Apprenticeship starts have dropped by almost half since lockdown compared to the same period last year, according to new Department for Education figures.

Provisional data published today shows that from March 23 to May 31 there were 26,090 starts compared to the 50,050 reported between those months in 2019 – a fall of 47.9 per cent.

The DfE stressed that final data will not become available until later in the year, so therefore at this point it is “unclear what the true number of starts in the affected period was or if the level of underreporting at this point in the year has been affected by the lockdown”.

Young learners have been the hardest hit by Covid-19, as the data shows just 2,020 (7.7 per cent) of the 26,090 starts were for those aged under 19. Starts for over 25s made up 16,670 (63.9 per cent).

And level 2 apprenticeships accounted for 7,020 (26.9 per cent) of starts; this was 37.1 per cent in 2018/19.

Last month DfE data revealed there had been 13,020 apprenticeship starts reported between March 23 and the end of April, compared to 26,300 for the same period last year.

Responding to the latest figures, Association of Employment and Learning Providers chief executive Mark Dawe said: “With youth unemployment having doubled, we need an urgent policy response that protects both existing apprentices coming off furlough and stimulates new apprenticeship opportunities for other young people while also providing an option for unemployed adults.

“The DfE should finally recognise too that both levy and non-levy apprenticeships need to be protected by its provider relief scheme.

“Apprenticeships are jobs and most observers agree that a significant wage subsidy is required to encourage employers, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, to offer new opportunities.”  

A DfE spokesperson said: “We acknowledge this is a challenging time for employers, apprentices and people thinking about their next steps, but we absolutely remain committed to investing in apprenticeships.

“They are an excellent way to get ahead in a wide range of rewarding careers and will continue to play an important role in delivering the high-quality skills that employers need and will support our economic recovery post Covid-19.

“We are looking at how we can support employers, especially small and medium sized businesses, to take on new apprentices this year and will provide further detail in due course.”

Total income across colleges in England could fall by £2 billion next year as the “enormous impact” of Covid-19 bites, the chief executive of their membership body has said.

Association of Colleges boss David Hughes revealed the prediction during an education select committee hearing this morning in which he added the government “must must must” do something to support them instead of offering “warm words”.

It comes after ministers controversially snubbed colleges from their £1 billion education catch-up fund last week.

Hughes told the committee of MPs that college sector income currently sits at around £7 billion but a large chunk of that is now “at risk”.

“We think there is about £2 billion of college income at risk for the next academic year out of £7 billion,” he said.

“That is an enormous impact and this is on a sector that has faced a decade of austerity and neglect. It is a very vulnerable sector.

“It is not just the independent training providers, colleges all over the country are well run, well led, have fantastic relationships with employers. There is one college that has 40 per cent of its income commercial because it is working so effectively with businesses, all of that income is at risk.

“The government must must must do something to support those colleges at risk.”

At the beginning of the pandemic in March, the AoC called for emergency financial support to be made available to colleges to keep them afloat after estimating that an average college might lose between £500,000 and £1 million per month of temporary closure or reduced capacity.

Earlier in today’s hearing, Hughes said the AoC has recently surveyed the 17 colleges that provide apprenticeships and they predicted a 50 per cent drop in starts next year, which would equate to a £30 million loss just to those 17.

“The capacity [for apprenticeships] is going to be lost unless the government steps in,” he added.

“We’re saying let’s absolutely secure the capacity in those sectors that are the highest priority: engineering, manufacturing, construction, NHS, social care and digital.

“Let’s secure the capacity and work with employers to make sure the apprenticeship system goes ahead successfully.”

The apprenticeships system is “failing” young disadvantaged people and needs “decisive” government action to stop it from becoming worse, according to the Social Mobility Commission.

A report published today by the independent advisory non-departmental public body warns that disadvantage gaps exist at “every stage” of the apprenticeship journey, from initial selection of candidates by employers to the quality of training apprentices get.

Their analysis found there was a 36 per cent decline in starts by learners from disadvantaged backgrounds between 2015/16 and 2017/18 – the year the levy was introduced – in comparison to a 23 per cent decline for more privileged apprentices.

At the same time only 13 per cent of degree-level apprenticeships – the “fastest growing and most expensive apprenticeship option” – were taken by disadvantaged apprentices.

And on average, apprentices from disadvantaged backgrounds earn less than non-disadvantaged apprentices.

The authors of ‘Apprenticeships and social mobility: Fulfilling potential’  also warned that the coronavirus pandemic may further worsen the disparity.

Steven Cooper, joint deputy chair of the Social Mobility Commission, said the apprenticeship levy, introduced in April 2017, has “disproportionately funded higher-level apprenticeships for learners from more advantaged communities, rather than those from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds who would benefit more”.

He added that it is “no longer credible for the government to assume that apprenticeships automatically improve social mobility and leave the system to its own devices”.

The Department for Education said they are “absolutely committed to levelling up opportunity across the country” and will do “all we can to make sure no-one is left behind as a result of coronavirus”.

The Social Mobility Commission’s report sets the government six targets to meet by September 2023 (see list below).

Despite the apprenticeship currently “not delivering”, the commission states that apprenticeships are one of the most “effective means” of boosting social mobility for workers from poorer backgrounds.

They found, for example, there is a 16 per cent boost to wages for disadvantaged learners who complete their training, compared with 10 per cent for others.

But it is getting into and through the system that is the problem.

The research, conducted by London Economics, mirrored the traditional steps in the apprentice journey: from selection into apprenticeship training until entry into the labour market.

They found a “big gap” between apprentices, depending on their socio-economic status, in terms of employer selection for training; the quality or “value” of the training received; the likelihood of completing training and of progressing into higher-level apprenticeships, or further and higher education; as well as levels of pay after undertaking an apprenticeship.

The authors described this as a “remarkable” finding and proves that the levy has been “ineffective” in narrowing the disadvantaged gap.

For example, in 2017/18, disadvantaged learners “clustered” in apprenticeships at lower levels: 48 per cent of disadvantaged starters were enrolled into an intermediate apprenticeship, compared with only 41 per cent of starters from non-disadvantaged backgrounds.

They also “clustered in low-paying subject areas at higher apprenticeship levels, particularly for women” such as the services, health, education or public administration sectors, and had “shorter planned apprenticeship durations than their peers, on average, within higher-earning subject areas such as engineering, construction and Information and Communications Technology”.

The commission found that disadvantaged apprentices are less likely to complete their training than non-disadvantaged peers.

A total of 63 per cent of apprenticeships started between 2013/14 and 2014/15 were successfully completed within three years at intermediate level by disadvantaged men and women, compared to 67 per cent for their more privileged peers.

The main reason for dropping out included low levels of pay with small and medium-sized enterprises more likely to pay apprentices the minimum wage.

And young disadvantaged learners were up to four percentage points less likely to progress to qualifications at higher levels, compared with non-disadvantaged learners.

Lead author Alice Battiston said: “The relatively low completion rate achieved by disadvantaged apprentices, particularly at intermediate level, is another alarming point emerging from our analysis. Specific interventions are needed to reduce drop-outs.”

She added that disadvantaged apprentices are at greater risk from an economic decline following Covid-19, as many are employed in sectors such as hospitality and retail.

Cooper said strategic action and direction are needed to target the apprenticeships system better on disadvantaged communities and improve the system’s value for money.

“This is an easy win for the government in its attempts at levelling up – if it can get this right. The government must look at the structural barriers in place and take action to channel resources where they will have the greatest effect,” he added.

The DfE’s spokesperson said: “We are looking at how we can make sure more people and businesses can take advantage of apprenticeships in the future including  supporting employers, especially small and medium sized businesses, to take on new apprentices this year.”

The commission’s six targets for government to meet by September 2023: 

1: Increase the share of apprentices from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds to pre-levy level.

2: Increase the proportion of starters from disadvantaged backgrounds at advanced and higher levels to comparable levels currently prevailing for non-disadvantaged apprentices. 

3: Eliminate the disadvantage gap in levy support for starters at higher level.

4: Ensure the average planned duration of comparable apprenticeship programmes are at least as long for disadvantaged learners as for non-disadvantaged learners (with no shortening of planned duration compared to current levels)

5: Reduce incidence of non-achievement for all socio-economic backgrounds to levels comparable to those in other education sectors.

6: Ensure completion rates for comparable apprenticeship programmes are the same for both disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged learners (and comparable to completion rates in the wider education arena).

Students from the European Union will lose eligibility for advanced learner loans from August next year, the government confirmed today.

Universities minister Michelle Donelan announced the new rules this afternoon, which also apply to students from the European Economic Area and Swiss nationals.

It comes as the UK prepares to leave the transition year for leaving the European Union at the end of December.

“Following our decision to leave the EU, EU, other EEA and Swiss nationals will no longer be eligible for home fee status, undergraduate, postgraduate and advanced learner financial support from Student Finance England for courses starting in academic year 2021/22,” Donelan said.

She confirmed that this change will apply to further education funding for those aged 19 and above, including the national and devolved adult education budget, and funding for apprenticeships.

The EU makes up 11 per cent in terms of learners and funding for colleges currently, according to statistics published by the Student Loan Company.

Donelan said the changes will not affect students “starting courses in academic year 2020/21, nor those EU, other EEA and Swiss nationals benefitting from Citizens’ Rights under the EU Withdrawal Agreement, EEA EFTA Separation Agreement or Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement respectively”.

“It will also not apply to Irish nationals living in the UK and Ireland whose right to study and to access benefits and services will be preserved on a reciprocal basis for UK and Irish nationals under the Common Travel Area arrangement.”

She added that EU, other EEA and Swiss students, staff and researchers make an “important contribution to our universities…I want that contribution to continue and am confident – given the world-leading quality of our higher education sector – that it will”.

Home fee status currently allows those impacted to pay tuition fees at the “home” rather than the more expensive overseas rate on courses of FE in England.

 

A cross-party group of MPs has written to Gavin Williamson today urging him “to extend eligibility for the Covid catch-up fund to include sixth form and other colleges”.

The officers of the All Party Parliamentary Group for sixth form education said they “do not understand why 16 to 19 providers such as sixth form and other colleges are not able to access” the £1 billion support package.

Last Thursday, the Department for Education caused confusion and anger after telling the press that 16 to 19 providers would be included in the Covid-19 catch-up fund only to send out a “correction” two hours later that removed them.

The education secretary and prime minister Boris Johnson then launched the funding to help only school pupils catch-up on the teaching time lost due to the coronavirus pandemic on Friday.

FE Week understands it was the Treasury’s decision to pull colleges from initiative.

In the letter to Williamson sent today, co-chairs of the APPG Dame Diana Johnson MP and Jason McCartney MP said: “The £1 billion Covid catch-up fund to tackle the impact of lost teaching time is welcome, and we hope that it benefits pupils in primary and secondary schools. However, we do not understand why 16 to 19 providers such as sixth form and other colleges are not able to access this fund.

“Funding for 16 to 19 education is significantly lower than funding for 11 to 16 education, and 16 to 19 year olds studying in colleges already face a number of funding inequalities despite being more disadvantaged than their peers in school sixth forms. So we find it very hard to understand why these young people will not be able to benefit from the Covid catch-up fund. 

“We urge you to extend eligibility for the Covid catch-up fund to include sixth form and other colleges, and to clarify whether other 16 to 19 providers such as school sixth forms, 16-19 academies and 16-19 free schools are eligible to access the fund.”

The other Conservative signatories were vice chairs Peter Aldous, Caroline Nokes and William Wragg while the Labour Party’s Rachel Hopkins and the only Green MP Caroline Lucas also lent their support to the appeal.

The letter was also sent to apprenticeships and skills minister Gillian Keegan, chair of the education select committee Robert Halfon as well as academies minister Baroness Berridge.

Williamson dodged multiple questions from MPs who challenged him on the exclusion of colleges from the £1 billion scheme during education questions in the House of Commons yesterday.

Boris Johnson was also quizzed on the issue by Daniel Zeichner MP today. The prime minister said: “We will of course do everything we can to ensure not just our schools but our colleges also get the attention they need.

“There is massive investment now going into the rebuilding of FE colleges and ensuring our FE sector gets the investment it deserves.”

The Association of Colleges and Sixth Form Colleges Association had been in discussions with the DfE about the support package and both expected their members to be included in the announcement.

On the night of the announcement, chief executive of the AoC David Hughes said it was “indefensible to overlook the needs of the 700,000 in colleges”.

At the time, Bill Watkin, chief executive of the Sixth Form Colleges Association, added the last-minute exclusion of FE providers was “unjustifiable”.

The letter sent to Williamson can be accessed here.

It is the government’s “intention” to get colleges “back in September”, the prime minister said today after announcing that schools will reopen by then with “full attendance” as social distancing rules are relaxed.

Boris Johnson told the House of Commons this afternoon that he will reduce the distance that needs to be maintained between people from two metres to one from July 4.

After announcing a raft of industries reopening from that date, such as pubs, restaurants, hairdressers, hotels and campsites, the prime minister said: “Primary and secondary education will recommence in September with full attendance and those children who can already go to school should do so because it is safe.”

He was later asked by Richard Graham MP if he would agree that the “absolutely crucial goal is for all children and students and FE colleges and universities to be able to go back to school, college and university in the autumn absolutely safely?”

Johnson replied: “It is our intention to get not just schools but FE colleges back as well in September and get our young people back where they need to be in education and preparing for their future.”

Colleges have been allowed to welcome back more students from June 15, but are only allowed up a quarter of 16 to 19 year olds in the first year of a study programme on site at any one time until the summer break.

Principals have previously warned that it would not be possible to return all students with social distancing rules in place.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said today that it was “pure fantasy” to suggest that reducing the social distancing rule to one metre would allow all children and students to return in September.

“We need a proper strategy to bring children back into schools and colleges based in reality and on public health guidance,” he said.

Johnson said that his government will soon publish Covid-secure guidelines for every sector that is reopening and “slowly but surely these measures will restore a sense of normality”.

“After the toughest restrictions in peacetime history, we are now able to make life easier for people to see more of their friends and family and get businesses back on their feet and people back into work,” he added.

It was the Treasury’s decision to pull colleges from the Department for Education’s £1 billion Covid-19 catch-up plan, FE Week understands.

Last week, the DfE sparked outrage after telling the press that 16 to 19 providers would be included in the support package only to send out a “correction” two hours later that removed them.

Ministers have so far refused to say why colleges were suddenly snubbed at the eleventh hour despite pressure growing on them to provide answers. A petition has also since been launched by a former principal calling for the decision to be reversed.

But FE Week understands it was actually the Treasury’s call.

The Treasury did not deny that they overruled the DfE when approached for comment. A spokesperson would only say they have nothing further to add on this additional to the education secretary Gavin Williamson’s words in the House of Commons yesterday.

Williamson had dodged multiple questions from MPs who challenged him on the exclusion of colleges from the £1 billion scheme during education questions.

 

The very first question came from Wes Streeting, the MP for Ilford North, who said: “Last Thursday the incompetence, or was it a row between DfE and the Treasury, that saw at half past six the DfE press release announcing support including early years and post-16 education, only by half past eight to see a support package only for schools.

“Isn’t it time for the secretary of state to get a grip and get the action that we really need?”

But Williamson had nothing to say about colleges in his response: “This is the party and this is the government that is absolutely committed to closing the gap between those who are most advantaged and those who are most disadvantaged.

“That is why we are not just talking about it like the party opposite did, we are driving up standards in education and in schools. That’s why we’re spending an extra billion pounds in terms of raising standards and helping those youngsters who have been impacted by it.”

Pressing Williamson on the same topic minutes later, shadow education secretary and MP for Salford and Eccles, Rebecca Long-Bailey, asked: “What on earth happened?”

But again the education secretary ignored the question and instead criticised the Labour Party, stating: “Maybe it would be nice if the lady opposite could welcome such proposals.”

Later in the session, Chesterfield MP and shadow apprenticeships and lifelong learning minister Toby Perkins asked how the government can “justify leaving them [16 t 19 providers] out of that announcement when a plan for schools was in place last week?”.

Skills minister Gillian Keegan replied this time and said the DfE would provide more details “soon” on how 16 to 19 providers can “further support students” needing to catch up on the education they have lost due to Covid-19.

“I think it’s clear the initial focus has been on the school catch-up. There has been a great response form the further education sector.

“They were quick to move online, they have provided a wide range of engaging and innovative classes but we do recognise the need for catch up, particularly those starting college from school. We are working to see what more support we can give to make up for the disruption due to Covid-19.”

Under the DfE’s £1 billion proposal, all state primary and secondary schools will split £650 million in additional funding for the 2020-21 academic year to help their pupils catch up on education missed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The remaining £350 million will pay for the establishment of a National Tutoring Programme, which will run for the duration of the next academic year and give schools access to subsidised tutoring sessions and free coaches for up to two million disadvantaged pupils.

The Association of Colleges and Sixth Form Colleges Association had been in discussions with the DfE about the support package and both expected their members to be included in the announcement.

A petition calling on the government to reverse their decision to drop 16 to 18-year-olds from the funding has since been launched by Christine Megson, an education consultant and former Stafford College principal.

Over 200 people have so far signed the petition which states: “I’m a former college principal and a grandparent of a 16-year-old. I believe the exclusion of these young people is wrong.

“The government should make sure that these young people also get the support they need to address their lost learning, so that the coronavirus crisis doesn’t hold them back in the future.”