3 trends to look out for in EPAs in 2025

New year, new government, new technology – there’s a lot happening in 2025 that will affect end point assessment providers. With the Labour government driving changes to apprenticeships and skills funding, training in the UK could see a partial shift away from traditional apprenticeships and towards a more flexible ‘skills and development’ model. Meanwhile, the rapidly increasing use of AI in all areas of work and education brings as many challenges as it does opportunities for EPAs. Then there’s the ongoing focus on authentic assessment: a fairer way to assess vocational skills, but one that isn’t always easy to factor into the assessment process. And that’s just skimming the surface… 

All in all, we predict that 2025 is going to be a transformative year for EPA, one in which the sector can further cement itself as a critical part of the UK’s further education landscape – if it’s ready to be flexible, adapt to changes and grasp the opportunities that are available.  

Here, we look at three of the biggest trends in EPA to watch out for in 2025, from changing demands on EPAOs to incorporating advanced technology into the assessment process. 

1 - There will be even more focus on authentic assessment  

Evaluating a students’ knowledge and skills in the classroom is all well and good, but assessing those skills in ‘real world’ scenarios is essential, especially in careers where practical skills are critical (such as healthcare, construction or hairstyling). Showing that you understand in theory isn’t enough: trainees need to demonstrate they can put that learning into practice. While authentic assessment is nothing new to EPA, what is changing is the volume at which assessors need to carry out these evaluations, and the method in which they are delivered.  

First, let’s look at volumes. In 2020-21, less than 40,000 EPAs were taken by apprentices, and there were under 100,000 EPA components. In 2022-23, those figures more than trebled. The number of EPAs taken reached over 120,000, with components exceeding 300,000. In short, that is a lot of assessments.  

Which brings us to method of delivery. When it comes to authentic assessments, it becomes difficult to deliver in-person, visual evaluations effectively (in terms of time and cost) at that kind of scale. EPAOs have already shifted towards online and digital authentic assessment (alongside in-person) but in 2025 they are going to need to be ready to both ramp-up the number of those assessments and streamline their delivery. Platforms like epaPRO (for apprenticeships) and Accolade (for general awarding) that offer a single journey to assessment are going to become essential, rather than a nice to have. They enable a smoother process of uploading multimedia evidence, carrying out assessments, arranging in-person visits and collaborating with the trainee – allowing EPAOs to offer assessments at scale. 

2- We’ll see a move towards general assessment and employer-led qualifications  

One of Labour’s first steps after winning the election was to replace the Apprenticeship Levy with the Growth and Skills Levy. While many in the sector agree that the Apprenticeship Levy wasn’t fit for purpose, there is dispute on whether the new Growth and Skills Levy will help or hinder further education. The biggest change is that Growth and Skills will allow employers to access 50% of their contributions to fund alternative training to apprenticeships, such as Continuing Professional Development (CPD) models and employer-led qualifications (as long as they are covered by Skills England’s approved training and qualifications list).  

So, what does this mean for EPA? On one hand, the more flexible funding could result in a downturn in apprentices going through the EPA process, with employers pushing their own tailored development programs instead. On the other hand, this can be an opportunity for EPAOs to broaden their remit to general awarding, playing a vital role in the changing landscape of work-based qualifications regardless of whether they are apprenticeships or wider training schemes.  

At Skilltech, we had already anticipated the increased demand for general assessment, which is why we will be officially launching our Accolade general assessment platform early in 2025. The platform is already in beta testing with a select test group, and feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. 

3- Advanced technology will need to be integrated into assessments 

Looking back to those rising EPA numbers mentioned above, both EPAOs and general awarding bodies are going to need to think about how they offer their services at scale. Unless you’ve been in hiding for the last year, you’ll know that AI solutions are taking off left, right and centre, as a means to speed up and streamline aspects of, well, everything. In EPA, there are a lot of opportunities for AI tools to support the process and help EPAOs and general awarding bodies to manage vast volumes of assessments without human error. That said, while AI is a valuable tool, it isn’t infallible, and for it to work in a fair assessment process, it still needs to be complemented by human involvement. Ethical issues such as AI bias need to be factored in, and appeals against AI verdicts may need to be considered. 

Yet AI isn’t the only technology that has the power to transform how EPAs are managed in 2025. For a lot of end point assessment organisations, a simple shift away from multiple spreadsheets, platforms and communication tools and on to a single, one-stop platform, could have an incredible impact on the speed and efficiency with which assessments are delivered. While epaPRO offers this functionality to end point assessors for apprenticeships, from this spring a new platform, Accolade, will be making the same streamlined approach available to general awarding organisations. Just in time to support a potential increase in employer-led training under the Growth and Skills Levy. 

What will 2025 bring to your organisation?  

These three things are just the tip of the iceberg, with much more change to come in EPA and general awarding over the course of the year. The main thing to note is that, in order to thrive, EPAOs and awarding bodies will need to adapt and be ready to scale up assessments in response to demand. If you’re looking for a streamlined approach to apprenticeship EPA, book a demo for epaPRO, which will have all the functionality you need to make assessments easier. For general awarding, keep your eyes open for updates on the upcoming Accolade – a platform that will revolutionise your approach to general awarding.