What does an IQA do? The internal quality assurer role in FE explained
An internal quality assurer (IQA) makes sure a team of assessors is judging learners' work fairly, consistently and to the same standard. In further education
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What does an assessor do? A role profile of the FE vocational assessor
A vocational assessor judges whether a learner has met the standards of a vocational qualification or apprenticeship — and does it by watching them do
How to become an IQA: the route into internal quality assurance in FE
To become an internal quality assurer (IQA) you almost always become an assessor first — hold CAVA (the Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement),
How to become an employability advisor: routes in, pay and what providers want
To become an employability advisor, you generally need strong people skills, a working knowledge of the local labour market, and — in most cases —
The Adult Skills Fund and devolution: what it means for how providers staff delivery
The Adult Skills Fund (ASF) is the current name for what used to be the Adult Education Budget (AEB) — roughly £1.4 billion a year
Restart to Connect to Work: the welfare-to-work reset and what it means for staffing
The Restart Scheme is winding down. Its extended referral window ran to June 2026, so as of July 2026 it is effectively closed to new
Permanent, Interim or Executive Search: Choosing the Right Hiring Model for an FE or Skills Role
The right hiring model for an FE or skills role depends on three things: how long the need will last, how senior the role is,
The assessor and internal quality assurer shortage — and when to hire permanent versus interim cover
The shortage of qualified assessors and internal quality assurers (IQAs) in FE and apprenticeships is a compliance-stack problem, not a headcount problem. The role needs
End-point assessment (EPA) explained: gateway, EPAO and the assessor shortage
End-point assessment (EPA) is the independent, final assessment that confirms an apprentice can do the job they trained for. It sits at the very end
Skills England explained: what happened to IfATE — and what the reshuffle means for hiring
IfATE — the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education — was abolished on 1 June 2025, and Skills England took over its functions the next