Ecologist (integrated degree) / Skills England

This apprenticeship is in revision

A revised version of the assessment plan is approved by Skills England under the 2025/2026 apprenticeship assessment reforms and is available for information only. On 27 August 2027, it will replace the current version for new starts, allowing providers and employers to begin working with assessment organisations to deliver the assessment. Until then, the current end-point assessment remains in place. Further details of this and other apprenticeships in revision are available in the revisions and adjustments status report.

From 1 January 2026, Level 7 apprenticeships will only be government-funded for apprentices who, at the start of their apprenticeship training, are either aged 16-21, or aged under 25 and have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan and/or have been, or are, in the care of their local authority. Any individual who started a level 7 apprenticeship before 1 January 2026 will continue to be funded through to completion.

This apprenticeship has options. This document is currently showing the following option:

End-point assessment (EPA plan)

Rigorous robust and independent assessment undertaken by an apprentice at the end of training to test that the apprentice can perform in the occupation they have been trained in and can demonstrate the duties, and knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) set out in the occupational standard

End-point assessment organisation (EPAO)

An organisation approved to deliver end-point assessment for a particular apprenticeship standard. EPAOs must be on the register of end-point assessment organisations

Holistic or synoptic

Assessment of an apprentice’s knowledge, skills and behaviours in an integrated way i.e. assessing several KSBs at the same time

Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSB)

What is needed to competently undertake the duties required for an occupational standard

Valid

Referred to in relation to assessment methods; fit for purpose

Change request policy

Most changes to an apprenticeship are made as a result of a holistic review of it. We prioritise the need for such reviews based on a range of factors. These include:

the time since the apprenticeship was developed or last reviewed (taking account of its typical duration)
the existence of any known problems with it (e.g. lower than expected starts, low achievement rate, high withdrawal rate, any issues with the availability of training or end-point assessment provision)
whether the apprenticeship is currently subject to a dispensation
the relative significance of the apprenticeship based on how many users it has

The availability of an employer group to support a review and its potential impact on any related technical education product also inform the timing of a review.

Details of apprenticeships that are currently being revised or adjusted are available in our revisions and adjustments status report.

Version log

Version	Change detail	Earliest start date	Latest start date
Revised version awaiting implementation	Occupational standard and assessment plan revised	27/08/2027	Not set
1.2	Occupational standard, end-point assessment plan and funding band revised.	25/02/2026	26/08/2027
1.1	Updated SSA	09/12/2025	24/02/2026
1.0	Approved for delivery	28/06/2019	08/12/2025

Find an apprenticeship

Employers involved in creating the standard: Aecom, Anglia Ruskin University, Baker Consultants Ltd, Bath and Somerset Council, Bristol City Council, Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM), Cornwall College, Cornwall Environmental Consultants Ltd, Cranfield University, DEFRA, Derby University, Durham County Council, East Sussex County Council, Elite Ecology, Environment agency, Exeter County Council, Greenspace Ecological Solutions, Harper Adams University, HS2, Jacobs, Kirklees Council, Lincolnshire County Council, Middlemarch Environmental, Nature Bureau, Nature England, Northumbria University, Oxford Brookes University, Southampton City Council, Sparsholt College, Steelite International Ltd, Swift Ecology, University of Greenwich, Warwickshire County Council, Wood plc, Woodland Trust, WSP, Yorkshire Dales National Park, Yorkshire Water

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Ecologist (integrated degree)

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Version log

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