We are often asked by people; how do you become an assessor or what career progression is there for some of the more experienced early years workers?

Working as an assessor is very rewarding as you can pass on your own experiences and advice to people starting out in an industry in early years. Many assessors combine working in a setting as well as being an assessor. It is not recommended that you assess your own colleagues as this would be a conflict of interest.

The first criteria to become an assessor is that you must hold a relevant vocational qualification, at least at level 3 and you will need an assessor’s qualification such as CAVA or the level 3 certificate in assessing. You will also need to have recent industry experience.

Then there are two routes to gaining your assessor’s qualification.

The first route is to work as a trainee assessor, where you will be given on-the-job training as well as completing your assessor’s qualification. You will be allocated a cohort of learners and will support them throughout their course, providing workshops, observation in their settings, setting assignments, marking and giving feedback.

The second route is to gain your Cava/assessors qualification at either a college/training provider. You will need to complete all three units to be fully qualified and you will also need to have access to at least two different learners and be able to fully assess two units for each of them.

Skills and knowledge

You will need:

  • knowledge of teaching and the ability to design courses
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • to enjoy working with other people
  • customer service skills
  • sensitivity and understanding
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • the ability to work well with others
  • to be flexible and open to change
  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
  • willing to travel off-site for observations
  • ensure you have up-to-date industry knowledge

Day-to-day tasks

You may:

  • plan and deliver vocational training programmes and workshops
  • observe and assess candidates in their workplace
  • interview candidates and examine their portfolios of evidence
  • provide feedback and offer advice
  • sign off the award when all requirements are met
  • keep records of candidates’ progress
  • attend meetings with other assessors
  • work closely with training staff and candidates’ managers

Once you have gained experience as an assessor you can progress to becoming an internal quality assurer, external quality assurer or teach in higher education.

For more information on our courses, advice or guidance please contact us at admin@premierearlyyearstraining.co.uk

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