The apprenticeship combines academic learning and vocational training to develop practitioner level systems engineers. The academic and vocational elements complement each other and provide a base from which each apprentice can develop, refine and apply their knowledge, skills and behaviours.

At the beginning of the apprenticeship, the apprentice, in conjunction with their Employer Mentor, will develop a personalised practitioner level competency profile, mapped against the Standard and the underpinning Systems Engineering Competency framework.

This profile will be used to define what the apprentice must achieve to complete the apprenticeship and meet the standard. Each apprentice will be able to tailor their profile to reflect their own areas of interest and the type of work their employer conducts.

Each apprentice will undertake a tailored programme of level 7 academic tuition and vocational training in their workplace. This programme will reflect the aspirations of the apprentice and the needs of the employer, around the relative emphasis given to different systems engineering competencies and any specialist learning required, for example in particular domains.

Vocational based activities will provide the mechanism for an apprentice to build on the underpinning knowledge and skills and develop and refine them through applying them on real work problems and projects. It is this experience and application that will develop the practitioner level skills required.

It is expected that reflective and progressive learning is captured and recorded throughout the apprenticeship in a logbook style document or portfolio. Within this record, each apprentice will collate evidence of activities undertaken, what they have learnt and what skills and a reflection of the knowledge and competencies they have gained.

This cumulative evidence will form one aspect of assessment at the end of the apprenticeship.

The Synoptic End Point Assessment will be a convergent assessment of the whole apprenticeship. It is designed to assess the apprentice against their competency profile and thus the standard. The apprentice will undertake the assessment as and when they are ready.

The Synoptic End Point Assessment will comprise:

• A review of the apprentices evidence portfolio
• A VIVA Presentation
• An Interview

More details of this assessment process can be found in the assessment plan document.

This assessment forms the final phase of the apprenticeship and successful completion results in the award of apprenticeship and the practitioner level.