Version 5.33.0 - 08/04/2025
Production Release Date: Apr 8, 2025 | Version: 5.33.0 |
UAT Release Date: Mar 11, 2025 |
The Release webinar is available from here (following the Friday demo meeting);
Note: you can copy and share this link with other people in your organisation
We have added a new column on the table below called “Action Required” this shows several new status labels:
SETUP_REQUIRED - some setup will be required to use this element
NEW_PERMISSIONS - new permissions have been added
RECOMMEND_TRAINING - training is recommended - usually for new major features.
screen_changes - changes have been made to existing screens
This is to help highlight to you anything you need to ensure is set up for the day of release or in advance of this. We do still recommend that all of the release notes are read.
low impact medium impact high impact We are also adding a column for Potential Impact to you our customers, this is an estimation of any impact to your businesses the work may have. This is just offered as a guideline, as we appreciate you all use EPAPro slightly differently.
We recommend you check any Comms settings with the release notes, as whilst newly introduced comms will be listed in them, we may not mention if an existing comm needs to be enabled, which we assume may be on from previous releases.
What you have enabled can be seen via the System Management → Communications .
Epic | Key | Type | Action Required | Summary | Release Notes Description | Potential Impact |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FEATure |
| API - Internal changes to V1 to prepare for V2 creation | OverviewInternal changes to API version v1, to prepare for the creation of v2. Changes to FunctionalityTo cater for the impending creation of the v2 API, internal groundwork has been laid, to allow concurrent running of both versions. Note that no functional differences should occur in v1 as part of these changes. Impacted Areas
Permissions
| low impact | ||
| FEATure | screen_changesSETUP_REQUIRED | Surpass - Extend to support multi-centre and up to 4 test papers | OverviewAdded centre selection and additional test references for Surpass external assessments Changes to FunctionalityCentre configurationIt was previously only possible to have one centre configured for use in the Surpass integration within epaPRO - this was set by Skilltech against the epaPRO environment and had to be changed by a member of support. This centre has now been moved into a new custom drop-down (Surpass Centres) so that it can be configured by EPAO users directly within epaPRO. By default, the centre already configured will appear in this custom drop-down list, with the ability to add additional centres. Test reference configurationIt was previously possible to configure two Surpass test references against an assessment component (External Test Reference and Alternative External Test Reference). To enhance this functionality, two more reference/description fields have been added, allowing up to four paper configurations against an assessment component (External Test Reference 3 and External Test Reference 4). Assessment Booking / Assessment Plan changesTo cater for these new options, the following has been introduced into both the Assessment Bookings and Assessment Plan screens:
ReportingThe following reports have been updated to highlight the addition of the new test references:
Impacted Areas
Permissions
| Medium impact Potential Setup Required | |
| FEATure |
| API - Queue events | OverviewWe have enhanced the API triggered event queue writes to ensure that they are consistent. Changes to FunctionalityWhen an apprentice is created/updated or a Change of Circumstance is processed via the API the action will now be written to either one of the event queues. So if the action was triggered by an AO user, the action will be written to the provider event queue and if the action was triggered by an external user, the action will be written to the AO event queue. Impacted AreasAPI Queue (provider and AO) PermissionsNo new permissions | Medium impact | |
| FEATure |
| Implement debouncing for searches on screens and globally | OverviewTo improve the user experience and server performance a delay of 300ms has been added to the search inputs on the listing screens and individuals inputs of the system. Changes to Functionality
Impacted Areas
PermissionsNone | low impact | |
| FEATure | screen_changesNEW_PERMISSIONS | Gateway - Lock evidence to prevent changes to approved files | OverviewAdded the ability for administrators to lock gateway file evidence to prevent changes. Changes to FunctionalityThe gateway process screen has been updated to allow users (with the new Gateway Review → Toggle Gateway File Locks permission) to lock/unlock gateway evidence files, both against individual gateway elements or against the “Evidence” tab. Once locked, gateway files cannot be removed from the gateway, meaning these will not need to be re-checked during any resubmissions. Note that new uploads can still be added. Impacted Areas
Permissions
| medium impact Suggested medium due to training/knowledge sharing | |
| FEATure | screen_changes SETUP_REQUIRED | EPA - Add ability to Auto-Accept Apprentices | OverviewAdds the ability for an EPA to automatically accept apprentice assignments. Changes to FunctionalityA new toggle has been added to the EPA screen (default “off”) to control whether an EPA user automatically accepts any apprentice allocations given to them. This new toggle cannot be controlled by the EPA themselves (similar to the pre-existing auto accept elements toggle). If an apprentice is allocated to an EPA with this new setting enabled, the awaiting acceptance part of the assignment process is skipped, with the apprentice immediately entering the EPA(M)s caseload. To support the tracking of this new development, the following reports have been enhanced:
Impacted Areas
Permissions
| low impact
| |
| FEATure | screen_changes | Add "Please Select" Option to Gender Field | OverviewWe have updated the Gender field to include a "Please Select" option. This ensures that 'Male' is no longer selected by default and provides users with an empty option to choose from. Changes to Functionality
Impacted Areas→ Apprentice → Add Apprentice Button → Apprentice Details → Gender Field PermissionsNo changes to permissions. | low impact | |
| FEATure | SETUP_REQUIRED NEW_PERMISSIONS screen_changes | Bulk Import - EPA/EPAM users | OverviewWe have added functionality to allow EPA and EPA Manager users to be uploaded in bulk to epaPRO. Changes to FunctionalityFive new bulk uploads have been added to a new EPA/EPAM tab of the bulk upload screen. These are:
Access to these bulk uploads is given via the EPAs > Bulk Import, EPA Managers > Bulk Import and EPAs > Bulk Import Assign Standards and Specialisms permissions. Create EPA bulk import This import contains the following columns:
Update EPA bulk import This import contains the same columns as the Create EPA Bulk import, with the following exception:
Please note standards and specialisms cannot be updated via the Update EPA bulk upload. Please use Assign Standards to EPA/EPA Managers instead. Please do not include the standard/specialism fields in the update file. Create EPA Manager bulk import This import contains the following columns:
Update EPA Manager bulk import This import contains the same columns as the Create EPA Manager Bulk import, with the following exception:
Please note standards and specialisms cannot be updated via the Update EPA Manager bulk upload. Please use Assign Standards to EPA/EPA Managers instead. Please do not include the standard/specialism fields in the update file. Assign Standards to EPA/EPA Manager This import contains the following columns:
Please note that only one standard/specialism can be added per row. Where there are multiple standards/specialisms being assigned to a single EPA or EPA Manager, multiple rows will be need to be added to the file for each of the standards/specialisms. Please also note that there is no update option for this import. It is only possible to assign new standards and specialisms to EPA’s and EPA Manager’s using the bulk upload. Impacted AreasBulk upload PermissionsThere are three new permissions:
| medium impact Suggested medium due to Setup required, new permissions and training / knowledge/sharing | |
| bug | screen_changes | Assessment Element Side Drawer - Release Outcome Button | OverviewThe "Release Outcome" button in the Assessment Element Side Drawer has been updated to improve its appearance and alignment. Changes to FunctionalityThe button now has proper spacing around it, making it look more consistent with other similar buttons like "Result Adjustment." This makes it easier for users to find and use. Impacted Areas→ Assessment profile → Assessment Element → manage (side drawer) → Results → Release Outcome Button PermissionsNo new permission. | low impact | |
| bug |
| Outcome Release - delay the publishing of QA/entity attachments until outcome release. | OverviewFixes a bug that now causes the publishing of result/certification/QA attachments to happen at outcome release, if enabled. Changes to FunctionalityWhen the outcome release process was enabled, the publishing of result/certification/QA attachments was still occurring at result submission / QA publish stage, not outcome release. This ticket now brings this process in line with the rest of the outcome release process. Impacted Areas
Permissions
| low impact | |
| bug |
| Gateway - Clean up gateway files if they no longer apply to the committed gateway specification | OverviewFixes a bug that prevented apprentice files from being deleted if they were linked to a gateway that subsequently changed gateway specification. Changes to FunctionalityIt was possible for an apprentice file to become stuck, via the following process:
This resulted in the evidence linked in the first step still being linked, but not visible to the EPAO - the file could not be unlinked to allow the file to be deleted. This work helps clean up these left over files, so that the apprentice file can accurately be deleted if it was not required. Impacted Areas
Permissions
| low impact | |
| bug | screen_changes | Fixing Attendee Invitations emails | OverviewWe have made improvements to how invited and non-invited attendees receive emails. This update ensures that the attendees get the correct email based on the selected filters. Changes to FunctionalityBefore this update, the system sent both Component Invitation email and Component Scheduled Info email to the attendees even when a filter was applied. Now, the filtering works correctly, and users will only receive one email based on the toggle.
Impacted Areas→ Planning → Manage Planning Meeting → components → section → Attendees → is_invited toggle PermissionsNo changes to permissions. | low impact | |
| bug |
| Assessment Plan - editing multi-booking dates causes issue with elements scheduled date | OverviewFixes a bug that prevented the scheduled date time from updating consistently throughout the system when a multi-block booking is amended from the assessment plan screen. Changes to FunctionalityWhen a multi-block booking was made within the new assessment bookings screens, these were not handled correctly when attempting to edit the dates via the assessment plan screen, post booking. The scheduled timestamp would not update consistently, leaving the data confusing in areas such as the assessment profile. This ticket looks to bring these changes into line & prevent inconsistencies. Impacted Areas
Permissions
| low impact | |
| bug |
| Assessment Schema - overlapping dates checking inactive schemas | OverviewFixed an issue where when the user try to update/edit the copied assessment schema. Change to FunctionalityFixed an issue where users encountered a date overlapping validation error when attempting to update/edit a copied assessment schema, even if the copied assessment schema was inactive by default. With this fix, users will no longer receive the overlapping date validation error while editing a copied assessment schema if the copied assessment schema is inactive. Impacted AreasAssessment Schema PermissionsNone | low impact |
Epic Link | key | type | Action Required | Release Notes Title | Release Notes Description | Potential Impact |
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