Design, manufacture and assembly of the components required in a pipe organ.
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This occupation is found in the cultural, religious, educational, craft/musical instrument making sectors and within entertainment/public venues and domestic settings. Employers vary from micro businesses to SMEs that will often be engaged in contract work, either directly with the customer or with others throughout the trade or sector.
The broad purpose of the occupation is to use skills and labour for the bespoke fabrication and/or restoration of pipe organs and/or their constituent components. This includes tuning of pipe organs, re-leathering of bellows, restoring soundboards, working from CAD drawings, polishing, staining and finishing timber, working with hand tools and woodworking machinery, voicing of pipes, cleaning of pipework and working with electrical systems. Employees in this occupation will work both on-site and in workshops to complete their tasks. Occasionally they may need to work at heights and are sometimes required to work flexibly to accommodate public events on-site where the work is taking place.
In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with other organ builders, reporting to a senior organ builder or the principal builder. They will work closely with the staff members of the organisations they are contracted by e.g. members of the church.
An employee in this occupation will be responsible for the design, manufacture and assembly of the components required in a pipe organ; in putting organ pipes onto speech and tuning them; and in the repair, maintenance and tuning of existing organs. They will be using materials such as wood, leather, tin and lead, and will be primarily working either in a workshop or on site.
Employees will be supervised in the workshop and on-site, working to drawings provided by the principal builder. Employees would also be expected to perform tuning and maintenance tasks unsupervised.
Organ Builders will be responsible for maintaining their tools and machinery and acting where required to maximise the efficiency of their tools/machinery.
When carrying out restoration or conservation activities, employees must be mindful that materials and techniques used are appropriate to the age and historical context of the instrument.
This summary page outlines the information that you and your employer need to know about your end-point assessment (EPA). You and your employer should also read the end-point assessment plan for the full details including roles and responsibilities, assessment method requirements and re-sits and re-takes.
An EPA is an assessment at the end of the apprenticeship. It assesses your competence against the knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) on the occupational standard. You will have been trained on them during your training, both on and off the job. The EPA is your chance to show an independent assessor you can do the occupation you have been trained for. Your employer will only recommend you start the EPA when you have finished your training and both your employer and you think you are ready. Your employer will choose an end-point assessment organisation (EPAO) to deliver the EPA. Your employer and training provider should provide you with support on what to expect and how to prepare for your EPA.
The typical length of the on-programme (training) part of this apprenticeship is 36 months. The end-point assessment period will typically last 4 months.
The grades available for this apprenticeship are:
Final project (portative organ) with questioning
Practical assessment with questioning
Professional discussion underpinned by a portfolio of evidence
At the end of the apprenticeship, and having passed the EPA, you will be awarded with your apprenticeship certificate.
The gateway is the point when all on-programme training and any mandatory qualification requirements have been met. When you have completed your training and your employer says you are competent in your occupation, you enter the gateway. The EPAO will check any mandatory qualifications are complete. They will tell you how to submit any necessary documents (for example, a portfolio). After the EPAO confirms that you have met all the requirements, the EPA starts.
When you reach the gateway, you need to complete the following:
Have passed English and maths at level 2.
1For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement, the apprenticeship’s English and mathematics minimum requirement is Entry Level 3. British Sign Language (BSL) qualifications are an alternative to English qualifications for those who have BSL as their primary language.
Apprentices should ensure that they have considered the set brief and that the materials for the final project (keys and pipes) are prepared.
For the final project (portative organ) with questioning you must submit: confirmation that they have met the pre prepared material
Portfolio of evidence requirements: Apprentices must compile a portfolio of evidence during the on-programme period of the apprenticeship. It should contain evidence related to the KSBs that will be assessed by this assessment method. The portfolio of evidence will typically contain 15 discrete pieces of evidence (one piece of evidence per duty). Evidence should be mapped against the KSBs. Evidence may be used to demonstrate more than one KSB; a qualitative as opposed to quantitative approach is suggested. Evidence sources may include: This is not a definitive list; other evidence sources can be included. The portfolio should not include reflective accounts or any methods of self-assessment. Any employer contributions should focus on direct observation of performance (for example witness statements) rather than opinions. The evidence provided should be valid and attributable to the apprentice; the portfolio of evidence should contain a statement from the employer and apprentice confirming this. The EPAO should not assess the portfolio of evidence directly as it underpins the discussion. Independent assessors should review the portfolio of evidence to prepare questions for the discussion assessment method. They are not required to provide feedback after this review.
For the professional discussion underpinned by a portfolio of evidence you must submit: portfolio of evidence
Project with a project output You will be asked to complete a product. The EPAO will advise you of suggested project titles and the detailed specification.
As a part of the project, you need to create a product. The minimum requirements of the project are:
Construction of an organ case, soundboard, actions and bellows Construction and racking in of pre-constructed pipework Tuning and regulation of pipework Finishing application i.e., polishing of case Wooden and metal pipe making Hand tool skills.
You will have 4 weeks to complete the project and submit the output to the EPAO.
Practical assessment: you will be observed by the independent assessor completing a task or set of tasks that they give you. These tasks will be similar to your normal work. All equipment and information will be provided, and you will be told where this will take place. The practical assessment will last 1. You will be asked a minimum of 4 questions by the independent assessor about the task(s). You will get at least 3 weeks notice of practical assessment.
Discussion: you will meet with the independent assessor in a quiet place that is free from distractions and be asked questions. The professional discussion will last 60 and the independent assessor will ask a minimum of 10 questions to find out how well you can do your job. You need to compile a portfolio of evidence during the apprenticeship. Your training provider and employer should discuss this with you. You can use your portfolio of evidence to help you answer questions in the .This method may take place remotely, though the EPAO will confirm the details. You will be given at least 3 weeks notice of the professional discussion.
If you have a query that relates to your job, then please speak to your employer. You should speak to your training provider if you have any other questions about the apprenticeship including the end-point assessment. You should get detailed support from the EPAO before the EPA begins. Your employer and training provide should talk to you when they think you are ready to take the EPA. The EPA is for you to show how good you are at your job. You should speak to your training provider about what to expect in the EPA and how to prepare. You should speak to the EPAO if your EPA has already started, and you have a query.
If you have a disability, a physical or mental health condition or other special considerations, you may be able to have a reasonable adjustment that takes this into account. You should speak to your employer, training provider and EPAO and ask them what support you can get. The EPAO will decide if an adjustment is appropriate.
This apprenticeship aligns with Institute of British Organ Building (IBO) for Corporate (unaccredited or accredited) and Personal (employees of corporates). The experience gained and responsibility held by the apprentice on completion of the apprenticeship will either wholly or partially satisfy the requirements for registration at this level.
Please contact the relevant professional body for more details.