Meet the iCQ team: Neil Heys 

Tell us a bit about your role – what do you do and who do you work with?

I have a few roles with iCQ awards – I support centres as an account manager, I am an External Quality Assurer (EQA) and work as one of the lead Internal Quality Assurers (IQAs) for End-Point Assessments.

Working as EQA and account manager I support centres with things ranging from use of our iLearner platform, to assessments and quality assurance. As a lead IQA I support assessors who are working with apprentices working towards End-Point Assessment for several of the apprenticeship standards we support.

Tell us a bit about you – when did you start with iCQ Awards, what was your previous experience?

I started working with iCQ Awards in 2012 as EQA and account manager, and then in 2018 took on the lead IQA role when apprenticeship frameworks were replaced by apprenticeship standards.

I have worked in the education sector for the last 25 years. Part of my goal in the sector has been to make the apprentice/learner journey a positive experience. But I started my career working in hospitality both front and back of house, and used that experience to springboard into becoming an assessor, then IQA, and then EQA. This progression has helped me understand from the ground up what’s expected when developing staff, and is something I use every day to support iCQ centres and customers.

What do you like most about working in education/qualifications/the EPA sector?

I like the fact that the sector is everchanging, that there is always a new challenge to tackle and help people overcome. But the best part of the role for me is seeing an apprentice develop, achieve their goals and achieve their apprenticeship – it is deeply rewarding to be a part of that individual’s journey.

Tell us about a time or some of your experiences where you have seen the impact that qualifications or apprenticeships have made for individual learners?

There are so many times that I have seen an apprenticeship making a genuine difference to a young person. The more recent experiences I’ve had in the travel sector have been amazing examples of how apprentices are supporting other team members with management of online reviews, the use of social media, use of IT and AI – developing areas of business life in general.

When those apprentices have come to us for End-Point Assessment and talk about their experiences, it is clear to see how mentoring others has grown their confidence and made them feel a genuine part of the team.