Labour’s levy plans could collapse under election scrutiny

The Labour party has created for itself a potentially serious election wedge issue on apprenticeships which will get aired on the doorsteps in red wall seats unless it has a rethink.

At the Annual Apprenticeship Conference (AAC), shadow skills minister Seema Malhotra doubled down on Labour’s proposed ‘growth and skills levy’ in spite of concerns it will “destabilise” apprenticeships. This follows government ministers claiming that the proposals would halve the number of apprenticeships and would take us “back to square one” – a Conservative attack line that appears to be central to their approach to other wedge issues during the election campaign.

An ongoing lack of transparency over apprenticeship levy funding means that it is difficult to judge impartially. But it won’t be difficult for the proposal’s opponents to make a convincing case that reserving ‘at least half’ of the levy for apprenticeships will translate into a halving of our 337,000 annual programme starts.

Bearing in mind that levy receipts and the apprenticeship programme budgets across the UK’s four nations are not the same thing, several key factors need to be taken into account. These include whether the devolved nations will still receive their respective share of the £3.7 billion pot according to the traditional Barnett formula and whether the Treasury under Labour would maintain its habit of top-slicing the levy by approximately £500 million each year to spend on other priorities. Currently, this results in the DfE being allocated an apprenticeship programme budget of £2.7 billion to manage for England.  

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said recently that it will be good to have someone in charge of the Treasury who can do maths. So, leaving aside for a moment devolved nation allocations and top slices, let’s do some maths of our own based on Labour’s proposals.

Half of the £3.7 billion levy receipts is £1.85 billion which might be reserved for apprenticeships. This is considerably less than the 98 per cent of the £2.7 billion apprenticeship budget which has been spent on apprenticeships annually in England over the past two years. In fact, it would mean almost a billion pounds less being allocated to the programme each year.

Levy underspends were an outcome of the pandemic

This implies either significant cuts to apprenticeship starts under Labour unless the treasury agrees to a larger levy to keep the same annual apprenticeship budget before the receipts can be used for other skills programmes. It also assumes that the shadow education team has reached an agreement with the shadow treasury team that they will end the top-slicing, but has it? Given the widely predicted doomsday scenarios for public expenditure after the election, a new chancellor might decide that the money is still required elsewhere.

For Labour, the alarm bells must start ringing every time Seema Malhotra refers, as she did at the AAC, to £3 billion of unspent levy money since 2017 as if the money were still available to fund Labour’s wider skills levy. But the levy underspends were simply an outcome of the Covid pandemic when the lockdowns prevented employers from recruiting apprentices. In 2019, the National Audit Office predicted an overspend of the apprenticeship budget, and in the two years following the pandemic, the underspends rapidly disappeared.

Ms Malhotra also talked again about the large levy-paying employers who complain that they cannot spend all of their entitlement on apprenticeships. But the levy was designed for this probability in order to fund SMEs’ apprenticeships. And when asked, she wouldn’t repeat her predecessor’s promise that apprenticeships for smaller firms would be protected by a ring-fenced budget.

Labour is reportedly “bombproofing” its election manifesto against Conservative attacks. Therefore, it should follow the recent example of the Australian Labor government of committing to a thorough review of apprenticeships with a view to reform but without any predetermined outcomes such as widening the levy’s scope.

This summer, 60 years after they were cut, passenger services will resume on the Newcastle to Ashington railway with the Mayor of North Tyne saying this week that young apprentices will now be able to travel to take up opportunities on the programme. It would be ironic if the actions of a Labour government were to limit the number of opportunities available.

This election year, Colleges Week is more important than ever

We started Colleges Week in 2018 to raise the profile of colleges, celebrate their successes and impact and to engage more politicians, employers and stakeholders with the work they do. At the time we believed it could help us engage more people in power to really understand and respect colleges, and from that we hoped we would start to see more funding and better policies.

Seven years on, with a general election looming and politicians’ respect and understanding more important than ever, it seems like a good time to take stock of whether it has achieved those ambitions.

There’s no doubt about it: Colleges Week has allowed staff, students and governors to show their pride in their college. Every year we see an explosion on social media of people using their creativity to celebrate the impact going to college has had on their lives, their life chances and their confidence and abilities. If that was all we had achieved it would be enough, but there is a lot more.

Colleges Week has proved to be a great vehicle for engaging partners, stakeholders and politicians. Some of them will be longstanding supporters, but the week offers new opportunities to bring people into college for the first time. It’s incredible how many people in positions of power – politicians, officials, employers, journalists – have never been inside a college, and it is telling that their most common response after visiting is to be amazed at what they see and experience. Secretly I think many never realised how good they are: how impressive the staff, how motivated the students, how up-to-date the facilities and how exciting the learning culture is.

All of that exposure has helped raise the profile of colleges. Back in 2018, colleges were viewed in Whitehall as a problem and as poor performers. In 2016, for instance, then-Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw boldly told a parliamentary committee that he would ‘prefer all 16- to 19-year-olds to be educated in schools’ rather than in colleges which were ‘inadequate at best’.

A group of new MPs will want to understand and engage

That he had no evidence for the statement and had rarely visited colleges didn’t matter; his prejudice was a common one in the corridors of power. Colleges Week has helped to change that. The understanding is better and the respect improved – not enough on either count, but very different to where we were.

Now, don’t misinterpret me; I’m not saying the change is all down to Colleges Week. That is clearly not true, but the week is the pinnacle of a lot of hard work throughout the year by colleges, by AoC and by a range of important partners to engage, inform, enthuse and bring people on side. The week matters because all sorts of people are happy about celebrating the successes of students who have such great things to say about their college experiences, and who so often inspire with their stories.

The week has also coincided with the growing confidence among college leaders about their part in society, in education, in places, in the labour market and about the need for them to promote their college and build partnerships locally. That confidence is helped every year when we all see the weight and breadth of support colleges have from across the political spectrum and from all of the stakeholders that matter in every place.

By celebrating all that they do, it’s become clearer that colleges truly are anchor institutions, as vital to their communities and economies as they are to students and their prospects. That confidence matters, because it is infectious, and it attracts people leading other organisations to want to engage.

So, Colleges Week has been successful, and I hope it will go on showcasing a set of anchor institutions which have struggled to be noticed in the past. This election year gives every college the chance to engage with parliamentary and mayoral candidates, forging relationships with people likely to be in power for the next five years or more. A group of new MPs in Westminster will want to understand and engage with the anchor institutions on their patch and be seen to do that in the local media. Colleges Week is the perfect time to make sure they really do #LoveOurColleges.

Devolution is working for London’s adult learners. We need more

Londoners now often undertake lifelong learning as they take their first steps into work, reskill for a career change or pursue a personal interest. Local colleges are the driving force, supporting thousands of Londoners every day to develop new skills. That is why I’m proud to support Colleges Week, which celebrates the life-changing impact of further education and the important role of colleges in unlocking adult education opportunities.

London’s skills system is the highest performing in the country. Since taking control of London’s Adult Education Budget (AEB) in 2019, the Mayor has worked closely with London’s skills providers and colleges to s help over a million learners to participate in his skills programmes. Enrolments have increased by twenty percent, compared to just eight per cent for non-devolved areas administered by central government. This wouldn’t have happened without the strong partnership between our excellent colleges and City Hall, made possible by devolution.

It’s been a pleasure to see first-hand the transformative impact of adult learning on Londoners, reflected by winners of the annual Mayor’s Adult Learning Awards. At New City College Ilford, Nabeel Ahmed, last year’s winner of the Inspirational Adult Learner of the Year award, overcame significant barriers to become more independent and build the confidence he needed to explore new opportunities. Our 2022 winner Shirley Joseph, who took a leap into a career change after being made redundant to reskill in track engineering at Newham College has now built a brilliant career at Network Rail.

I’m pleased to see how working in partnership with colleges has allowed us to tailor London’s adult learning offer to local contexts and make a real impact on the lives of Londoners. The pioneering London Learner Survey which tracks how the AEB has helped Londoners showed how training is improving access to work and further learning, boosting earnings and led to improved wellbeing and confidence. Over 100,000 Londoners reported positive economic outcomes with those in work on average 10 per cent better off financially once they had completed a course, helping them with the rising cost of living.

Any incoming government must give cities and regions the control they need to meet demand for lifelong learning

Adult learning opportunities need to reach all Londoners and the Mayor has taken steps to improve the accessibility of our skills system, removing barriers that prevent Londoners from gaining the training they need. Removing some of the residency requirements on accessing training has meant that more migrant Londoners can get onto courses, upskill and contribute to our economy.

Since opening up funding to Londoners in low paid work, we’ve helped over 90,000 Londoners previously locked out of training to get the skills they need. We’ve also invested in important community outreach activity to signpost Londoners who are less likely to engage with adult learning into skills training, through our community’s grant programme where we fund grassroots organisations to connect local people to learning. Thanks to these changes, and the hard work of colleges across the city, London’s skills system is now the most accessible in the country.  

However, we need to go further. Power and funding must be devolved regionally to make meaningful change and build on the success of London’s Adult Education Budget. Participation in training is growing but we are reaching the limits of what is possible within current funding levels, which have remained stagnant since 2019.

After a decade of low economic growth and high inequality, more investment in skills is crucial for boosting productivity, incomes and prosperity in London and across the country. London and regions across England have shown the success that is possible with greater control over local skills funds.  Any incoming government must look seriously at increasing our investment in skills, increase funding and give cities and regions the control they need to meet the demand for lifelong learning. 

ITPs to be given 5 months to submit annual accounts to ESFA

Most independent training providers (ITPs) will have to submit their annual accounts to the government within five months of their year-end, beginning in 2026, a new financial handbook has outlined.

The earlier submission deadline will be phased in over the next three financial years and has been rolled out to allow the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) to identify “financial risks” and make better funding allocations in the future.

The rule is part of a new financial “bible” handbook unveiled today. It is part of the ESFA’s pledge to provide “certainty about what good governance and financial management looks like” to the sector, which chief executive David Withey in 2022 shortly after assuming the post.

The change will bring ITPs into line with the five-month deadline for colleges and HE institutions to ESFA and the Office for Students respectively.

The handbook said current deadlines align with statutory filing deadlines required by Companies House or the Charity Commission, which “often mean it is too late for ESFA to identify financial risks or make effective decisions to help”.

Earlier submission will “also enable ESFA to make better informed decisions about future funding allocations”.

The rule will be phased in after the ESFA admitted that the change is likely to “impact existing business and audit cycles, particularly for ITPs with group structures”.

ITPs who fail to submit by the deadline will see their ESFA financial health rating suffer, which could have future contract bidding implications.

ITPs organised into four funding groups

The handbook provides a framework for the financial oversight of ITPs and assist the Department for Education (DfE) and ESFA to identify and manage risks.

It outlines how ITPs should arrange their counter fraud and error policies, cash flow forecasts and governance.

From this August, all ITPs will belong to one of four cohorts depending on the level of total annual funding from DfE / ESFA (see table below).

ITPs reaping more than £8 million in funding must have an independent audit and risk committee and at least one non-executive director or equivalent when the rules come into effect.

Total annual funding the ITP receives directly from DfE
Funding group 1More than £8 million
Funding group 2More than £1 million up to £8 million
Funding group 3More than £100,000 up to £1 million
Funding group 4Up to £100,000
Source: DfE

The top three groups must maintain a rolling 12 month cash flow forecast but this is discretionary for ITPs receiving lower funds from the ESFA.

Meanwhile, the largest ITPs will be required to have a counter fraud and error policy and take “appropriate action” where identified.

Around 250 small ITPs belong in funding group 4, which experts say will ease the burden as most of the new rules are discretionary.

The financial handbook will come into effect from the August 1 this year. DfE said it was publishing the document now to allow ITPs sufficient time to prepare for “any requirements that are not already being met.”

Ben Rowland, chief executive of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers, said many ITPs already carry out the “appropriate controls, safeguards and oversight” as published in the guidance.

“For ITPs who have underdeveloped approaches to governance and appropriate financial control the requirements laid out in the handbook now give clear expectations on protecting public money and ensuring appropriate rigour and challenge about key decisions ITPs make,” he added.

“AELP has encouraged the ESFA to use this as an opportunity to tackle the unnecessary regulatory burden which distracts ITPs from focusing on delivering high quality training. We are pleased they have taken this challenge on board. As a result, this new handbook is not an arbitrary one-size fits all approach and ensures that the requirements are tapered based on ESFA income with the smallest providers being completely exempt.”

Withey said: “We know that many providers have robust processes already and we want to help ensure this is the case across the sector. Financial stability and good governance are the bedrock in creating a stable and effective training environment with high educational standards where learners can realise their potential.”

Robert Halfon, skills minister, added: “Diversity is a key strength of the sector, enabling very small to very large providers to deliver a wide range of learning and skills, customising their delivery to the needs of learners and employers. The handbook reflects the sector’s diversity by sharing best practice and tailoring our expectations of providers based on the size of providers’ business with the department.”

Accounting yearFunding group 1Funding group 2Funding group 3Funding group 4
1 August 2024 to 31 July 2025Within 7 months*Within 9 monthsWithin 9 monthsWithin 9 months
1 August 2025 to 31 July 2026Within 5 months*Within 7 monthsWithin 7 monthsWithin 9 months
On or after 1 August 2026Within 5 monthsWithin 5 monthsWithin 5 monthsWithin 9 months
Time to submit accounts to ESFA after ITP’s year-end
* can apply for up to two month extension

Summary of arrangements according to each ITP cohort

Arrangement summaryArea of handbookFunding group 1Funding group 2Funding group 3Funding group 4
To have at least one non-executive director (or equivalent) in place (companies only) to provide independent oversight of financial & governance processesGovernanceRequiredDiscretionaryDiscretionaryDiscretionary
To have an audit and risk committee in place to direct and oversee independent assessment of financial & governance processesGovernanceRequiredRecommendedDiscretionaryDiscretionary
To have a funding compliance scrutiny function in place to oversee the submission of data that triggers fundingGovernanceRequiredRequiredRecommendedDiscretionary
To comply with all contractual obligations and DfE / ESFA guidance in relation to sub-contracting arrangements and deliveryGovernanceRequiredRequiredRequiredRequired
To comply with a relevant published governance codeGovernanceRequiredRecommendedDiscretionaryDiscretionary
To submit annual accounts to ESFA within timescales as set out in this handbook*Financial Management and OversightRequiredRequiredRequiredRequired
To maintain a rolling cash forecast which sets out expected financial position for the next 12 monthsFinancial Management and OversightRequiredRequiredRequiredDiscretionary
To submit financial health records as per any request from DfE / ESFAFinancial Management and OversightRequiredRequiredRequiredRequired
To have a counter fraud & error policy and procedures in place, and fraud awareness training for staffFinancial Management and OversightRequiredRequiredRecommendedDiscretionary
To have risk management processes in place to include a risk management policy, risk register, business continuity policy, and conflict of interest policyFinancial Management and OversightRequiredRequiredRecommendedDiscretionary
To have a whistleblowing policy in place which references how to make disclosures directly to DfE / ESFAFinancial Management and OversightRequiredRequiredRequiredDiscretionary
To have and to follow a formalised internal review process in relation to the ITP’s financial management and governance proceduresAssuranceRequiredRecommendedDiscretionaryDiscretionary
To appoint an external auditor to provide an opinion on whether the annual accounts are true and fair, even if not a statutory requirementAssuranceRequiredRequiredDiscretionaryDiscretionary
For ITPs whose annual accounts are externally audited, to provide management letters to ESFAAssuranceRequiredRecommendedDiscretionaryDiscretionary
*ITPs which only contract with DfE to deliver Skills Bootcamps are exempt
Source: DfE

Exam paper cyber attack investigation hits dead end

Police investigating a cyber attack at exam board AQA during last summer’s exams said there were “no further positive lines of enquiry” to pursue. 

Surrey Police arrested an 18-year-old man from London and a 24-year-old woman from Birmingham on suspicion of computer misuse and fraud offences last year. 

This followed a data breach at AQA, which is based at the University of Surrey, in June. 

This week, Surrey Police said that, following a “thorough investigation, the current position is that there are no further positive lines of enquiry and no further evidence available to link the two people who were arrested to the allegation”. 

A spokesperson added: “Should any new lines of enquiry come to light, these will be reviewed and investigated if appropriate.” 

Both people had been stood down from bail and no further action will be taken against them at this time. 

A separate investigation by Cambridgeshire Police into cyber attacks at exam boards OCR and Pearson is continuing. 

A 16-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of theft, fraud and computer misuse. He has been released under investigation. 

The Joint Council for Qualifications, which represents exam boards, previously said that “every year, awarding organisations investigate potential breaches of security”. 

It added: “When investigations are complete, sanctions – which may be severe – are taken against any individuals found to be involved”.

Comprehensive family learning is essential to unlocking potential

Family learning plays a crucial role in educational empowerment, enabling families to explore new skills, engage in their children’s education and enhance their own learning. It acts as a catalyst for literacy, language, numeracy, wellbeing, science, financial education and parenting skills. And yet is too often underestimated, overlooked or misunderstood. 

That’s why we must create a national system in which every child and every parent benefits, rebuilding family learning and elevating it from an invisible funding stream within adult skills to a fully sustainable system.

The importance of family learning

Family learning exerts an immense and transformative influence on education, unleashing unparalleled opportunities for growth and development in both parents and children.

This formidable force has been regrettably absent in many areas of our current educational landscape. At the moment, too few families can access family learning. This needs to change.

That’s why we’re calling for a new funded system that elevates family learning to the status it deserves. Our five assertive demands directed at the government put forward a strategic blueprint to ensure every child and parent has the privilege of accessing it, no matter where they live.

Family learning involves joint learning activities for both children and adult family members, promoting mutual learning and development outcomes through specially designed courses and activities in community settings.

It forms the foundation of lifelong learning by building parents’ capacity to support their children’s learning. It can also positively influence children’s education, improving attendance, reducing absenteeism and enhancing communication between schools and parents.

Family learning also opens up opportunities for adults and motivates parents to overcome personal barriers to learning, fostering confidence and providing a pathway to FE and employment.

A vision for the future

There has been a decline in publicly-funded family learning since 2008/09. Our Five Asks document stresses the need to restore family learning to its former prominence. The vision is to provide every child and parent with opportunities for short and engaging family learning activities, as well as more substantial courses.

Acknowledging the need for increased public spending, our proposed funding package aims to restore family learning to previous levels and introduce a statutory entitlement. A combined family learning budget would incorporate funding from various sources and represent a significant step-change in resource allocation.

This comprehensive family learning strategy is a call to unlock the potential of every child and parent. By addressing these five asks, the government can build a sustainable, accessible and transformative family learning system, fostering a culture of lifelong learning and empowerment.

The working group, coordinated by Campaign for Learning and including Boromi, The Centre for Emotional Health, HOLEX, National Numeracy, Peeple, School-Home Support and WEA, stands ready to collaborate with policymakers to turn this vision into reality throughout the coming decades.

Five asks for family learning

  1. Create a single, national, ring-fenced family learning budget from the existing funding in the Adult Education Budget and an extra £75m from the Treasury, managed by the Department for Education and devolved to local authorities.
  2. Introduce a statutory entitlement to 15 hours of fully funded family learning for parents and carers of each child aged nine months to four years and subsequently extended to children aged nine months to 10 years.
  3. Integrate family learning into the work of family support services including Family Hubs, Children’s Centres, and Family and Health Services.
  4. Embed the value of family learning into the workforce development of the education sector including early learning, childcare, teaching, adult education and family support.
  5. Allow parents to become eligible for 30 hours of state-funded childcare when they participate in family learning and/or training and retraining.

Pearson is planting the seed for sustainability talent with new HTQ

Business change driven by consumer demand for sustainability

Addressing the sustainability imperative has proven to be profitable for business. The fact that over the past 5 years, 89% of people have made changes in their purchases to buy more sustainable products (Statista, 2022) further reinforces the growing need to consider the impact of sustainable initiatives across all aspects of business. Society is currently going through an ‘eco-awakening’ with research suggesting that we are on the brink of a major shift in patterns of consumption (HBR, 2023). It is clear that there is a strong correlation between focusing on the planet and people, and a direct impact in the growth of profits.

Environmental impact can no longer be an afterthought that businesses try to mitigate against. It must be considered and woven into the fabric of decision making throughout every stage, process and level. Businesses that are starting to achieve this now will have a solid foundation for future success. Cristianne Close (Global Markets Practice Leader, WWF International) stated that

“brands that deliver on pursuit of purpose, that drive a culture of sustainable innovation, are the front runners in consumers’ eyes – and they are watching”.

Cristianne Close
The green talent gap

A recent study has highlighted that many businesses are struggling to source the talent to drive environmental change, and “with demand for sustainability talent outpacing supply, it is increasingly difficult to recruit skilled individuals, thus stalling progress on sustainability goals” (Gartner, 2024).

Employers need to find and develop managers who can motivate, enthuse and build respect throughout their workforce. Addressing these skills gaps, as well as creating a skilled pipeline of recruits familiar with sustainable business practices, will help to grow a workforce better equipped to help achieve sustainability goals, carbon emission reductions, and net zero targets.

Major consumer brands such as Unilever, Patagonia, IKEA, Microsoft, Danone, Nestle, and Tesla have led the way in making serious commitments and progress toward sustainability goals, creating dedicated job roles for specialists in sustainability. According to LinkedIn (2020) there were 10% more job postings and a 7.5% increase in members with ‘sustainability’ in their title. The current trend in hiring dedicated corporate social responsibility/sustainable practitioners is growing.

As the world’s leading learning company, creating a more sustainable world is a natural part of everything that Pearson does. Learning itself is the greatest force for change in our world and helping people gain knowledge and skills is, inherently, a way to improve our planet and our society.  Pearson achieves this every day by turning products into vibrant learning experiences, focusing on people, and protecting our planet, forming the bedrock of their Sustainable Business Strategy.

How Pearson is bridging the sustainability skills gap

Pearson’s new Higher Technical Qualification (HTQ) in Sustainable Business Management is one way learners can develop the skills employers need to meet their sustainability goals. The Higher National Diploma (HND) includes modules in Principles of Sustainability, Corporate Governance and Ethics, and The Contemporary Business Environment.

The aim is to help students develop sustainable business management skills and the knowledge and understanding to deliver sustainable business activities and drive the sustainability agenda. The units within the qualification also cover areas such as green accounting, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, supply chain management, virtue ethics, leadership and management, emotional intelligence and much more. No matter which sector graduates choose to enter, having a qualification in Sustainable Business Management will be invaluable in helping companies to set, implement, and achieve sustainable development goals.

Dr Paul Pritchard (Senior Associate at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership), one of the independent consultants for the qualification development stated that:

“Sustainability is rightly being seen by organisations as a critical issue- meeting legal requirements and beyond that supporting innovation leading to improvements in operational efficiencies and identification of new business models. The need for development of sustainability skills is also widely recognised, not least in underpinning future career opportunities for employees. Accordingly, it has been a pleasure working with the Pearson team on the Sustainable Business Management qualification, which I consider to be a valuable contribution to meeting the current and future sustainability education needs of the workforce. I am convinced that these qualifications will be important, not only through their benefit to employers but also reflecting the increasing interest in sustainability issues I see at the level of the individual employee.”

Dr Paul Pritchard

Pearson’s Level 5 BTEC Higher National Diploma in Sustainable Business Management is one of the latest qualifications to be awarded with HTQ status from The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE). Pearson’s HTQ portfolio is continuing to grow, offering high quality subjects across a broad range of sectors.

You can find out more about HTQs by visiting the Pearson website.

‘Elite’ Star and Eton sixth forms reveal ‘clearing house’ careers role

The new “elite” sixth forms run by leading academy trust Star and Eton College will provide a “clearing house” role to help bright pupils in their areas to stay in education.

The organisations made a raft of commitments today, announcing they have formed a new “think and do” tank called the Eton Star Partnership to “seek solutions to systemic challenges”.

The group’s first report found more than 5,000 youngsters with at least an A in English and maths in 2013 did not go on to get a university degree by the age of 25 (9 per cent of the cohort).

While many of these youngsters went on to do the equivalent of what is now a degree apprenticeship, the report said university alternative pathways are too “small scale”.

The report said the “system must be able to scale up different and legitimate post-16 options for some, including those who perform academically well at GCSE”. A “better system of ‘second chances’ will benefit this group, and others too”.

Star and Eton have been given government approval to open three selective sixth forms in Dudley, Middlesbrough, and Oldham to help get more bright pupils into top universities.

Alongside the sixth forms, they will open education research centres (centres for innovation and learning research, CIRLs) which will work to “identify talented young students in years 10 and 11 – and even earlier – and to work with their schools on an intervention programme to encourage them to stay in structured post-16 environments after GCSE”.

“Such environments will include our college but will not be limited to that; we want to also act as a clearing house for pathways to local degree apprenticeship opportunities and other post 16 and post 18 pathways, working with local colleges, university outreach partnerships, and all others in this space”.

‘Clear information and guidance offer’

Outreach work through the CIRLs will also provide a “clear information and guidance offer to better inform these cohorts about what their options are”. 

“Alongside this, we will deliver a programme in 11-16 education not just of academic support, but of character education, leadership, and aspirations – such that talented students recognise the options open to them, and are less likely to disengage”.

Sir Hamid Patel
Sir Hamid Patel

More than 100 schools already get support through the Eton X digital platform.

The partnership has also pledged to help deliver “intervention structures” and “intensive support” at partner schools after GCSE results are issued to stop bright pupils “drifting into post 16 education without much clear idea”. 

“That four to six week period after results is an intense time when decisions can be made and pathways shown, backed by actual, rather than forecast results.”

Sir Hamid Patel, chief executive of Star, said the “partnership is an incredibly strong one, with foundations in both a shared vision for education and in tangible delivery”.

The partnership has committed to publish research shedding new insight in key barriers, gather influential leaders to enrich CPD and drive policy and put its research into practice.

AAC Apprenticeship Awards winners 2024 revealed

A special black-tie ceremony at the end of the tenth annual apprenticeship conference (AAC) saw exceptional individuals, training providers, employers, universities and colleges recognised for their excellence in the apprenticeship world.

The AAC awards ceremony, delivered in partnership with City and Guilds, attracted a record 380 nominations across the 20 categories, with 21 winners being announced and eight organisations recognised as highly commended.

Among the winners of the prestigious trophies were BPP Education Group, which was named apprenticeship provider of the year, and Torus, who won the large apprentice employer of the year award and Hob Salons Ltd, who fought off three other competitors for SME apprentice employer of the year.

BPP Education Group also won the award for legal, finance and accounting apprenticeship provider of the year.

Taking home the gong for care services apprenticeship provider of the year was Apprenticeships at Salford City College.

Elsewhere, providers in sectors such as digital, construction, agriculture and hospitality were awarded for their exceptional apprenticeship programmes.

The evening began with a special recognition award to Dr Christopher Jones, a former Ofsted special adviser for apprenticeships. Dr Jones has had a two-decade long career as a teacher in schools, colleges, initial teacher education and ITPs.

The winners were announced at the tenth Annual Apprenticeship Conference gala dinner this evening at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham.

It follows a Parliamentary reception earlier this month where the finalists were announced at the House of Commons.

Shane Mann, chief executive of FE Week’s publisher EducationScape and AAC awards co-host, said: “As chair of the judging panel, I am proud to say we were inundated by the number and quality of the nominations we received.

“Great apprenticeships are a testament to dedicated professionals in employers and training providers. Our winners demonstrate the excellent work that goes into putting the apprentice experience at the heart of everything they do.

“Tonight showcased the very best the apprenticeships sector has to offer. Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to our team of amazing judges, sponsors and partners. We couldn’t have done it without them.”

The winners in full are listed below: