Breaking: Government announces second wave of apprenticeship frameworks to be switched off this year

The government has announced the second wave of apprenticeship frameworks that will be closed to new starts, with of total of 60 facing termination in December.

The announcement was made by the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) on the gov.uk website today, indicating that frameworks will be shut down towards the end of the year.

It said: “We have now published a second batch of 60 apprenticeship frameworks that we will withdraw for new starts from December 1, 2016.

“These frameworks had a low number of reported starts in the 2014 to 2015 and the 2015 to 2016 funding years or have provision covered by developing apprenticeship standards.”

The number of apprenticeship frameworks to be removed has jumped considerably from the first batch of just seven scheduled to be switched off in June.

The second group to be removed includes subjects such as banking, ceramics manufacturing, fundraising and public relations (find a full list below).

The SFA release included a comment that confirmed the change “will not affect those apprentices currently completing their apprenticeship on these frameworks”.

On March 2, FE Week reported that the government had announced the first seven apprenticeship frameworks to be closed to new starts from June 1, 2016.

This included frameworks in blacksmithing, engineering and manufacturing technologies, campaigning business administration and law, energy assessment and advice, retail and commercial enterprise.

The closures were again attributed to a lack of starts in these areas between 2014 and 2016.

In December last year, FE Week reported that the government had scrapped plans to stop funding all apprenticeship frameworks after 2017/18.

The cut-off, that would ensure providers were only delivering new apprenticeship standards come 2018/19, was first announced in October 2013.

But it was revealed in the government’s 2020 vision document, published on December 7, that the 2017/18 end of frameworks has now been dropped.

According to the document, the government’s “aim was for all new apprenticeship starts to be on standards from 2017/18” instead of existing apprenticeship frameworks.

However, it added: “We think the recent announcement of the apprenticeship levy warrants giving employers longer to consider which occupations they will require apprenticeships for.

“To allow for this, we envisage a migration from apprenticeship frameworks to standards over the course of the Parliament, with as much of this to take place by 2017/18 as possible.”

 

Here’s the full list published today:

Framework Code  Franmewok Name

627                         Advanced Diagnostics and Management Principles

586                         Advertising and Marketing Communications

598                         Animal Technology

639                         Automotive Clay Modelling

590                         Banking

452                         Bookkeeping

610                         Broadcast Production

554                         Building Energy Management Systems

581                         Business Innovation and Growth

469                         Ceramics Manufacturing

546                         Combined Manufacturing Processes

415                         Commercial Moving

619                         Contact Centre Operations Management

493                         Costume and Wardrobe

621                         Craft and Technical Roles in Film and Television

624                         Creative Craft Practitioner

614                         Criminal Investigation

409                         Emergency Fire Service Operations

564                         Engineering Construction

604                         Engineering Environmental Technologies

552                         Enterprise

607                         Explosives Storage and Maintenance

577                         Express Logistics

553                         Extractives and Mineral Processing Occupations

585                         Fashion and Textiles:Technical

530                         Fencing

568                         Fish Husbandry and Fish Management

557                         Fundraising

635                         Furniture, Furnishings and Interiors Manufacturing

567                         Health Informatics

470                         Health Pathology Support

611                         Information Security

589                         Insurance

603                         Intelligence Analysis

622                         Interactive Design and Development

629                         Jewellery Manufacturing, Silversmithing and Allied Trades

592                         Learning Support

601                         Legal Advice

450                         Libraries, Archives, Records and Information Management Services

549                         Local Taxation and Benefits

571                         Locksmithing

411                         Mail and Package Distribution

597                         Metal Processing and Allied Operations

593                         Mineral Products Technology

606                         Multi-skilled Vehicle Collision Repair

496                         Music Business

426                         Nuclear Working

451                         Payroll

424                         Polymer Processing Operations

638                         Procurement

503                         Production of Coatings

615                         Professional Aviation Pilot Practice

572                         Public Relations

623                         Rail Engineering Overhead Line Construction

608                         Retail Management

609                         Sound Recording, Engineering and Studio Facilities

510                         Spa Therapy

618                         Sustainable Resource Operations and Management

558                         Volunteer Management

576                         Wood and Timber Processing and Merchants Industry

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