Over-allocated ‘discretionary funding’ now stalling apprenticeship decisions as college describes ‘negative impact’ and FE leader calls lack of info ‘crazy’

The delay in confirming growth requests for 16 to 18 apprenticeships and traineeships is the result of the Department for Education (DfE) over-allocating funding, FE Week can reveal.

Providers who submitted growth requests to help fund apprenticeships and traineeships in 2015/16 are still desperately waiting for news – despite the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) setting a deadline of 8 January to respond.

A DfE spokesperson said of the pending growth requests: “It’s not clear when we will be able to confirm it because we have over-allocated our discretionary funding for 2015/16 and have to get permission to release the funds for these growth bids.”

Asked when the issue would be resolved, they described it as “really unclear”, adding: “Officials say they’re hopeful the situation could change as early as tomorrow.”

Jerry White, the deputy principal of City College Norwich, warned: “This uncertainty could have a negative impact on prospective apprentices and their employers.”

Colleges and training organisations can submit growth requests to receive additional funding for 16 to 18 apprenticeships or traineeships if their existing money does not go far enough, or if they think it would allow them to deliver extra services.

Mr White added: “The uncertainty caused by this unexplained delay will affect colleges’ basic financial control function of ensuring that we have the funding in place to cover our expenditure on delivery.

It’s not clear when we will be able to confirm it because we have over-allocated our discretionary funding for 2015/16 and have to get permission to release the funds for these growth bids.”

“The SFA’s failure to provide this funding announcement to their own published timetable hinders the ability of senior management teams to have well-informed discussions with governors about their plans for expanding 16-18 apprenticeship provision.”

Stewart Segal, chief executive of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers, said he found the delay “surprising” in his weekly update to members.

“As far as I know we haven’t heard anything on 16 to 18 traineeships and apprenticeships, which is crazy.

“I just can’t think of any reason why that’s been delayed and it has highlighted what we’ve said all along — the biggest barrier to apprenticeship growth will be the contracting process,” he said.

The over-allocated discretionary funding is the responsibility of the Education Funding Agency, bringing it under the remit of the DfE.

When asked about the growth case delay the DfE said: “We have already created 2.4m apprenticeships and are committed to creating a further 3m more by 2020. We have already been able to meet growth requests for adult apprenticeships and will confirm the position on 16-18 apprenticeships as soon as possible.”

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Editorial : Honesty is the best policy

Take a moment to empathise with the Central Delivery Service (CDS) advisers at the Skills Funding Agency.

As if what must feel like annual restructures at the Agency were not stressful enough, they represent the front line in communications with embattled providers.

On the 23 December last year they dutifully emailed colleges and training providers to “confirm the outcome of any 16-18 growth requests” would occur as planned, by 8 January.

Yet as FE Week went to press, nearly a month later, there remains little to no news about when or whether the apprenticeship growth requests will be granted.

What we now know is an unrelated budget mess at the DfE is to blame.

Do civil servants at the DfE know what damage this does to the relations between providers and their SFA CDS adviser?

And even if they do, will they even care?

History has shown that these growth requests are granted in the end, but at what cost to the very human relationship between funder and provider?

Communication is key, and a DfE claiming to be committed to transparency should practice what they preach.

Nick Linford, interim editor

The Skills Funding Agency has today published the funding guidance, rates and formula for 2016/17 across 10 individual documents (see below).

It explained that the plans for skills devolution and reform of apprenticeships had provided an opportunity “to review and rationalise our current funding approach and the way we present the funding rules”.

“This year we have produced a suite of funding rules documents that can be accessed by providers and stakeholders in a number of ways,” it added.

The statement added that the SFA had “streamlined” the funding rules and removed duplication, by publishing “a document that sets out the rules that must be followed for all SFA providers”.

It has also published separate funding rules for the new Adult Education Budget (AEB), apprenticeships and adult learner loans to ensure easy reference for providers.

In addition to this, a document that sets out funding rules common to “all apprenticeships, regardless of whether providers are delivering frameworks or standards”, has been unveiled.

It said: “As the AEB is a new budget with rules designed to provide greater local flexibility for providers to respond to local needs, in advance of formal devolution of skills funding starting from 2018… we have published a supporting document: Adult Education Budget — Changing Context and Arrangements for 2016 to 2017.”

The SFA said that there were “no significant changes to the funding calculation in the funding year 2016 to 2017; the only change is how we set the rates for qualifications”.

“If we funded the qualification in 2015 to 2016 we will maintain that rate,” it added.

“Otherwise, we will set the rate based on regulated guided learning hours. We are no longer setting rates based upon the credit value of the qualification. For other learning activity not involving a qualification, the rate will be based on the planned hours of the learning.”

All colleges and other training providers were also invited to review the rules and share feedback with then SFA.

The SFA will host an online forum from Monday (February 1) to Friday, (February 12).

1. Apprenticeship standards funding rules 2016 to 2017
2. Apprenticeships common funding rules 2016 to 2017
3. Combined Framework Rules
4. Combined Standards Rules
5. SFA common funding rules 2016 to 2017 FINAL
6. Summary of Changes 
7. Adult Education Budget changing context and arrangements for arrangements for 2016 to 2017
8. Adult education budget funding rules 2016 to 2017
9. Advanced Learner Loans funding rules 2016 to 2017
10. Apprenticeship Framework Funding Rules 2016 to 2017
12. > Zipped file with all 10 documents

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Register here for a free Lsect webinar about the 16/17 guidance with Nick Linford, author of the Complete Guide to Apprenticeship Funding.

General secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) Brian Lightman has stepped down with “immediate effect”.

He will be replaced by Malcolm Trobe, the current deputy general secretary, on an interim basis until ASCL appoints a permanent successor.

It comes as FE Week’s sister title FE Week is reporting that Mr Lightman, who has held the position since 2010, now plans to set up an education consultancy.

He said: “It’s been a privilege to represent ASCL and the more than 18,500 school leaders.

“It’s been a time of great change, but I’ve found it a great honour. I feel ASCL has been listened to as an authoritative voice for school leaders and we’ve always tried to be proactive as leaders in providing solutions.”

Mr Trobe said: “Throughout his period as general secretary, Brian has shown unwavering commitment to championing and supporting the work done by ASCL members in ensuring that the job of school and college leadership continues to be fulfilling and worthwhile.”

He added that Mr Lightman had worked tirelessly with ministers, top civil servants and other key influencers to shape and influence the education policy of successive governments.

“Brian led the ASCL Great Education Debate in 2014, which energised many members behind a compelling view of a school-led, self-improving system,” he said.

“It paved the way for ASCL’s blueprint and vision, which is now widely understood and supported by education practitioners and policy makers.”

Mr Lightman was also president of the organisation from 2007 to 2008.

A graduate of the University of Southampton, Mr Lightman started his professional life as a modern foreign languages teacher in the south east.

He became headteacher of Llantwit Major School in 1995 and was headteacher of St Cyres School in Penarth from 1999 to 2010.

Pearson has been slammed by Ofsted for its inadequate apprenticeship provision in a report which found “no key strengths”.

The global education business, which provides apprenticeships for around 80 members of staff through its subcontractor Pearson TQ, has dropped two grades to be ranked ‘inadequate’ across the board by the education watchdog.

In their damning report, published today, the inspection team said they had “found no key strengths”.

“Leaders and managers have failed to maintain the strengths or tackle the areas of poor performance identified at the last inspection,” the report added.

“Too many apprentices drop out of learning or do not make sufficient progress to complete their programmes within the agreed timescale,” it said, with the result that “too many apprentices do not complete their programmes successfully”.

A Pearson spokesperson said in response: “Pearson TQ took over this service in summer 2015 and had developed and started implementing a clear action plan with leaders and managers in Pearson before the inspection which led to this report.

“This has already seen some learners complete their programmes. We take this report very seriously and are making further improvements in our programme so that our apprentices receive the highest possible standard of learning and support.

“We are disappointed with this report and will be challenging some of the comments, which we feel do not accurately reflect the improvements that have already been made since Pearson TQ took over management of the service.”

The report also raised concern over safeguarding of learners.

It said: “While safeguarding at an organisational level is in place, arrangements for the safeguarding of apprentices do not meet statutory requirements.

“Senior leaders have not ensured that a suitably trained member of staff is in place to oversee safeguarding procedures on the apprenticeship programme.”

The provider was also told in the report to “urgently provide high-quality training for apprentices to develop their English and mathematics skills and gain English and mathematics qualifications.”

Staff “do not challenge” learners to make progress, and as a result their “levels of interest and motivation decline significantly”, it added.

Learners’ starting points are not properly assessed and recorded, the report said, and “too many apprentices have been registered on the basis of incorrect information about their qualifications and/or units.”

As a result, “a small minority of apprentices have had to recommence their programmes entirely”.

The advice and guidance offered by staff also came in for criticism.

“Staff do not provide effective information, advice and guidance that enable apprentices to understand how they can achieve their career goals,” the report said.

It also recognised that Pearson had recently changed subcontractor, but said “the recent change in subcontractor arrangements has yet to have a significant impact on ensuring apprentices make good progress.”

Publication of the Ofsted findings comes just two days after FE Week sister paper FE Week revealed that job losses among Pearson’s UK exams staff had not been ruled-out as the company prepared to cut 10 per cent of its global workforce.

The company announced cuts of around 4,000 jobs from its global staff of 40,000, as it moved to cut costs in the face of “cyclical and policy-related challenges”.

FE Week understands the 10 per cent cuts will be implemented fairly proportionately across Pearson’s global business, with around 500 jobs at risk in Britain, where the company employs around 5,000 people.

 

A new survey has been launched to gather views from employers and technical experts on how maths and English Functional Skills qualifications should be reformed.

It  is part of a “multi-stage” consultation process, first announced on January 14, that will be looking into how the qualifications should be transformed by 2018.

A spokesperson for Pye Tait Consulting, which is running the process with the Education and Training Foundation (ETF), said the new employer survey would not close until “late March”.

It asks more than 25 questions, including on whether those filling in the survey had heard of Functional Skills, or offered them to employees.

It also asks what they thought should be included in “the content” of maths and English Functional Skills “to make them more valuable to you as an employer?”.

Guidance for contributing to the reforms on the Pye Tait Consulting website said that ETF would also be conducting interviews separately until late March with “employers from different sectors and of all sizes”.

A second consultation with providers and other sector experts is also expected to run from mid-May until late June.

It comes after FE Week revealed on December 1 that the ETF had appointed Yorkshire-based Pye Tait Consulting, in partnership with the the Learning and Work Institute (formerly NIACE), to lead the consultation on its behalf, following a public procurement process.

The government had previously asked ETF to carry out a comprehensive review of English and maths Functional Skills, as reported in FE Week in July, that will lead to new qualifications being launched in 2018.

An ETF spokesperson added that it intended to present a report to Ministers by the end of August, with a view to the reformed qualifications being ready to teach by September 2018.

Visit www.etfoundation.co.uk/functionalskillsreform or www.pyetait.com/fsreform to find out more about the consultation.

The winners of the 2015 National Apprenticeship Awards have been announced at a ceremony attended by Skills Minister Nick Boles and the Prime Minister’s apprenticeship adviser Nadhim Zahawi.

The crowning glory of the event in Grosvenor House hotel last night (January 27) was the Apprenticeship Champion of the Year Award, which went to Neil Cain, aged 51, an operations director for grounds maintenance company John O’Conner.

Commenting on the achievement, Mr Cain said: “Ever since I started my apprenticeship in 1980 I’ve really enjoyed working with other people. I still use everything that I’ve learned on the journey.

“In terms of my industry, this award will make a massive difference.

“The horticultural industry has got a real drive at the moment for pushing apprenticeships across to all the boys and girls throughout the UK.”

At the finale of the 12th year of the competition, three apprentices in their early twenties scooped the Intermediate, Advanced and Higher Apprentice of the Year awards.

Kathleen Sandford, a 20-year-old student of Kidderminster College, who is a training administration apprentice for The Community Housing Group, won the award for the Intermediate Apprentice of the Year, and 24-year-old Joshua White, of Highbury College, was named Advanced Apprentice of the Year, for his work as a business analyst with IBM UK.

For Higher Apprenticeships (levels 4-7), this year’s winner was Jade Aspinall, 23, who studied with Alliance Learning, and is now working as a manufacturing engineer for MBDA UK.

Jade finished her four year apprenticeship in September, and said it was “the best decision of [her] life”.

Her parents wanted her to go to college and then university, but in her second year at college she met an apprentice from MBDA who told her all about the work — not only was she learning but also earning her own salary, while Jade was working part-time at Morrison’s supermarket.

This experience, combined with a university open day where she was encouraged to join a course that would help her into a job with companies like MBDA but would leave her with £36,000 of debt, made up Jade’s mind.

“From that point it was a no-brainer — I was doing the apprenticeship,” she said.

She added winning the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) Higher Apprentice of the Year Award was “massive”.

“I wasn’t expecting to win at all … As a woman in engineering I can use this to promote what I’m doing, to give back to young people when I go into schools – it’s not just that I’m an apprentice, I’m an award-winning apprentice.”

Awards were also handed out to employers on the night, and the Nas published the list of Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers 2015, sponsored by City & Guilds.

Award-winners were Adary Joiners, Greater Manchester-based specialists in property refurbishment, who won Small Employer of the Year; Genix Healthcare, owner and operator of a chain of UK dental clinics, who won Medium Employer of the Year; and manufacturer of construction machinery Leibherr GB, who won Large Employer of the Year.

Buckinghamshire Care, a provider of adult social care services, won Newcomer SME [small and medium-sized enterprise] of the Year and broker Be Wiser Insurance won Newcomer Large Employer of the Year.

BAE Systems gained the prize for Macro Employer of the Year and Steve Fogg, managing director of shared services, said the event was “fantastic”.

“If you look at the teams today, everybody is really proud to be here. I had the pleasure of presenting an award to tonight as well as receiving one and there’s nothing like doing both. It’s great.”

 

Here is the full list of winners:

The EAL Award for Advanced Apprentice of the Year

Joshua White, 24, Highbury College, business analyst, IBM UK

The Nuclear Decommissioning Site Licence Companies Award for the Higher Apprentice of the Year

Jade Aspinall, 23, Alliance Learning, manufacturing engineer, MBDA UK

The McDonald’s Award for the Intermediate Apprentice of the Year

Kathleen Sandford, 20, Kidderminster College, training administration apprentice, The Community Housing Group

The City & Guilds award for the Apprenticeship Champion of the Year Award

Neil Cain, 51, Operations Director, John O’Conner (Grounds Maintenance)

The Unilever Award for Small Employer of the Year

Adary Joiners

The E.ON in partnership with the National Skills Academy for Power Award for Medium Employer of the Year

Genix Healthcare

The BAE Systems Award for Large Employer of the Year

Leibherr GB

The BT Award for Macro Employer of the Year

BAE Systems

The EDF Energy Award for Newcomer SME of the Year

Buckinghamshire Care

The Rolls-Royce Award for Newcomer Large Employer of the Year

Be Wiser Insurance

See Edition 162 of FE Week for more details. 

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Small businesses will get the apprenticeship levy leftovers after large employers have used up their share, Skills Minister Nick Boles confirmed today.

He was speaking in front of MPs at an evidence session for the Education, Skills and Economy Sub-Committee, at which he answered questions on FE-related issues including apprenticeships, careers advice and the Institute for Apprenticeships, as well as the levy.

“While it will be possible for any employer who pays the levy to use their contribution on their own apprenticeship across the economy we don’t expect all employers to use all their money,” he said.

“The levy money that is not used by those employers who have paid it will then effectively be recycled to support the apprenticeships of those employers who don’t pay the levy.”

The government’s English Apprenticeships: Our 2020 Vision document, published in December, had said that where levy-paying employers don’t use all their levy funds, they would be made “more widely available” – but Mr Boles’ comments appear to be the first time that details have been revealed of how that would work.

Speaking about the new Institute for Apprenticeships, Mr Boles said it would have a “very important role” as the “guarantor of quality in the apprenticeship system”.

“It’s going to take over from government the role of approving apprenticeship standards, of approving the assessment regimes that operate with apprenticeships – the end-point assessments – and of guarding the quality of the apprenticeship programme,” he said.

The new institute would have an “arms-length” relationship with government, Mr Boles said, and its board would be made up of “mainly business leaders”.

“We are introducing this new levy, so it’s important that they [businesses] feel they are in control of what they are being required to invest in,” Mr Boles said.

See FE Week edition 162, dated Monday, February 1, for more.

Former government apprenticeships adviser Doug Richard was accused of multiple child sex offences, when his trial opened today at London’s Old Bailey.

The 57-year-old multimillionaire, whose 2012 Richard Review of Apprenticeships triggered ongoing reform proposals, faces three counts of sexual activity with a child, one of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and a charge of paying for sexual services.

Prosecutor Gino Connor told the jury that Richard, of Islington, north London, paid a 13-year-old schoolgirl to be his sex slave after meeting her on a “sugar daddy” website.

The court also heard that he gave the girl and her 15-year-old friend £480 in cash and PayPal deposits, including the train fare to travel from Norwich to the capital to meet him.

He was arrested on January 5 last year at the Lord Milner Hotel in south west London, the court heard.

Richard denied the charges, insisting the sex was “consensual” and that he “reasonably believed” the alleged victim was aged 16 or over, while the money was not for sex but to help with travel expenses.

FE Week reported on January 19 that Richard had been arrested in connection with the alleged attack.

At the time, he said: “I absolutely deny the allegations made about me. It would be inappropriate to comment further given that the police are at a very early stage of their investigation.”

The Richard Review of Apprenticeships, which recommended giving employers control over apprenticeship funding, has continued to impact on the FE sector since its publication in 2012.

As well as apprenticeships, he worked closely with the government as a member of the Small Business Task Force, which advised Chancellor George Osborne and Prime Minister David Cameron.

The trial is expected to go on for four days and the defence case is yet to open.

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Photo and copy credit: Press Association

Cardiff and Vale College (CVC) has become the first new member of the 157 Group since it exclusively revealed its expansion plans to FE Week following a strategic review.

The group’s chief executive Ian Pretty announced today that he was “pleased” to welcome CVC, which received a ‘good’ report from Welsh inspectorate Estyn in March last year, into what is a “growing, vibrant organisation”.

It comes after FE Week exclusively revealed on January 15 that 157 Group was planning to expand following a strategic review.

Chief executive Ian Pretty claimed in an interview that up to 15 colleges had already enquired about signing-up.

Mr Pretty, whose previous roles included senior roles in HMRC, the Cabinet Office and Capgemini, told FE Week at the time: “Our members have agreed that we should look to take on new member colleges.

“We have 26 members at present and there has been discussion over whether we want to have more or less in future. We decided to look at expanding.”

And after confirming CVC as a new member today, he said: “We are pleased to welcome CVCC as the newest member of the 157 Group.

“The group is a growing, vibrant organisation and we are ready to help deliver what government and employers need from the sector.”

Mr Pretty, who took over from executive director Dr Lynne Sedgmore in September, added: “I am delighted that we are getting a dynamic, entrepreneurial college as a new member and I look forward to working with them.”

CVC, which is also a member of Gazelle, was established in August 2011 as a result of the merger of Barry College and Coleg Glan Hafren.

The latest Estyn report said that it was in the top quarter of the largest colleges in Wales, with 10 sites located from Trowbridge in East Cardiff across to Rhoose in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Mike James, CVC principal, said today: “I am delighted that we are to become the latest FE establishment to join the 157 Group and that our commitment to being employer-facing and ensuring our learners are appropriately skilled and ready for work has been recognised by such a hugely influential UK body.

“The 157 Group is a forward thinking organisation whose priorities are closely aligned to ours.

“I have no doubt that working with the 157 Group and other member colleges will support us in shaping future skills needs to ensure the long-term economic capacity of the Welsh and UK economy.

“CVC is excited about the prospect of contributing to the vital work of the 157 Group — working with a wide range of stakeholders in the development of sustainable professional and technical skills, not just in Wales but across the sector; and of bringing examples of good practice back to our colleagues at other colleges in Wales and at Colegau Cymru to help influence and shape policy here in Wales.”