December 2020.

Stage 2 complete.  It was important for the Trailblazer and I to note that neither the Standard or EPA Plan were changed at all from what we had put together in development.  This meant that the peer review of the Standard and the expert review of the EPA Plan agreed that this was a professional qualification relevant for the payroll profession.  That is important:

The Standard and EPA Plan are the ‘recipe’ for two things:

1. For ATPs, they indicate what has to be taught (the KSBs)
2. For EPAOs, they define how these KSBs will be independently assessed

They are vital components, as they are devised by members of the profession for the profession.  They are not devised or influenced by organisations that may want to train apprenticeships or who deliver commercial qualifications.  As such, they represent what the industry needs, not what an organisation believes that the industry needs.

However, although these form the basis of any apprenticeship, it is not complete without the Ministerial allocation of a Funding Band.  As Trailblazer Chair, I approached Apprenticeship Training Providers and End-Point Assessment Organisations to get an indication of the cost of delivery.  I am more than pleased that I received the necessary quotes to support the apprenticeship approvals process.  These were quotes that were produced based on the information in the Standard and EPA Plan and were produced independently of each other.  These were submitted to the IFATE who then allocate the apprenticeship a Funding Band. On 21 December 2020, my Relationship Manager confirmed that this was confirmed at band 14 with an upper limit of ￡11,000.

Stage 3 complete and I am so pleased to have ended 2020 with an approved Level 5 professional and vocational payroll qualification.

I receive many questions about apprenticeships and I want to try and answer some of these:

This is the question that I am asked more than any other.  My response to this is always to consider:

• There is no payroll profession benchmark qualification. There never has been, unlike many other professions
• However, there are qualifications available.  These are, often, comprised of material which the offering organisation believes is appropriate for the profession.  They are not always comprised of what the industry wants at this level

Therefore, my opinion is that the apprenticeships regime in England is THE professional qualification.  The very strict regime adopted by the Department for Education in England means that this is not a qualification designed by an individual, an employer or an organisation.  This is a qualification that has been built by members of the profession specifically for the profession with the future of the profession in mind.  It combines employment and education to form a vocational qualification. 

 The Standard mention five bodies under the section ‘professional recognition’.  These are:

1. The Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP)
2. The Global Payroll Association (GPA)
3. The Payroll Bureau Association (PBA)
4. Payrock Payroll and
5. The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB)

Simply, this means that the five bodies have all had sight of the contents of the apprenticeship and recognised that it aligns with their definitions of professional membership.  For example,

• The Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals will offer full membership on completion of the apprenticeship, meaning that achievers can use the designatory letters
• The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers is specific that achievers can use the designatory letters PMDip, allowing practice as an ICB Payroll Agent

However, professional recognition does not mean that it is a requirement to belong to one of these bodies or to take one of their own qualifications, if they are offered.  Of course, there is nothing wrong with taking a commercial qualification alongside the professional vocational apprenticeship qualification.

Funding Band 14 with an upper limit of ￡11,000, does not necessarily represent the cost of the apprenticeship and should not be interpreted that way.  It is an upper limit approved by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Apprenticeships and Skills at the Department for Education (Gillian Keegan).   It has two purposes:

1. ￡11,000 is the maximum amount of digital funds an employer who pays the Apprenticeship Levy can use towards an individual apprenticeship, or
2. ￡11,000 is the upper limit of funding that the UK Government will ‘co-invest’ towards an individual apprenticeship.  This is where an employer does not pay the Apprenticeship Levy or has insufficient digital funds and is eligible for extra government support

Whilst the apprenticeship is approved for delivery, whether or not it is actually delivered is out of my hands totally (and that of the Trailblazer).  We have constructed the ‘recipe’ for ATPs and EPAOs to adhere to.  We are not responsible for delivery, though sincerely hope that this will be delivered. My thoughts:

• There are two ATPs associated with this apprenticeship at the moment (MBKB and Leicestershire County Council)
• Check with your preferred ATP – are they going to deliver the Level 5?  It is my professional hope that any ATP delivering the Level 3 Payroll Administrator Apprenticeship will also deliver the Level 5.  Or, it could be that the ATP’s competence only stretches to Level 3 or, simply, they are not interested in delivering Level 5 at this time.  Ask them the question
• Not all ATPs are the same.  I have said this time and time again.   How will the provider follow the recipe that has been created for them?

There are a lot of considerations for employers.  After all, it is the employer’s time and money that is involved and, wherever they are involved, research is required.

The Payroll Assistant Manager Apprenticeship (Level 5) is a higher technical apprenticeship for this skilled profession.  It will equip the individual with the knowledge, skills and behaviours to enable them to progress or demonstrate their competence at this level.

The Trailblazer and I have received considerable input and assistance along the development journey and the entire payroll profession should praise:

• The members of the Trailblazer.  These are the individuals from the payroll profession that formed the Level 5 Payroll Assistant Manager apprenticeship. I, simply, collated their opinions
• The Payroll Bureau Association (PBA) who represent the payroll profession, specifically the payroll service provider sector.  The PBA have been really important to me, ensuring that the Level 5 apprenticeship is representative of this significant sector
• The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB) who have ensured that the apprenticeship is relevant to this important sector
• Apprenticeship Training Providers (ATPs).  It is a task in itself to put together a professional apprenticeship qualification based on what the profession needs, as opposed to a qualification based on what an organisation believes is needed.  However, there is little point doing that if the resulting knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) are undeliverable by an ATP.  So, liaising with the ATPs on my 'supporting bodies' group has ensured that it is deliverable and there are providers that will be able to take-forward this apprenticeship when it is approved
• End-Point Assessment Organisations (EPAOs).  Like ATPs, there is no point having a professional apprenticeship that is available and is being delivered if there is nobody at the end to actually perform assessment.  Engagement with EPAOs has helped me shape the assessment methods making sure that they are relevant for the profession as well as being deliverable
• The Department for Education.  I cannot count the E-Mail exchanges and MS Teams meetings that I have had with civil servants, particularly my Relationship Manager
• My employer (i-Realise) who have given me full support in my role as Chair and the commitment and time that this involves

I hope that some of the above individuals make it onto ‘top 100’ lists in 2021, as these are people that are progressing and future-proofing the payroll profession.

Thank you so much to the people that have helped me so far.  The payroll profession appreciates this.