We like EVs!

External Verifiers, sometimes known as External Quality Assurers (EQAs) or Standards Verifiers (SVs) are a fixture in Further Education and Apprenticeships.

They are utilised by awarding bodies to ensure that the training providers are correctly assessing the quality of learners’ work. They also make sure that we correctly quality assess the assessor’s assessments!!! This is known as internal quality assurance.

The aim of the EV is to protect the reputation of the qualification and the good name of the awarding body.

EVs can be unpopular with training providers. They force administrative activity and have the power to recommend to their employers that a training provider be suspended or more usually given improvement actions. The process of EVing may also slow down the claiming of certificates (and hence funding) whilst the training provider waits to an EV to become available.

At JGA we’ve found EVs a great help. By coming in regularly they know us and they understand our provision. They help us to keep a level of discipline around quality which can be otherwise hard to maintain. And, just sometimes when they say nice things such as the resources are great or that our HNC is like a “mini MBA”, we light up with pride and it’s great for morale.