5 Top Tips for creating a portfolio.

2 June 2023

In this blog, Philip Holmes, AIM EPA Assessor, talks through his tips for creating an amazing portfolio ready for end-point assessment.

My role is to assess an apprentice's competence and knowledge against the industry specific standards through the review of portfolios/projects and face-face competency-based assessments. 

However, it's worth noting that, not all standards require portfolios and not all portfolios are assessed as part of the end-point assessment so it's worth checking the requirements of your particular standard.

Here are my top five tips for producing a portfolio:

1. The portfolio should reflect the work the apprentice undertakes for the employer. Make sure that you include all relevant information to support the understanding of the role and the ways in which the apprentice produces work for the employer.
    
2. Make the portfolio interesting. Use relevant images and graphics to demonstrate the apprentices skills. Remember that the assessor does not know the apprentice or the work that they undertake for their employer. Why not start with a page that clearly explains the apprentice's roles and duties. Try to include images to support this. 
    
3. Include relevant evidence from the apprentice's training. This should confirm the evidence that they have produced that did not naturally occur in their workplace. Think about the skills and understanding the apprentice has gained during their training. This might seem irrelevant at the time but could be really useful when they are being questioned. 
    
4. Make the portfolio accessible – use folders that are named appropriately using the KSB’s with some detail of the content. This will be helpful when referring to the apprentice's work during their assessment. 
    
5. The portfolio is an insight into the apprentice's skills. Make sure that this is fully reflected in the portfolio. 

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