The new Apprenticeship Standards (England only) have been developed by employer groups in the industry to show what an apprentice will be doing in their job role and the skills that will be required of them. The government have introduced the Apprenticeship Standards to give students more choice as well as giving employers an increased input into their future workforce.
Typically an Apprenticeship Standard will focus on a number of gateways and an end-point assessment with an approved assessment organisation. See here for more information on the new Apprenticeship Standards.