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USER MANUAL

TRAINING CENTRES

APRIL 2014

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2CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION TO ACE 3

GETTING ACCESS TO ACE 4

1. LOGGING IN 5

1.1. System Checker Tool 6

2. OVERVIEW 7

3. ADMINISTRATION - HOW TO... 10

3.1. Add/Edit Users 10

3.2. Disable User Accounts 11

3.3. View/Amend Organisation Details 12

4. LINKING BODIES 13

4.1. Linking Certification Bodies 13

4.2. Individual Administration Certification Body Access 14

5. APPRENTICES - HOW TO... 15

5.1. Add A Single Apprentice 15

- Step 1 of 3 15

- Step 2 of 3 16

- Step 3 of 3 17

5.2. Bulk Upload Apprentices 18

5.3. Search For an Apprentice 19

5.4. Adding Evidence 20

5.5. Submit an Apprentice For Certification 21

5.6. Print/Exporting Apprentice Data 23

5.7. Manage Rejected Apprentices 24

5.8. Manage Apprentices Awaiting Certification 25

5.9. Checking Evidence & Changing The Status 25

5.10. View Pending Certification 26

5.11. View Certificate Approved 26

5.12. View Certificated Printed 26

6. ACE OPERATIONAL SUPPORT 27

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3INTRODUCTION TO ACE

FEDERATION FOR INDUSTRy SECTOR SkILLS AND STANDARDS (FEDERATION) AND THE ACE SySTEM

The Federation is the certifying authority for Apprenticeships in England and hosts Apprenticeship

Certificates England (ACE).

Working in partnership with the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES), the Federation shares

the belief that a sectoral approach is the best way to create the conditions for increased investment in skills

which will, in turn, drive enterprise, create jobs and deliver sustainable economic growth.

ACE is a web based system that is designed to enable access to training providers, employers and

apprentices to request Apprenticeship completion certificates.

The Federation sits in the middle of a hub and spoke model where SSC/SSBs use ACE to:

• Receive requests for certificates from learning providers, employers or apprentices.

• Review submitted requests and evidence provided and either approve or reject, with appropriate

reason/s and certification requests.

• Print and issue Apprenticeship Completion Certificates, providing that all of the current Apprenticeship

framework requirements have been met.

It is unlikely that many individual apprentices will be directly requesting their completion certificate via

ACE and they are more likely to do this via their training provider. However, the ACE system does facilitate

apprentices applying directly for their own completion certificates.

NB: Where an apprentice requests that a third party (training provider, employer or parent/

guardian) apply for their completion certificate, on their behalf, they MUST give their authorisation

for this to happen. There is a specific Apprentice Declaration and Authorisation Form for this purpose

can be found here: http://www.acecerts.co.uk/. A copy must be completed & signed, then uploaded to ACE.

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4GETTING ACCESS TO ACE

Providers (known as Centres) need to register to get access to ACE. This is done by completing an online registration request form which

can be accessed via: https://acecerts.co.uk/register_supercentre

Centres select all of the SSCs/SSBs (known as Certification Bodies) they need to work with and once the registration form is submitted,

the ACE access is then set up by the ACE team.

The ACE team complete your registration and create your centre login details, which are then sent to the email address provided on the

submitted centre registration form.

Certification bodies also assign Centres the necessary access to the required frameworks.

Centre Administrators can now access ACE and create additional user accounts within their organisation.

You can now use ACE to input learner data and load the evidence required to claim an Apprenticeship completion certificate.

The Federation is the Certifying Authority for Apprenticeships in England as set out in the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act (ASCL) enacted in November 2010. The network of SSCs/SSBs (Certification Bodies) act as nominated agents of the Federation to issue Apprenticeship completion certificates, on their behalf. Each certification body is authorised to issue Apprenticeship completion certificates for all the frameworks within their sectorial remit.

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*Please be aware that the Username and Password are both case sensitive.

Keep all passwords in a safe place and do not reveal them to anyone. ACE follows the history of each Apprentice by tracking login

details.

If additional user accounts need to be added then the Centre User will be able to set up

accounts for colleagues to access the system.

REMEMBER!

• Go to www.acecerts.co.uk

• Click on the Login Button, which will reveal a drop down for you to login �.

• Enter your Username and Password*

• Click the Login Button to enter �.

• Please refer to the System checker tool to identify your compatibility with the

ACE system �. Further guidance and

support information are displayed on the

following page (page 6) of this document.

• If you have forgotten your password please use

the re-set password facility under m.

1. LOGGING IN

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The following screen shows you technical

guidance to make sure your system meets

the ACE requirements.

- Green ticks are confirmation your

system is compatible j

- Red denotes incompatibility.

Should you have any problems logging in with your username and password, please contact your Body Administrator or the ACE Support Team:

Telephone: 0844 573 2560

E-mail: ace@fisss.org

1.1 SySTEM CHECkER TOOL

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72. OVERVIEW

Once logged in you will see the Certification Body dashboard.

This dashboard shows you the Certification Bodies that your ACE account is linked to.

In order to proceed, select the Certification Body by

clicking on the appropriate box. This will take you to the

Entered tab within ACE.

If you are within one Certification Body area on ACE you are able to swap by selecting the dashboard tab � at the bottom of every page. This will then allow you to return to the dashboard landing page and allow you to go to other Certification Bodies.

You can also return to the dashboard by selecting the

name of the CB in the top task bar.

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82. OVERVIEW

On the dashboard there is a reporting

functionality where you can access basic reports

for your centres activity on ACE.

These reports are some basic commonly

requested reports, if you would like a report that

is not available from this reports area you can

request bespoke reports from the Federation

by completing the report request form found

on the ACE homepage and email this to

reportrequests@fisss.org.

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Once you have selected the CB on the dashboard you will be directed to the Entered tab within ACE and see this image with the following options:

1. Entered – View, Add or Bulk Upload apprentices.

2. Rejected – View and update apprentices for certification.

3. Pending Certification – View apprentices awaiting certification.

4. Certificate Approved – View apprentices that are waiting for their certificate to be printed. Once they have been printed the apprentice will be removed from this folder.

5. Certificate Printed – This tab is where all of the apprentices that have been certificated will be archived. You can access and search for apprentices within this tab.

6. Notifications – View messages from the Federation and Certification Bodies about system/certification process changes or updates.

7. Show Advanced Search – Once selected this will allow you to view the search facility options and will appear under every status tab (1-5). Once you have finished your search you can hide the search box again by selecting the Hide Advanced Search button.

NB:- The numbers in brackets, on each of the tabs, indicates the number of records currently active within each of the tabbed categories.

ADDITIONAL OPTIONS – along bottom of screen

8. Top – Takes you back to the top of the current screen.

9. Contact Us – Contact details for Federation for Industry Sector Skills and Standards, managers of ACE.

10. Users* - Allows users of ACE to be created. More information can be found on page 10

11. Organisation Details* - Check organisation details

12. Search Tools - You can use the search tools to filter information. More information can be found on page 19

*Only visible to Centre admin

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2. OVERVIEW

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103. ADMINISTRATION - HOW TO...

Please note only Centre logins can add and amend User details.

REMEMBER!

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3.1 ADD/EDIT USERS

To add a new user:

- Select the Users Tab � and click Add User �.

- Enter all of the information ensuring that the contact details are correct �.

- Once complete, select Create Item �.

Note: in order for the new user to see apprentices within ACE you will need to assign CBs to the account - see page 14 for further details).

To edit an existing User:

- Double click on the username and amend the detail, then select Update Item.

The option for read only allows you to provide colleagues access ACE but block access to apprentice records. They will only be able to access the reporting functionality of the system.

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113. ADMINISTRATION - HOW TO...

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3.2 DISABLE USER ACCOUNTS

Within the ACE system you are able to

disable ACE user accounts. This will keep

the history of the user’s activity but will

mean that they no longer have access to

the system. Only the Centre Admin User

can make these changes - this is the person

who registered with ACE.

To disable an account:

• Double click on the User to open

the record �.

• Click on the drop down arrow next to

User Status and select Inactive �.

• Click Update Item to save changes �.

The Centre Admin user is able to update

any of the details within the organisation

tab and can amend the users details within

the Centre. Centre Users are unable to edit

any information and will need to contact the

Centre Admin when changes are required.

All users can use the forgotten password

link (on the home page) if they cannot

remember the login details.

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3.3 VIEW/AMEND ORGANISATION DETAILS This is where you can view the organisation details. If there are any amendments required please update the details in the form and click the Update button.

3. ADMINISTRATION - HOW TO...

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134. LINkING BODIES

4.1 LINkING CERTIFICATION BODIES

To link with Certificaton Bodies you will need to go to the organisation details page and then select the linked bodies tab �.

Once in the linked bodies tab you will see a list of the Certification Boides. Select the Certification Bodies that you want to work with or deselect any that you do not work with (please note that you can only remove assocations with Certification Bodies if you have no apprentices registered with that account). Once you have the correct Certification Bodies selected you will need to select the update button which will save the Certification Bodies and display these on your dashboard.

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144. LINkING BODIES

4.2 INDIVIDUAL ADMINISTRATION CERTIFICATION BODy ACCESS

The Centre user can control the Certification Bodies each user works with. The Centre user can do this by going into the individual user details and selecting the linked bodies tab �. This will bring up a list of the bodies that your centre is linked with. You can then use the tick boxes to select the Certification Bodies. Once you have selected those the administrator works with, select the update item button.

This can be done per user which will allow those with large teams to assign certain Certification Bodies to admin staff.

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5.1 ADD A SINGLE AppRENTICE

STEp 1 OF 3

There are two ways to add an apprentice – one at a time using the form or a bulk upload via a CSV file.

To add a single apprentice you will need to select the Add Apprentice � button which is found within all of the tabs.

5. AppRENTICES - HOW TO...

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5.1 ADDING A SINGLE AppRENTICE

STEp 2 OF 3

The Apprentice record is now ready to be completed:

- Basic Information

- Employer Details

- Identifiers (NI Number and other unique identifiers in relation to the apprentices, the ACE number is generated by the system once the record is created)

If the apprentice is over 19 and has completed the Apprenticeship in less than 12 months you will need to ensure that you select the RPL field. Once you have done this you will have to declare that you have the appropriate evidence for the apprentice RPL and claimed appropriately with an Awarding Organisation.

Once all of the mandatory fields have been completed (these are marked with a * ) select Create Item �. This will then reveal 3 new tabs:

- Framework

- Status

- Certification Evidence

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5.1 ADDING A SINGLE AppRENTICE

STEp 3 OF 3

FRAMEWORKS Select the frameworks and the components completed by the apprentice (you can either select the framework from the drop down list or start typing the framework name which will reduce the list. So for office management frameworks, typing office in the framework box will bring up a list of office management frameworks both blueprint and SASE). You will also need to complete the ERR and PLTS declarations where possible.

STATUS This tab shows the Status of the Apprentice. When you add an Apprentice it will automatically be given the status Entered.

CERTIFICATION EVIDENCE The framework and the components selected will determine which evidence is required for certification. There is further explanation of uploading certificate evidence on page 20

5. AppRENTICES - HOW TO...

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5.2 BULk UpLOAD AppRENTICES

The Bulk Upload facility � allows you to add multiple apprentices at once, auto-filling the apprentice and employer details.

There are two file types available, a CSV or Excel file. We recommend the use of the Excel file as this is generally easier to enter the data. This must be saved as a CSV file before loading to ACE. For more detailed guidance please refer to the training manual for Bulk Uploads.

Once the file has been loaded to ACE you will need to enter the framework details for the each apprentice.

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195. AppRENTICES - HOW TO...

5.3 SEARCHING FOR AN AppRENTICEAcross all of the top level tabs you will be able to search for apprentices. In order to do this you will need to open the search facility by selecting the tab ‘show advanced search’ � which will reveal the search facility.

There are a variety of search options available, using both text and drop down menus. This allows you to set the required search criteria. You can search by:

. Apprentice Forename/Surname

. Date of Birth (range)

. Identifiers (ACE No. or NI No.)

. Status (any or specific)

. Framework/Pathway

. Entered date (range)

. Certification Date

When you have set your required search criteria click the Search Button. If you have made any errors with the search criteria you can select the reset fields option. You can hide the search facility again by selecting the hide advanced search facility button.

Or click the Magnifying Glass � to reveal the Find option �. The drop down menu allows you to search by:

• Surname

• Forename

• NI Number

Once you have entered your search criteria you must then press the enter key to initiate the search.

To navigate between pages you can use the blue arrow keys or type in the white box area to specify a page �The displaying information text shows how many items there are in total and what page is showing n.

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5.4 ADDING EVIDENCEThe Certificate Evidence tab provides a list of all evidence requirements based on the framework selection under the frameworks tab.

Evidence needs to be loaded separately next to each stated requirement and to do this select the browse/choose file (dependent upon browser used) at the bottom of the page �. A pop up will open where you can select the appropriate file from your system and click on the open button. At this point you will need to select where you would like this evidence to sit. Some evidence may be used multiple times (such as PLR or GCSE certificates) and where this is the case please select the relevant boxes under the action column �. Once the boxes have been selected, press the upload button �. This will ensure that the evidence is loaded against these requirements.

5. AppRENTICES - HOW TO...

Please note the maximum file size is 3Mb. Any larger and the system will not accept

the upload.

REMEMBER!

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5.5 SUBMIT AN AppRENTICE FOR CERTIFICATION

• Once you have uploaded all evidence, go to the Status tab and change the status to Pending Certification. This will open a validation box where you can check:

- Mandatory fields have been completed.

- All evidence has been uploaded.

- Completion date has been entered.

- Any missing information will be highlighted in red.

The 10-day turnaround time starts from the date the apprentice is submitted for certification. You can view this int the days elapsed column on the Pending Certification page.

Once you have submitted the apprentice you will be unable to amend any of the information within the record unless the request is rejected. If you need to make any changes at another status you will need to contact the Certification Body.

It may be that they will need to reject the claim in order for you to rectify any issues that you have noticed as we are no longer able to reset requests to the entered status.

In order to submit certification requests your organisation will need to have set up a Finance User profile on the Central Payment System. If you do not have an account or need further guidance please email: cps@fisss.org

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When the Certification Body has reviewed the submission, they will change the status to one of the following:

• CERTIFICATE AUTHORISED � This means that the Certification Body is satisfied that all of the components within the Apprenticeship Certificate claim have been successfully completed by the apprentice. The certificate is now ready to print, once the certificate has been printed the apprentice record will be removed from this tab and the status will say certificate printed.

• REJECTED � This means that the Certification Body is not satisfied that all of the components within the Apprenticeship Certificate claim have been successfully completed by the apprentice. The reason for the rejection will be e-mailed to the main Centre Admin User and the person who submitted the submission. Refer to page 24 for further information.

Please note it is important to keep email addresses up to date on the system so you don’t miss the notifications.

REMEMBER!

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We recommend that you limit the list for printing or exporting to 100 apprentices as

anymore may slow the system down.

REMEMBER!

5.6 pRINT/ExpORTING AppRENTICE DATA

Once you have completed a search in any status tab, you may have a list of apprentices. You can use the drop down � to select a number of apprentices to print (up to a maximum of 100).

• Select Print View � to print the list view of the selected number of Apprentices

• Select the Export All button � to export the apprentices listed on screen. This will open as an Excel spread sheet.

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5.7 MANAGE REjECTED AppRENTICES

• The Rejected tab � allows you to view all of the Apprentices that have been rejected for certification, by the Certification Body. The number in brackets on the tab indicates the number of Apprentices that are currently in this category.

• To view a rejected Apprentice, double click on their name and their record will open �.

• Click on the Status Tab � and the Status History will be displayed.

• Click on Rejected Request � and the date of, and reason for rejection will be recorded.

• Once changes have been made, return to the Status tab �.

• You are able to add additional comments to the rejection history in the comment box and select Add Comment � before navigating away from the page.

• Once the changes have been made, re-submit the apprentice in the Status tab �.

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5.8 MANAGE AppRENTICES AWAITING CERTIFICATION

The system prevents two users editing an apprentice’s record at the same time. This will appear as being Locked �. The second user to open the record will be presented with a read-only view �.

You can see who has the record open under the apprentice tab. If that person is unavailable then please contact the ACE Support Team to unlock the record.

5.9 CHECkING EVIDENCE & CHANGING THE STATUS

If there are queries raised by either the Centre or Certification Body regarding certain pieces of evidence the Federation have the final say.

The Federation will look at the evidence on the system and if accepted will add a note under the individual evidence to provide clarity on why the evidence has been accepted and this will be locked so that the Centre is unable to amend the evidence once accepted. This could happen prior to the Certification Body reviewing the evidence but you will be able to see the comment added by the Federation.

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5.10 VIEW pENDING CERTIFICATION

• The Pending Certification tab � allows you to view all of the Apprentices that are awaiting certification. The number in brackets on the tab indicates the number of Apprentices that are currently in this category. You will be able to see how many days have elapsed since submission in line with the 10-day turnaround �.

5.11 VIEW CERTIFICATE AppROVED

• The Certificate Approved Tab allows you to view all of the Apprentices that have been authorised for certification and waiting for their certificate to be printed. The number in brackets on the tab indicates the number of Apprentices that are currently in this category.

5.12 VIEW CERTIFICATE pRINTED

• The Certificate Printed tab will give you the option to see when the apprentice has been certificated. This status may also be referred to as the archive status as once here the apprentices records will remain in this status.

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276. ACE OpERATIONAL SUppORT

In order that you are kept up to date with current

support and guidance the Federation will inform you of

changes to both the ACE system and the certification

process via notifications.

These can be found at the top of the page � and

when you have unread messages the number of unread

messages will appear in red. A pop up will also appear

when you login to let you know that you have new or

unread messages.

If you experience problems while using the system, the ACE support team are

available to help:

Telephone: 0844 573 2560 E-mail: ace@fisss.org

REQUIRE MORE HELp?

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