On 1 July, we attended the FAB Apprenticeship Assessments Conference, which brought together assessment organisations, Skills England, Ofqual and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to discuss where apprenticeship reform stands and what's coming next.

AP Gateway is now Apex, a platform designed to bring clarity, control and confidence to every stage of the assessment journey.

There’s a growing narrative around apprenticeship assessment reform that I don’t think helps anyone. It treats reform as something to endure: disruption to absorb, timelines to survive, compliance to manage. Something you wait for, then react to, then bolt on to what you already do.

User experience is no longer defined by industry norms; it’s defined by everyday digital life. People are used to digital interfaces that are intuitive, timely and purposeful, where information feels relevant, not overwhelming. Those expectations don’t pause when someone logs into an apprenticeship assessment platform.

For many apprentices, assessment is the most anxiety‑inducing part of their programme. Months or even years of learning can feel as though their success rests on a single moment. One assessment window, one final judgement, one opportunity to prove competence.

A wide range of Accelerate People’s apprenticeship standards are currently moving through reform and review activity at different speeds. As an organisation actively involved in Trailblazer Groups and wider sector engagement, we continue to monitor progress closely across the standards we assess.

The Content Creator apprenticeship has been reformed as part of the wider national changes to apprenticeship assessment. A new assessment plan has now been published, marking an important shift in how apprentices on this standard will be assessed and supported going forward.

For years, apprenticeship assessment plans told assessment organisations exactly what to do. They specified the assessment methods, prescribed the logistics, dictated how resits should run, and laid out operational details right down to sequencing and evidence expectations.

Apprenticeships are designed to help people build real workplace skills, confidence, and occupational competence. To understand whether an apprentice is ready for their role, structured assessment methods that measure knowledge and skills in meaningful ways are utilised.

Since the reformed apprenticeship assessment plans started appearing, I've noticed confusion about two particular terms during various industry meetings: mandatory knowledge and skills, and mandatory assessment methods.

AI is becoming part of everyday working life, and organisations are looking for people who can use it in practical, meaningful ways. The new AI and Automation Practitioner Standard (ST1512) gives apprentices the skills to do exactly that.

Skills England's latest Occupations in Demand report provides concrete evidence of what many in the apprenticeship sector have been observing first-hand: digital and technical roles are experiencing substantial workforce demand.