As colleagues and students start a new term, and new academic yearUVAC’s 2026–27 CPD Programme gets underway this week.

 It offers colleagues from across UVAC member organisations a programme of practical and interactive CPD sessions as the skills and apprenticeship landscape continues to see major changes.

The programme runs throughout the academic year and covers key developments across apprenticeships, skills, quality and policy, with a focus on the practical implications for providers and their teams. Sessions will explore issues including assessment reform, preparing for inspection, funding-rule changes, curriculum redesign and the development of new Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) and Apprenticeship Unit offers.

Open to all staff from UVAC member institutions, the programme brings together sector experts, policy makers, Ofsted representatives and fellow members, providing opportunities to share experience, explore emerging developments and consider practical approaches to implementation.

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Coming up in September

Policy Watch – Implementing EPA Reform Policies

Thursday 3rd September 2026 | 9:30 – 11:30

This practical policy session is for apprenticeship leaders, curriculum leaders and will explore how to respond effectively to apprenticeship assessment and EPA reform. We will consider the changing balance between on-programme and end-point assessment, the implications for provider and employer responsibilities and the decisions needed during implementation. We will review curriculum, staffing, systems, quality assurance and communications so that assessment remains valid, manageable and compliant while supporting a positive apprentice experience and strong achievement. Register

Ofsted Member Experiences – Autumn

Thursday 10th September 2026 | 9:30 – 11:00

This practical member experience session is for apprenticeship leaders and curriculum teams to share learning from recent Ofsted inspections during the autumn period. Members will describe their inspection process, the evidence and activities that mattered most and how inspectors explored curriculum, teaching, leadership, inclusion and outcomes. We will consider the emerging themes across inspections, identify the challenging or unexpected elements and explain the practical steps members can take to improve their own assessment readiness, prepare staff and demonstrate the quality and impact of their apprenticeship provision Register

Creating the Self Assessment Report & QIP Workshop

Tuesday 15th September 2026 | 9:30 – 11:30

This practical workshop is for apprenticeship and curriculum staff tasked with the creation or updating of a Self Assessment Report and Quality Improvement Plan against the updated Ofsted framework. This is an interactive session for participants at curriculum or institution level, where we will explore the most useful sources of evidence and how to use this to make evidence-based judgements, distinguish description from evaluation and identify the most important strengths and areas for improvement. We will explore how to write clear improvement priorities, set measurable actions, allocate ownership and monitor impact, so that the SAR and QIP become useful management tools as well as credible evidence for governance and inspection. Register

Policy Watch – Implementing Young People Policies

Thursday 17th September 2026 | 9:30 – 11:30

This practical policy session for apprenticeship leaders and curriculum teams will explore how emerging policies for young people may affect apprenticeship recruitment, participation and progression. We will hear from policy makers and consider the changing expectations on providers and employers, the needs of different groups of young people and the links between apprenticeships, other skills pathways and employment support. We will consider ‘ll look at how to translate policy into an effective local offer, build stronger referral and progression routes, and identify the practical actions your organisation should take. Register

To discover more  and register for sessions visit  UVAC website event page