A How-To-Guide to enabling the Skills Forward API

Introduction

The Skills Forward integration allows Aptem to communicate with Skills Forward via their API. This guide explains the steps you need to take to provide us with the required information to enable the API.

Note that after establishing the connection, Aptem will create the learners in Skills Forward using the API, but will not enrol them in any assessments. You must contact Skills Forward and arrange for the learners to be automatically enrolled on the relevant assessments. Also note that not all Skills Forward assessment types are accepted/displayed by Aptem. For details, see: Aptem and Skills Forward assessments. 

To enable the API connection, you must complete the following steps:

• Obtain and provide us with your Skills Forward Keys.
• Enter the Aptem Webhook URL into your Skills Forward account.

Obtaining your Skills Forward Keys

To obtain your Skills Forward Keys, you must complete the following steps:

1. Login to your Skills Forward account (you must be a Primary Admin).
2. Click ‘Administration’.
3. Click ‘Admin Dashboard’.
4. Click ‘Webhooks & API’.
5. Click ‘Add API Key’.
   
6. A box similar to the below will appear with your API Key details. Copy and paste the ‘API Key’ and ‘API Token’ information into a Word Document, save the document as “Skills Forward keys” and upload it in the files section of your Aptem tenant.
   Warning: Do not close the window or refresh the page before you copy and paste the API Key and API Token as these details will disappear and cannot be viewed again.
   
   
7. Please send an email to your implementation consultant or our support team to advise that the Skills Forward keys have been uploaded to your Aptem tenant. They will then activate the API within your Aptem tenant.

Entering your Aptem Webhook URL into Skills Forward

To enter your Aptem Webhook URL into your Skills Forward account we need you to complete the following steps:

12. Obtain your Aptem Webhook URL from your implementation consultant or our support team.
13. Log in to your Skills Forward account (you must be a Primary Admin).
14. Click ‘Administration’.
15. Click ‘Admin Dashboard’.
16. Click ‘Webhooks & API’.
17. Click ‘Webhooks’.
18. Click the Provider drop down and choose ‘Aptem’.
19. Click ‘+ Add New Provider’ button.
    
20. Copy and paste the Aptem Webhook URL provided by your implementation consultant or our support team into the ‘Provider Endpoint’ textbox.
21. Click ‘Add Provider’.
    
22. By default, the status of any webhook added is ‘OFF’. Click the ‘Status’ drop down and change this to ‘ON’.
23. Click ‘Update’.
    
24. Click ‘Back to web hooks’.

The process is now complete and initial assessment results will be sent through to Aptem as soon as they are completed by the applicant.

Aptem and Skills Forward assessments

After you enable the API connection, Aptem will create the learners in Skills Forward using the API, but will not enrol them in any courses/assessments. If you want your learners to be enrolled for any assessments, you must contact Skills Forward and arrange for all learners created by Aptem via API to be automatically enrolled on the relevant assessments.

Assessment results accepted by Aptem

Although Aptem does not limit which assessments you want your learners to take, Aptem currently shows results for the following assessments: 

1. English Diagnostic
2. English Initial Assessment
3. ICT Assessment
4. ICT Diagnostic
5. ICT Initial Assessment
6. Maths Diagnostic
7. Maths Initial Assessment
8. Reform English Initial Assessment
9. Reform FS English Diagnostic
10. Reform FS Maths Diagnostic
11. Reform Maths Initial Assessment
12. One Assessment Maths (Proxy)
13. One Assessment English (Proxy)
14. ICT HTML Initial Assessment
15. ICT HTML Diagnostics
16. Essential Digital Skills Assessment

If your organisation wishes to have any more assessments to be listed in the Aptem system, you will need to contact our support team, or your implementation consultant.