GOC now DO apprenticeship EQAP

Samara Morgan

The General Optical Council (GOC) has been approved as an external quality assurance provider (EQAP) for the dispensing optics apprenticeship standard by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE).

The GOC will carry out its external quality assurance duties in line with the IfATE’s EQA framework. There will be no changes to the GOC’s current quality assurance processes as it already quality assures those wishing to offer apprenticeships leading to GOC registration.

Previously, the EQAP was the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual). This limited the dispensing optics apprenticeship to being offered by those providers regulated by Ofqual as under its rules IfATE cannot have both the Office for Students (OfS) and Ofqual as the EQAP for one type of apprenticeship.

Other GOC-approved providers interested in offering a dispensing optics apprenticeship would have been unable to as they are regulated by the OfS.

Samara Morgan, head of education and CPD, said: “We are pleased to share this news with the wider optical community. By becoming an EQAP, this opens the door for more providers to offer dispensing optician apprenticeships. As a result, we hope this will increase student numbers in the context of workforce capacity constraints and widening participation in optical careers.

“We know there are other GOC-approved providers who are interested in offering dispensing optician apprenticeships and we encourage them to do so to broaden the choice of providers for future dispensing optics students.”

Miranda Richardson, ABDO director of professional qualifications, told DO Online: “We welcome the news that the GOC are now the External Quality Assurance Provider (EQAP) for the dispensing optician apprenticeship. This change will ensure the apprenticeship programmes have complete alignment with the sector standards for education delivery and allow a more streamlined quality assurance process.

“We shall continue to work closely with the GOC as the first cohort of apprentices progress, and look forward to working with apprenticeship providers in delivering sector-led end point assessments and supporting awareness and growth of the profession.”