Home - Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education

What is an occupational standard?

Welcome to the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.

Known as IfATE, we work with employers to shape skills training in England, for the future of the workforce. IfATE was created in 2017 as an arm’s length body of the Department for Education (DfE).

Thousands of employers help us to create and maintain over 600 occupational standards. These sit at the heart of the English skills system.

By working with us, employers can shape apprenticeships, T Levels and higher technical qualifications.

This helps to keep them up-to-date and valuable for learners.

One way to see the skills system as a whole is to visit our occupational maps, which show how everything fits together.

Shaping skills training.

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