Apprenticeships Operations Manager (CYP)

National Skills Agency Ltd; West Midlands; Remote; GBP 36,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

National Skills Agency Ltd is seeking an Apprenticeships Operations Manager (CYP) to lead day-to-day operations, ensuring quality, compliance and timely apprentice progression across CYP programmes. The role supports assessment readiness and leverages quality systems to drive improvements.

The ideal candidate will have 3+ years in apprenticeship operations, with teaching/training qualifications and an IQA/Assessor background. The position is national, home-based with travel as needed.

Qualifications

• Need teaching/training qualifications (e.g. Level 3 or above).
• Assessor and IQA qualifications desirable.
• Experience leading apprenticeship provision and quality assurance.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day apprenticeship operations with focus on quality and compliance.
• Ensure CYP programmes are well sequenced with effective initial assessment.
• Monitor progress, progression, and end-point assessment readiness.
• Promote learner engagement, safeguarding and inclusion across delivery.
• Line manage L&D Coaches and support recruitment and induction.
• Monitor performance against targets and quality indicators.

Skills

Leadership

Quality Assurance

Compliance

Stakeholder engagement

People management

Education

Level 3 Award in Education and Training

Assessor qualification

Internal Quality Assurance qualification

Job description

Job Title: Apprenticeships Operations Manager (CYP)

Salary: £36,000–£40,000

Location: National / Home based (Full UK driving license and willingness to travel)

Job Purpose

The Apprenticeships Operations Manager (CYP) is responsible for the day-to-day leadership, quality, compliance and performance of our clients’ Children and Young People apprenticeship provision.

The role ensures apprentices receive high-quality, well-sequenced training that develops the knowledge, skills and behaviours required by their apprenticeship standard and supports timely achievement.

Our client would consider an IQA with a CYP background who is looking for their next step up.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership and Quality

• Lead day-to-day apprenticeship operations, monitoring quality, performance, risks and compliance.
• Contribute to the Self-Assessment Report and Quality Improvement Plan, ensuring inspection and audit readiness.

Curriculum and Teaching

• Ensure CYP apprenticeship programmes are ambitious, relevant and logically sequenced, including effective initial assessment and recognition of prior learning.
• Monitor teaching, training, assessment, off-the-job training and English/maths provision.
• Develop L&D Coaches through observations, standardisation and CPD.

Achievement and Progress

• Meet agreed retention, achievement and timely completion targets.
• Monitor apprentice progress and preparation for end-point assessment, intervening early where progress or planned end dates are at risk.
• Analyse achievement and EPA outcomes to identify improvements and support progression within the CYP workforce.

Learner Participation and Inclusion

• Ensure meaningful progress reviews and strong employer/apprentice engagement, monitoring attendance, participation and progress.
• Ensure safeguarding, Prevent, wellbeing, equality, diversity and careers education are embedded within delivery.
• Identify and support SEND, ALN and other barriers to learning, monitoring achievement gaps between learner groups.

People Management

• Line manage, motivate and develop L&D Coaches, setting objectives and monitoring caseloads, performance and learner outcomes.
• Support recruitment and induction, and manage early leavers, breaks in learning and cause-for-concern processes.
• Escalate unresolved performance, quality and learner issues appropriately.

Key Performance Measures

Performance will be reviewed monthly against agreed targets, including:

• Achievement, retention, withdrawals, early leavers and apprentices past planned end dates.
• Employer and apprentice satisfaction, progress against training plans and timely progress reviews.
• Off-the-job training compliance, audit findings, funding errors and quality of teaching, training and assessment.
• Performance against Apprenticeship Accountability Framework indicators.

Essential Qualifications

• Teaching/training qualification, such as Level 3 Award in Education and Training or above.
• Assessor qualification.
• Internal Quality Assurance qualification.

Desirable: CYP/Early Years qualification, leadership/management qualification and advanced safeguarding or DSL training.

Essential Experience

• At least 3 years’ operational management experience within apprenticeships and 5 years’ sector experience overall.
• Experience leading teams to improve retention, progress and achievement, including supporting Ofsted inspections and funding audits.

Desirable: Occupational experience in an early years or CYP setting.

Essential Knowledge

• Ofsted Education Inspection Framework and further Education and Skills inspection expectations.
• Apprenticeship Funding Rules, ILR, evidence requirements and Apprenticeship Accountability Framework.
• Safeguarding, Prevent, safer working practices, CYP apprenticeship standards and end-point assessment requirements.

Paul Feldman is the National Skills Agency Data Protection Officer. Your data will be stored until notice is given by you for it to be removed. Our Data Protection Policy will be forwarded to you on request. As we get a high number of applications we may be unable to give feedback to unsuccessful candidates. We will retain your details to keep you informed of other opportunities. National Skills Agency Ltd is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy and is an Equal Opportunities employer we welcome applicants from all backgrounds