MY CIPP
Spotlight on...
Gemma Mullis MCIPPdip, end point assessment manager, IPP Education Limited
Tell us a little about your career and background so far I started my career as an accounts assistant under a youth training scheme back in 2001, working my way round that department and other areas of the business. You could say I fell into payroll; however, the diversity in the role, working with people and solving problems made it easy to choose this as a career. I moved from operational payroll in 2017 and joined the CIPP as an advisory officer. This role enabled me to put my ‘hands on’ payroll skills to use in a new way – guiding and advising other payroll professionals in the day-to-day running of their departments. I then wanted to get more involved in payroll policy, so jumped at the chance when a position became available, moving into the role of policy and research officer. There, I grew my confidence and got to engage with other payroll industry professionals, members of government bodies and those starting careers in the profession I love. When the role of end point assessment specialist was advertised, it stirred excitement in me, knowing that I could use my payroll knowledge to assess those wanting a qualification in payroll. What are your priorities as end point assessment manager? The team’s main priorities are to ensure that apprentices within the profession are: l assessed fairly
l assessed to the apprenticeship Standards l supported through a highly stressful time. The end point assessment team at IPP wants every apprentice to feel they’ve achieved something great when they pass their assessments, something they should rightly be very proud of. Our assessments are appropriate to the level of study and incorporate real life situations an apprentice would be exposed to. A great experience for apprentices also sits highly on our list of priorities. What does your role mean to you? Everything! I adore my role – I get to work with some wonderful people, both internally and externally, but working with the apprentices at the end of their training and letting them know when they’ve been successful gives me great job satisfaction. While some apprentices have worked in the profession for a while, there are lots that are new: knowing that me and my team have helped them to gain a qualification is a great feeling. As IPP Education LTD is now an Ofqual-approved end point assessment organisation, could you tell us a little more about what this means and how this can benefit apprentices? Being Ofqual-approved is a huge achievement for any organisation. For us, it’s a sign that our assessments and
the processes we have in delivery and development meet that quality seal of approval. For apprentices, their employers and training providers, it means we’re regulated by Ofqual, so everything we do follows the guidance and conditions of Ofqual. We’d never purposely defer from this as getting recognition was no easy feat. There’s also assurance that our assessments, those that govern the assessments and those who conduct assessments are all payroll professionals, whether they’re still working in operational payroll or have great experience in developing and creating qualifications and assessments. How does the CIPP work with apprentices? The CIPP supports all apprentices studying payroll apprenticeship Levels 3 and 5 by offering free affiliate membership for the duration of their study. This support was offered and supported prior to IPP becoming an end point assessment organisation and is set to continue in the future. The CIPP will continue to promote and support payroll apprenticeships, as the organisation is dedicated to raising the profile of the profession, and education plays a fundamental role in this. n
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 88 | March 2023
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