Apprenticeship Behaviour Verification Guidance: What Employers Need to Know in 2026

The UK apprenticeship landscape continues to evolve.

In July 2026, Skills England published new guidance that places responsibility for verifying apprenticeship behaviours directly with employers. This change is designed to simplify assessment processes, reduce duplication, and ensure that behavioural development is assessed in real workplace environments rather than through additional layers of external assessment.

Employers must complete the checklist to confirm that the apprentice has consistently demonstrated the required behaviours over time and has met the necessary behaviour requirements for gateway to completion.

Behaviours Verification Checklist

For employers, training providers, and apprentices, understanding these changes is essential. In this blog, we explain what Apprenticeship Behaviour Verification means, what has changed, and how organisations can implement the guidance effectively while supporting learner development.

What Is Apprenticeship Behaviour Verification?

Apprenticeship Behaviour Verification is the process by which employers confirm that an apprentice has consistently demonstrated the behaviours required within their occupational standard. These behaviours form one of the core components of every apprenticeship standard alongside knowledge and skills.

According to Skills England, employers are best placed to make these judgements because they observe apprentices over time within authentic workplace settings. The new guidance focuses on capturing naturally occurring examples of behaviour rather than creating extensive portfolios, paperwork, or additional assessment activities.

Why Has Apprenticeship Behaviour Verification Changed?

The changes stem from the Department for Education's 2024 review of apprenticeship assessment, which found that while apprenticeships deliver strong outcomes, assessment processes could be unnecessarily complex and burdensome for employers and learners. This led to the introduction of the Apprenticeship Assessment Principles (2025), designed to simplify assessment arrangements and remove unnecessary duplication.

The new approach:

• Reduces administrative burden.

• Removes duplicated assessment activity.

• Gives employers greater ownership of behavioural development.

• Aligns assessment more closely with real workplace performance.

• Supports a more streamlined apprenticeship experience.

What Are Employers Responsible for Under the New Guidance?

Under the updated guidance, employers now hold primary responsibility for confirming that apprentices have demonstrated the required behaviours within their occupational standard.

Importantly, employers are not expected to create new systems or extensive evidence requirements. Instead, behaviour verification should be embedded within existing processes such as:

• Regular supervision meetings.

• Performance reviews.

• Induction discussions.

• Workplace observations.

• One-to-one conversations.

• Ongoing feedback sessions.

This means many employers may already have the necessary processes in place and simply need to formalise how behavioural development is recorded.

How Employers Can Effectively Verify Apprenticeship Behaviours

A practical and proportionate approach is key: employers should focus on observing behaviours across a range of workplace situations and over an extended period. Rather than relying on a single example, the guidance encourages organisations to consider whether behaviours have been demonstrated consistently throughout the apprenticeship.

Examples of useful evidence may include:

• Manager observations.

• Feedback from colleagues.

• Performance review notes.

• Records of workplace achievements.

• Reflective discussions.

• Contributions to projects and team activities.

The emphasis remains on naturally occurring workplace activities rather than creating additional assessment tasks.

What This Means for Training Providers and End-Point Assessment Organisations

While employers take responsibility for behaviour verification, training providers continue to play an important role in supporting learner development.

Providers can help employers by:

• Explaining behavioural requirements within occupational standards.

• Supporting supervisors and managers to understand expectations.

• Embedding behavioural discussions into progress reviews.

• Guiding effective record-keeping.

• Encouraging reflective practice among apprentices.

This collaborative approach helps ensure apprentices receive consistent support while maintaining the employer-led focus intended by the reforms.

Benefits of Employer-Led Apprenticeship Behaviour Verification

Organisations that embrace the new approach may benefit from:

• Reduced administrative workload.

• Greater involvement in apprentice development.

• More authentic workplace assessment.

• Improved integration with performance management processes.

• Stronger employer ownership of apprenticeship outcomes.

For apprentices, this means behaviours are assessed within their everyday role rather than through additional verification processes.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is apprenticeship behaviour verification?

Apprenticeship behaviour verification is the process by which employers confirm that an apprentice has consistently demonstrated the behaviours outlined in their occupational standard.

Who is responsible for verifying apprenticeship behaviours?

Employers now hold primary responsibility for verifying apprenticeship behaviours under the updated Skills England guidance.

Do employers need to create additional paperwork?

No. The guidance specifically states that employers should use existing processes such as supervision, feedback, reviews, and workplace observations rather than introducing significant additional administration.

Are behaviours still required within apprenticeship standards?

Yes. Behaviours remain a mandatory part of every occupational standard and must still be confirmed before apprenticeship completion.

What types of evidence can employers use?

Employers can use naturally occurring workplace evidence, including observations, feedback discussions, review records, workplace achievements, and regular performance conversations.

How can training providers support employers?

Training providers can help employers understand behaviour requirements, support progress reviews, provide guidance on record-keeping, and encourage behavioural development throughout the apprenticeship journey.

How does this change benefit employers?

The changes reduce duplication, simplify assessment processes, and give employers greater ownership of apprenticeship outcomes while maintaining the importance of workplace behaviours.

Preparing for the Future of Apprenticeship Assessment

The new Apprenticeship Behaviour Verification Guidance marks an important shift towards a more employer-led approach to apprenticeship assessment. By embedding behaviour verification into existing workplace practices, employers can support apprentice development while reducing unnecessary administrative burden.

For organisations delivering apprenticeships, now is the ideal time to review existing supervision, appraisal, and development processes to ensure behavioural progress is being consistently observed and recorded.

At NQual, we welcome approaches that promote accountability, collaboration, trust, and continuous improvement in apprenticeship delivery. By working together, employers, training providers, and apprentices can ensure that workplace behaviours remain a meaningful and valuable part of professional development.