End-Point Assessment (EPA) for Operational Firefighters is crucial to the ongoing workforce development for Fire and Rescue Services in England. Now, more than ever, recruits need hands-on experience to develop the skills, knowledge, and behaviours to perform the role of an operational firefighter competently and with confidence.
The role of an Apprentice Operational Firefighter
Apprentice Operational Firefighters tackle a wide range of emergency situations which vary from firefighting, search, and rescue to protecting people and animals and will respond to incidents involving different transport methods as well as engage with the community to provide information, advice, and guidance.
Firefighters work as part of a close-knit team of professionals that provides 24-hour response cover to resolve and rescue operational incidents, adopting multi-agency working principles with partners and other services.
Read our FAQs on the Operational Firefighter End-Point Assessment
Talk to the experts
Take the hassle out of End-Point Assessment, talk to our dedicated team who will support your organisation through EPA.
Get in touchWhat does the EPA involve?
Download our Operational Firefighter EPA Guide.
Start your EPA Strategy
Our hands-on EPA team will support you on your road to successfully deliver a highly skilled fire safety workforce.
SFJ Awards is the leading Fire and Rescue EPAO
As the Operational Firefighter EPAO (End-Point Assessment Organisation) in England, and with a tried and tested approach to fire and rescue sector apprenticeships, we offer impartial, robust, and supportive solutions to help employers guide their apprentices through EPA.
- Our expert assessors have significant sector experience and take a customer-focussed approach, helping us to deliver a first-class End-Point Assessment (EPA) service. The comprehensive support we provide to all of our EPA customers includes a virtual information session for your staff, delivered by sector specialists, to bring the EPA to life, answer any queries and to support them when preparing apprentices for EPA.
- To enable the EPA to run smoothly, apprentices are registered with us using Odyssey Online, our online learner management system. Using Odyssey, you will be able to register apprentices one at a time or in bulk, and the system will provide real time management reports, which include information on an apprentice’s progress and achievements.
Workplace Apprenticeship Co-ordinator from the Fire & Rescue sector said:
“The support from SFJ Awards was exceptional from start to finish. Not just the final two days of EPA, but all the preparation work that was provided by Kit Salt, Nichola Gutteridge and the bookings team, which helped us even before we were entering the EPA process. They supported us to understand what to expect, how to get the best out of our apprentices and this was a massive help.”
Read how we continued to deliver EPA throughout 2020
Extra guidance for EPA when you work with SFJ Awards
We want to make sure that, as an employer, you receive the best possible guidance and support throughout your EPA journey, to make sure that you have the best experience in readiness for the assessment of your apprentices. Our dedicated team help employers planning EPA by going the extra mile with:
- Ongoing guidance before your EPA, including unlimited access to speak to our EPA team, and an on-site visit from our EPA Services Manager.
- Access to an e-portal that enables you to carefully track your apprentices’ goals and achievements, from registration and gateway through to certification.
- Qualified and recommended Independent Assessors who conduct the EPA Observation and EPA Professional Discussion.
- Access to online or paper-based knowledge tests to help ensure your apprentices have gained the right level of expertise to do their role.
- Robust quality assurance processes give our EPA customers complete peace of mind.
- Results and detailed feedback for your apprentices, irrespective of the outcome of their EPA.
- An EPA checklist that helps you throughout the process, making sure you’ve covered all the essentials to be ready for EPA.
