Key information

  1. Status: Approved for delivery (available for starts)
  2. Reference: ST0960
  3. Version: 1.0
  4. Level: 3
  5. Typical duration to gateway: 24 months
  6. Typical EPA period: 3 months
  7. Maximum funding: £11000
  8. Route: Construction and the built environment
  9. Date updated: 29/06/2023
  10. Approved for delivery: 11 February 2022
  11. Lars code: 673
  12. EQA provider: Ofqual
  13. Example progression routes:
  14. Review: this apprenticeship will be reviewed in accordance with our change request policy.

Contents

Contents

Apprenticeship summary

Overview of the role

Working in an office or on a construction site.

Occupation summary

This occupation is found in and throughout the construction and built environment sector, including construction contracting and associated supply chain subcontractors. Construction Contracting Operations Technicians operate in a range of settings including estimating, planning, buying, site, quantity surveying and design and build roles. Site and office environments include industrial, commercial, residential, refurbishment, heritage, retail and public sector projects. They may be employed by large contracting organisations such as major national housebuilding contractors and civil engineering contractors, as well as a significant number of small and medium sized contractors and subcontractors such as building services companies, insulation contractors, groundworkers, roofing companies, plasterers and decorators together with a host of other specialised construction areas.

The broad purpose of the occupation is working in an exciting and dynamic environment which could be in an office or on a construction site at the heart of the contracting organisations including versatile activities using digital processes and systems to secure future projects and to enable progress and completion of actual construction sites. Technicians within this specific career area are engaged to interpret, analyse, contribute and directly assist construction contracting professionals working with a wide range of project resources and documentation regularly interacting with internal and external customers.

Technicians will also develop a range of highly transferable knowledge, skills and behaviours that can be applied across a range of large and small construction companies and in associated contracting job roles including public and private sector work. In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with professional and technical teams across different parts of the organisation, potentially on a range of sites or in an office environment. They will liaise with external organisations either through site or office communications due to the need to ensure built environment activities and services are progressed at the right time, to high quality standards, with accurate designs and at competitive rates. Interaction also includes working with other construction contracting operations technicians in areas that include estimating, planning, buying, site, quantity surveying and design and build because their respective processes interact with each other during the whole life cycle of a construction project.

An employee in this occupation will be responsible for supporting construction contracting teams with the inputting and progression of digital project information linked to resources using industry standard and specialist software in office and site environments. They will develop key information and enhance timely interaction with professional site and technical teams from internal and external organisations, linked to projects either at development, construction or maintenance phases.

Effectively recognising site hazards and safe working practices with thorough knowledge of relevant health, safety and environmental legislation to ensure compliance with company site procedures and processes. They will be able to analyse, extract and produce a variety of contract and project documents that will enable the effective operation and progression of construction contracting activities. They will ensure timely communication linked to the progress and completion of all tasks that they are set with a clear mandate to identify any issues as and when they arise; wherever possible resolving those issues using their own initiative.

Typical job titles include:

Buying and procurement technician Contracting quantity surveying technician Contracting site technician Estimating technician General construction contracting operations technician Planning technician

End-point assessment summary

ST0960, construction support technician level 3


This is a summary of the key things that you – the apprentice and your employer need to know about your end-point assessment (EPA). You and your employer should read the EPA plan for the full details. It has information on assessment method requirements, roles and responsibilities, and re-sits and re-takes.

What is an end-point assessment and why it happens

An EPA is an assessment at the end of your apprenticeship. It will assess you against the knowledge, skills, and behaviours (KSBs) in the occupational standard. Your training will cover the KSBs. The EPA is your opportunity to show an independent assessor how well you can carry out the occupation you have been trained for.

Your employer will choose an end-point assessment organisation (EPAO) to deliver the EPA. Your employer and training provider should tell you what to expect and how to prepare for your EPA. 

The length of the training for this apprenticeship is typically 24 months. The EPA period is typically 3 months.

The overall grades available for this apprenticeship are:

  • fail
  • pass
  • distinction

When you pass the EPA, you will be awarded your apprenticeship certificate.

EPA gateway

The EPA gateway is when the EPAO checks and confirms that you have met any requirements required before you start the EPA. You will only enter the gateway when your employer says you are ready.



The gateway requirements for your EPA are:

  • achieved English and mathematics qualifications in line with the apprenticeship funding rules
  • for the technical report project with question and answer session, the project's title and scope must be agreed with the EPAO and a project summary submitted

  • for the professional interview with a portfolio of evidence, you must submit a portfolio of evidence

Assessment methods




Project with report

You will complete a project and write a report. You will be asked to complete a project. The EPAO will give you suggested project titles. The report should be a maximum of 3000 words (with a 10% tolerance).

You will have 4 weeks to complete the project and submit the report to the EPAO.




You will have a question and answer session with an independent assessor to discuss the project. It will last 45 minutes. They will ask at least 5 questions.





Interview


You will have an interview with an independent assessor. It will last at least 60 minutes. They will ask you at least 8 questions. The questions will be about certain aspects of your occupation. You need to compile a portfolio of evidence before the EPA gateway. You can use it to help answer the questions.


Who to contact for help or more information

You should speak to your employer if you have a query that relates to your job.



You should speak to your training provider if you have any questions about your training or EPA before it starts.

You should receive detailed information and support from the EPAO before the EPA starts. You should speak to them if you have any questions about your EPA once it has started.


Reasonable adjustments


If you have a disability, a physical or mental health condition or other special considerations, you may be able to have a reasonable adjustment that takes this into account. You should speak to your employer, training provider and EPAO and ask them what support you can get. The EPAO will decide if an adjustment is appropriate.

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Employers involved in creating the standard: Engie, Barratt Developments, Persimmon Homes, BAM Nuttall, HB Projects, Laing O' Rourke, CECA, Torsion Group, Complete Utilities, Powertherm Contract Services, TrAC, En:Able Futures, TICA, JN Bentley. SMEs: PD Harris, Abbott Construction, Burgess Associates, Driscoll Insulation, John Atkinson Interiors, Bolt & Heeks, PMC Construction, Bridgewater Contracts, Plan RB Ltd, Hainslack Development, Cheetham Hill Construction, Hydrock Consultants Ltd, Phelan Construction.

Version log

Version Change detail Earliest start date Latest start date
1.0 Approved for delivery 11/02/2022 Not set

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