Post-Apprenticeship Recognition Scheme (PARS)
PARS is a brand new awards scheme for those who have completed an apprenticeship in the UK.
It’s brought to you by the Association of Apprentices and the Chartered Institution for Further Education to recognise the unique educational route offered by apprenticeships.
For the first time, completed apprentices will be able to use post-nominals letters.
Applications are now open!
Certificate of Standard Apprenticeship
Level 2 (Eng / NI / Wales)
Level 5 (Scot)
Fee = £40
Certificate of Advanced Apprenticeship
Level 3 (Eng / NI / Wales)
Level 6 (Scot)
Fee = £58
Certificate of Higher Apprenticeship
Levels 4 & 5 (Eng / NI / Wales)
Levels 7 & 8 (Scot)
Fee = £64
Certificate of Graduate Apprenticeship
Levels 6 & 7 (Eng / NI / Wales)
Levels 9-12 (Scot)
Fee = £75
The fee is a single payment with no need for renewal
Updated Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must:
- have completed an apprenticeship in the UK on or after 1 January 2019
- be in possession of their official apprenticeship completion certificate – they cannot apply unless they have received this certificate
- have the support of their employer or an industry-linked sponsor
Application Process
The application process is really quick and straightforward. You will just need to complete some basic personal information, answer some general questions about your apprenticeship experience, and (for some levels) provide further information based on your personal reflections on your apprenticeship journey. Please see an overview of the information asked here:
All levels
Personal details (name, DOB, contact details, employer, training provider and apprenticeship details)
All levels
General questions describing skills and additional experiences
From Level 3 (Eng/NI/Wales) Level 6 (Scot)
Tell us briefly about the benefits of achieving your apprenticeship (up to 250 words)
From Level 4 (Eng/NI/Wales) Level 7 (Scot)
Two free text boxes (up to 250 words each):
- Briefly describe how you are continuing your professional development, any training, learning & development you have undertaken, and any future plans.
- How do you think your apprenticeship will help you to progress and contribute to your organisation, industry and/or wider community?
Case Studies
Learn more about some of our first PARS recipients, why they decided to apply and what the learned in the process
The Importance of Professional Recognition
Research conducted with apprentices and employers suggested strong support for a professional recognition scheme. Award of post nominal designations may elevate the cachet of both the recipient and the apprenticeship route and maintains a continual link to the apprenticeship. Apprentices and employers alike believe that a scheme will:
- support increased retention, normalise full completion and help to improve achievement rates
- contribute to raising parity of esteem
- build awareness of the skills, behaviours and impact that qualified apprentices offer to businesses
What this scheme is, and what it is not:
PARS is:
- a one-off recognition of an apprentice’s achievement at a specific point in time
- recognition of the unique mode of learning and working that is an apprenticeship
- recognition for a qualified apprentice, their summative achievement and the impact that they have made as a result on their organisation and/or community.
- complementary to industry specific or occupational professional recognition
PARS is not:
- an accreditation with membership of a professional body
- an accreditation ladder where one level leads to another
- a qualification in its own right
- an assessment of competence
- a further validation of technical or occupational competency
General
PARS is a brand new, first of its kind, professional recognition scheme for qualified apprentices. It has been created by the Association of Apprentices (AoA) and the Chartered Institution for Further Education (CIFE).
PARS recognises the unique educational route that is an apprenticeship and rewards those who complete their programme for the skills they have gained and their commitment to continuous development and professional standards. Recipients will receive a certificate and the right to use a post-nominal designation (letters after their name).
No. PARS is not an accreditation with membership of a professional body, a qualification in its own right or an assessment of competence. It is a one-off recognition of an apprentice’s achievement at a specific point in time and is complementary to academic, industry-specific or occupational professional recognition.
Applicants must:
- Have completed an apprenticeship in the UK (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales) on or after 1 January 2019
- Be in possession of their full apprenticeship completion certificate from the relevant certifying authority for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales
- Have the support from their employer or industry-linked sponsor
| Apprenticeship Level | Award Name | Post-nominal designation |
| Level 2 (Eng/NI/Wales) Level 5 (Scot) |
Certificate of Standard Apprenticeship | CSA |
| Level 3 (Eng/NI/Wales) Level 6 (Scot) |
Certificate of Advanced Apprenticeship | CAA |
| Levels 4 & 5 (Eng/NI/Wales) Level 7 & 8 (Scot) |
Certificate of Higher Apprenticeship | CHA |
| Level 6-8 (Eng/NI/Wales) Level 9-12 (Scot) |
Certificate of Graduate Apprenticeship | CGA |
| Level | Award Name | Fee |
| Level 2 (Eng / NI / Wales) Level 5 (Scot) | Certificate of Standard Apprenticeship (CSA) | £40 |
| Level 3 (Eng / NI / Wales) Level 6 (Scot) | Certificate of Advanced Apprenticeship (CAA) | £58 |
| Levels 4 & 5 (Eng / NI / Wales) Levels 7 & 8 (Scot) | Certificate of Higher Apprenticeship (CHA) | £64 |
| Levels 6-8 (Eng / NI / Wales) Levels 9-12 (Scot) | Certificate of Graduate Apprenticeship (CGA) | £75 |
Fees have been set based on the size and scope of application at each level. AoA and CIFE are not-for-profit organisations and committed to keeping costs to a minimum. Fees will be reviewed every six months to ensure they remain as low as possible.
Successful applicants will receive a digital certificate by email and a hardcopy certificate in the post. You will then have the right to use the relevant post-nominal designation for the level of award achieved.
- Gain Recognition for the skills you have gained during your apprenticeship and validate your achievements. Your award and post-nominals serve as a valuable signpost for both you and those you work with.
- Get Professional Validation: your PARS post-nominals demonstrate your commitment to professional standards, showcase your transferable skills and credentials and strengthen your reputation, increasing your professional identity and enhancing your credibility with stakeholders.
- Boost Your Career Advancement: having PARS post-nominals distinguishes you in your field and more widely. It demonstrates your commitment to continuous development, enhancing your employability and making you stand out to your employer or potential employers, opening doors for career progression.
- Access Networking Opportunities: PARS gives you lifetime membership of the Association of Apprentices, connecting you to a community of like-minded professionals who have completed their apprenticeships. You can attend networking events and access online platforms to share experiences, continue your learning and build valuable contacts.
- Contribute to Apprenticeships: PARS provides a tangible example of how apprenticeships benefit individuals and employers. Your accomplishments can help new and existing apprentices aspire to achieve their apprenticeship and helps employers to understand the assets apprentices are to their business.
The application gives you an opportunity to tell us about the experiences, achievements and skills that have resulted from your apprenticeship. It is the critical part of your PARS application. Where there are free text questions it means that we want to hear and understand more from you in your own words.
Our judges are seeking answers which are honest, authentic and truly reflective of your impact and experiences as an apprentice, but there are no right or wrong answers. They consider applications very carefully. If an applicant provides all the information requested and answers the questions appropriately, then they will pass. If insufficient information has been provided, then the applicant will be contacted to request they update their application form.
The Association of Apprentices (AoA) is a social enterprise dedicated to empowering the UK’s talented apprentice community. As the leading apprenticeship membership organisation, we go beyond traditional support systems, offering a unique blend of professional development and social connectivity.
Our innovative platforms provide apprentices with unparalleled access to:
- Networking opportunities that foster lifelong professional relationships
- Cutting-edge career development tools for continuous growth
- A sense of community that strengthens the apprentice voice across industries
The Chartered Institution for Further Education (CIFE) is the only Royal Chartered body for technical and professional further education. It was established by Royal Charter to highlight and promote the excellence of further education and skills training providers and celebrate individual contribution to the advancement of vocational, technical and professional education in England.
Membership is corporate and encompasses organisations across the whole Further Education sector and includes colleges, higher education institutions (HEIs) and independent training providers (ITPs). Members must have strong track records and a commitment to high standards in the delivery of skills needed in modern Britain, a firm ethos of collaboration for the benefit of their key stakeholders and excellence in leadership and governance.
The CIFE works alongside industry to influence and shape the national skills system in order to ensure that technical and professional education is understood as a critical driver of economic development and growth within local communities and the country at large. This work enables the CIFE increasingly to engage at the highest levels of government and to collaborate and share best practice.
Application Process
You can apply via our online platform from Monday 8 July. The application form has been designed to be as straight forward as possible. Those who have completed a L2 or L3 (Eng/NI/Wales) or a L5 or L6 (Scot) apprenticeship will have fewer questions to answer than those at higher levels.
You will need to upload a digital copy of your apprenticeship certificate as part of the application process, and will not be able to submit your application without it.
Although individual applicants vary in how long they spend on the application form, most take under an hour. The form is shorter for Level 2 and Level 3 applicants, so it will probably take up to 30 minutes to complete.
Yes, once you’ve registered your account on the first screen, your application form will auto-save, so you can exit the form and come back to it later.
You can use AI tools to get you started or to help finesse the wording you are using. However, the PARS application form requires you to reflect on your apprenticeship and provide personal examples. PARS is not a test of how well you write or providing a perceived ‘correct answer’ to a question – it needs to come from you and your personal experience of your apprenticeship. If a judge suspects that answers to questions have been generated by AI, they may request the applicant to provide additional information or to re-write the queried response.
You will need to upload the official apprenticeship completion certificate sent to you by the relevant issuing authority for your UK nation.
England: Apprenticeships are certificated by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IFATE). Degree apprenticeships (at level 6 and upwards) certificates may be issued on behalf of IFATE by the degree awarding university but it must clearly state that the apprenticeship has been completed. See an example image here.
Northern Ireland: Apprenticeships are certificated by ApprenticeshipsNI and also show the branding of the Department for the Economy. Degree apprenticeships (at level 6 and upwards) may receive a combined certificate issued by the degree awarding university but it must clearly state that the apprenticeship has been completed. See an example image here.
Scotland: Apprenticeships are certificated by the Federation for Industry Sector Skills & Standards on behalf of Modern Apprenticeships Scotland. The certificate will also display the brands of Skills Development Scotland, the SAAB (Scottish Apprenticeships Advisory Board) and the SCQF in the footer. Degree apprenticeships (at level 9 and upwards) may receive a combined certificate issued by the degree awarding university but it must clearly state that the apprenticeship has been completed. See an example image here.
Wales: Apprenticeships are certificated by the Federation for Industry Sector Skills & Standards on behalf of the Welsh Government and will display the Apprenticeships & Prentisiaethau branding. Degree apprenticeships (at level 6 and upwards) may receive a combined certificate issued by the degree awarding university but it must clearly state that the apprenticeship has been completed. See an example image here.
Your official apprenticeship completion certificate from the relevant issuing authority is the official evidence that you have gained the apprenticeship, and it is required as part of the PARS application process.
If you only recently completed your apprenticeship then your certificate may be on its way to you. If you believe you should already have your completion certificate but haven’t received it, ask your training provider to help you.
Unfortunately, AoA and CIFE are unable to assist individuals in gaining their completion certificates.
If you have completed more than one apprenticeship then you should apply for the award related to the highest level that you have achieved, so you would only have one set of letters after your name. If you gain one PARS award, and then a few years later gain another one at a higher level, then that post-nominal would replace the one at the lower level.
If you aren’t sure which nation your apprenticeship is from and therefore which award level you’re applying for, you will need to check your completion certificate. Once you know which issuing authority created your certificate you will know which award level you are applying for.
We ask you to provide the name and contact details for someone we can contact in the rare event we need to carry out additional checks of information provided in your application. The supporter should be a professional or person in authority such as your manager, the apprenticeship lead at your workplace, your training provider or another industry-linked person.
You’ll need to provide their name, role and contact details, so you will need their permission to share this data with us. They won’t have to provide any information or statements for the application process itself.
We aim to respond to all applicants within 6 weeks of submitting their application form.