FAQs for learners registered for EAL qualifications by Options Skills Ltd

Update on EAL's work to support Options Skills Ltd learners - 20/06/2024

We apologise sincerely for the delay in reviewing some learner’s portfolios. We understand how important the evaluation process is to helping learners move forward, and we will continue to do everything we can to help learners understand their position, so that they can make informed decisions about their next steps.  

Due to an issue generating unit certificates, and access to additional onsite evidence, it took longer than we anticipated to complete the evaluation process for some learners.  

The group impacted by the delay are learners who have been in contact with our EQA team. In order to generate these reports, we must compare multiple evidence sources for each learner including the information in Option Skills portfolio, work submitted to us directly and any evidence found on site visits.  

The final group we will evaluate are learners in Options Skills online database who are registered for EAL qualifications but have not been in contact with us. This work will only begin when we have completed the evaluation process for all learners who have been in contact with us. We will provide a final update once all evaluation has been completed. If you have not completed the form to request our support, you can do so here.  

We encourage any learner impacted by Options Skills liquidation to seek independent guidance from the relevant industry body like TESP to understand what qualifications they need for their personal goals. If you are looking to understand what qualifications you need to achieve a Gold Card, they have resources which can help.   

We will begin sharing reports with learners who have been in contact with EQAs on Monday 24 June and will conclude the process by the 5 July 2024. Each learner will receive a report that outlines the assessments they have completed, and an indicative quartile estimate measure which shows where they are in their learning journey. If we can supply a unit certificate or exam pass slips, we will share the e-certificate and exams pass slips via email alongside the report. The report will give each learner an understanding of what they have completed so that they can enter conversations with alternative providers. 

New and updated FAQs outlining EAL support for Options Skills Learners  - 16/05/24

When will EAL contact me to share the results of my assessment evaluation and what information will I receive? 

We expect that we will be able to start sharing evaluation reports on Monday 20 May , and it will take 2 weeks to share all the individual reports with the learners who have been in contact with us. Once we have completed evaluations for all the learners who contacted us, we will then evaluate all the learners on EAL qualifications that appear in the central database. We will use Options Skills central assessment records to complete the evaluation, we do not need you to share any information with us.  

Each learner will receive a report that outlines the assessments they have completed and an overall percentage of the assessment they have completed.  If we can supply a unit certificate, we will share the e-certificate via email alongside the report. 

I have submitted the form and spoke to an External Quality Assessor. When will I get an update?  

Since the FAQs were posted, we have changed the way we access your assessment records to complete the evaluation. As we now have access to central assessment records, we no longer need to ask learners to share their assessment records with us. We will prioritise learners who we have already interacted with us, and those who have submitted the form looking for support.  

What qualifications do I need to become an electrician? 

TESP have created a resource that supports learners looking for alternative training providers available here. If you are looking to understand what requirements are needed for a Gold Card, you can find a guide from ECS/JIB here.

I have completed some of my assessments and exams towards my qualification, will I need to start again?  

If you have completed an exam with us, we will be able to provide a unit credit for that exam, as long as there are no other related internal assessment components for that unit that have not been completed and assessed.   

For other kinds of assessment, we need to access your portfolio to evaluate the evidence of learning completed. Now we have access to central assessment records, we will contact you directly to share your assessment evaluation report. This report will show what you have completed within your qualification and will include unit certificates if we are able to issue them. 

If I wish to, can I transfer my course to another EAL Awards approved centre?  

We can provide you with details of alternative EAL approved centres local to you that deliver our qualifications should you wish to contact them. EAL centres are aware of the process to follow when transferring registrations from one centre to another.  

We recommend you wait until you receive your evaluation report before you seek to transfer your registration. The customer service team ([email protected]) can help with these transfers. 

Update on EAL's work to support Options Skills Ltd learners 02/05/2024

Within the last day, we have received access to Options Skills' central record of assessment. This is good news as it will allow us to evaluate individual learner's situations in greater detail. It will also speed up the evaluation process as we no longer need learners to contact us to share their evidence. 

We are planning to use the information in these records to provide each learner with a clear report of their completed learning. It will take another few days to formulate an estimate of how long this process will take. We will prioritise learners who submitted our support form, as we appreciate your continued patience.  

Update on EAL's work to support Options Skills Ltd learners 23/04/2024

Over the past few weeks, we have been in contact with 194 learners who have evidence of their assessment or achievement. 141 learners have uploaded their evidence of assessment. Of those 141, we have reviewed the evidence of 128 and are preparing to speak to learners directly.  

There are around 20 learners who have not responded to our outreach. We are contacting learners via email and phone using the information provided to us when the form was submitted.  If you submitted the form indicating you have evidence of assessment, and have not spoken to our External Quality Assessors, please check your email.  

We now believe that all learners should have access to their online portfolio. We will be in touch via email with learners who indicated that they do not have access to their portfolio when they originally submitted the form to explain how they can share this newly available assessment information with us.  

We are still working with the administrators to gain access to Options Skills central assessment records. Once we have been able to review all the evidence available to us, we’ll come back to learners directly to advise you in terms of next steps. We are bringing in additional resource to support this process to ensure this is done in a timely and compliant manner. 

We will provide another update on Tuesday 30 April.

Update on EAL's work to support Options Skills Ltd learners 17/04/2024

EAL is fully committed to supporting learners to understand their position in their program so they can make informed decisions about their next steps.  We are working with regulators and administrators to gain access to the assessment information we need to do this.  

We have been in regular contact with the administrators since they have been formally appointed. We believe that all learners should now have online access to their portfolios and that EAL will gain access to this system within days. Following that, we will contact each learner directly to evaluate their evidence of assessment and achievement, to understand what they have completed and what is left to complete in their qualification. If you have just gained access to your assessment information, please do not contact us to share your assessment information, we will contact you.  

We are investing in additional support from expert External Quality Assessors to expedite the evaluation process without compromising on quality, as we understand that continued uncertainty has a significant emotional impact. We appreciate your patience as we work through a very complicated situation. We will provide another update on Tuesday 23 April.  

What is EAL’s role in this situation? What are you doing to support learners? 

As an awarding organisation, EAL creates, develops and administers technical vocational qualifications for engineering and building services engineering which approved colleges and training providers deliver. We are responsible for ensuring that they meet the standards and requirements of the UK education framework, are delivered consistently across providers and recognised nationally. 

We set the exams, tests and assessments that individual learners take to achieve the qualification and oversee the certification process. As one of the awarding organisations Options Skills registered its learners with, our role is to assess and evaluate the evidence of assessment for each learner registered for our qualifications.  EAL is not a training provider and therefore is not responsible for the delivery of courses, learning or training. 

We are actively supporting learners by evaluating evidence of their assessment and achievement. This work is being carried out by our team of expert External Quality Assurers. This process will provide each learner with a clear understanding of what they have completed and what is left to complete so they can make informed decisions about their next steps. 

We understand the importance of being able to offer that support quickly without compromising on quality.  Therefore, we will bring in additional resources from our bank of qualified associates to allow us to carry out this complex important work as quickly as possible. 

How do I access support from EAL? I’m not sure which awarding organisation I was registered with by Options Skills. 

Please complete the form provided by EAL if you haven’t done so already. You will receive a response confirming if you are registered with EAL. Learners who are not registered with EAL will be signposted to other awarding organisations which have Options Skills as an approved centre. 

I have submitted the form. When will I get an update? 

If you have submitted the form and indicated that you have access to your portfolio, we will be in touch directly to evaluate it. This process is underway, and we expect it will continue for another few weeks. You will receive a text from our team to arrange a phone call.    

If you submitted the form and indicated that you do not have access to your portfolio, we are actively pursuing the administrators to request urgent access to your assessment records. This will allow us to review your learning progress and assessment progress and recommend potential options for support from either EAL and/or others where appropriate.  We plan to bring in additional resources to help us expedite these evaluations without impacting quality. 

How do I claim back the money I paid to Options Skills? 

Options Skills have appointed Insolvency Practitioners Begbies Traynor Group. They can be contacted at [email protected]. Begbies Traynor Group are responsible for all enquiries related to creditors of Options Skills and managing the liquidation process. They will be able to provide suitable advice and guidance in relation to the money that you have paid for your course.  

Will I be charged further fees to complete my qualification if I go to another EAL Awards approved centre? 

We are unable to advise you on what a training provider will charge you for their courses – you will need to consult with them on what your needs are and the choices open to you.  

EAL will not make any charge to transfer your registration (which also includes certification once you have successfully completed your course) from Options Skills to another EAL approved centre, as long as you make them aware that you are a learner from Options Skills. 

What are EAL’s registration and certification fees? 

Centres such as Options Skills pay EAL a registration and certification fee for each candidate completing an EAL Qualification – fees for registration and certification vary and are dependent on whether it is for a unit or full qualification. Some examples: 

A full qualification such as the EAL Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Installing Electrotechnical Systems and Equipment (Building, Structures and the Environment) 501/1605/8 is £184 per candidate. Individual units like EAL Level 3 Award in the Installation of Small Scale Solar Photovoltaic Systems 600/5175/9A is £61.00 or EAL L3 Aw Elec Ins BS 7671 (2018) 2022 603/3298/0B is £41.00. Our price list for registration and certification fees of EAL Qualifications is available on our website.

I have completed some of my assessments and exams towards my qualification, will I need to start again? 

If you have completed an exam with us, we will be able to provide a unit credit for that exam, as long as there are no other related internal assessment components for that unit that have not been completed and assessed.  

For other kinds of assessment, we need to access your portfolio to evaluate the evidence of learning completed. If you have access to your portfolio and have completed the form, we will be in touch to do this. If you do not have access to your portfolio, we are actively pursuing access to Options Skills central assessment records with the Administrators.  Once we are able to gain access to these records via the Administrators, we will get in contact with you to update you on our findings in relation to your record.  

My ECS card is due to expire, and this situation is preventing me from renewing it. What can I do? 

Please contact ECS Administration [email protected] with details of your current situation with Options Skills, and provide the following information: Name, National Insurance Number, Home Address and ECS Card Number. 

What qualifications did Options Skills register with EAL? And how are they assessed? 

These are the qualifications we had registered by Options Skills: 

Qualification number	Qualification title
610/2091/6	Level 3 Award in the Design, Installation and Commissioning of Electrical Energy Storage Systems
603/3929/9	Level 3 Award in Requirements of the Installation of Electric Vehicle Charging Points
603/2625/6	Level 3 Award in Electrical Installation, Inspection, Testing, Certification and Reporting
603/3298/0	Level 3 Award in the Requirements for Electrical Installations BS7671
501/1752/X	Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Plumbing & Heating
600/5175/9	Level 3 Award in the Installation of Small Scale Photovoltaic Systems
600/6726/3	Level 2 Diploma in Plumbing & Heating
501/1605/8	Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Installing Electrotechnical Systems and Equipment (Building, Structures and the Environment)
603/5982/1	Level 3 Electrotechnical Experienced Worker Qualification

What process does EAL go through to approve a centre? 

The process that EAL undergoes to recognise a centre involves a thorough evaluation to determine if the centre can uphold the expected standards of assessment of EAL qualifications.  Once EAL is satisfied that a centre has the resources and appropriate assessment arrangements in place, the centre can be approved to offer various qualifications provided by EAL. The relationship between EAL and approved centres includes ongoing monitoring to uphold and ensure the maintenance of quality standards.   

The application process includes extensive vetting with external quality assurers to confirm that a centre is able to maintain the standards expected, and handle the volume of learners they plan to enrol. This includes reviewing the centre’s policies and processes, and the knowledge, skills and experience of its staff. We also check information available from public bodies including Ofsted and the Education and Skills Funding Agency, to understand more about the applicant centre’s ability to deliver our qualifications, and its capacity to deliver to the expected learner volumes.  

Although the process includes financial due diligence including checks with Companies House, EAL like other awarding organisations can only access publicly available information. Awarding organisations do not have the power to access the private information needed to audit the long-term financial stability of a centre's business model as part of the application process. 

Would you allow the directors of Options Skills Ltd to re-apply to become an EAL approved centre with a different business? 

We are aware of a newly formed company called Options Trade Skills Ltd. Following the Options Skills Ltd liquidation, we would not accept an application from Options Trade Skills Ltd to be recognised as an EAL approved centre.