On March 20 colleges closed their doors to most students as the country entered lockdown following the outbreak of Covid-19. But this month one of the biggest steps was taken to ease restrictions: the phased return of schools and other education providers. Billy Camden visits FE Week’s local college in south-east London to see first-hand how they have adapted

“Excited but nervous” was how 19-year-old Samir Ibrahim felt when he was asked by his lecturer at Lewisham College to return for face-to-face contact after 12 weeks of learning from home owing to a global pandemic.

But the first-year BTEC level 3 IT student says he was quickly put at ease as he walked through the campus doors on Tuesday and saw the lengths staff have gone to in order to keep him and his classmates safe.

Entrances are now covered with two-metre social distancing signs and arrows directing visitors through a new one-way system. Hand sanitisers are on almost every corner, plastic see-through shields protect the reception area, social spaces, including the canteen, are closed, contactless payment has been fixed on items such as vending machines, while communal water fountains have been removed.

Staff and student entrances have been separated to reduce pinch points, while learners now leave campus from a new exit that will be monitored by a security cabin which also keeps track of who is on site through contactless IDs.

And when it comes to the classroom, each one has a new capacity number based on floor space which tells students and staff how many people are allowed in at one time. Computers and work stations have been separated to the required social distance length, and wipes are provided to clean equipment before and after each use.

Lecturers are also asked to arrive early to open the door to allow students in straight away without them all having to touch the handle and to prevent queuing.

The people largely behind this transformation are the college’s head of estates, Michael Gayle, director of health and safety Wesley Mason, and facilities site manager Dean Enever.

Their team has been on site around twice a week since lockdown to carry out deep cleans and to ensure the college would be ready to reopen at any time.

After greeting me and before we tour the campus they talk me through their comprehensive 30-point risk assessment that every visitor has to read and sign before coming on site.

They are planning to create Covid-19 induction videos for life on campus come September.

Student and staff safety are of paramount importance to principal Asfa Sohail (pictured above), who has spearheaded the college through the coronavirus outbreak after joining just over a year ago from Havering College, where she was a vice principal.

But returning to campus is a “scary” and “worrying” prospect for many staff and students, a fear that was heightened after three Lewisham College staff members died in recent months after the outbreak of the virus.

“It is very tragic, and we had that as a knock-on impact on people. So we have to be very careful and cautious,” Sohail tells me, adding that 40 per cent of her staff and 82 per cent of her students respectively are black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) –  the group of people for whom Covid-19 death rates are highest in England.

“Considering a large chunk of our staff are BAME, reopening is really a concern for us as an organisation and for our unions as well.

“The risk assessment at an individual staff and student level is a time-consuming job, but we are doing it because it’s absolutely essential.”

The college has around 6,000 learners in total, around 1,175 of whom are aged 16 to 19.

While government guidelines state that colleges can welcome back a quarter of their younger students for face-to-fact contact from June 15, Sohail says she will not go “anywhere near” that number.

The college expects fewer than 20 students each day from now until the summer break.

On the day I visit, seven are being taught in one classroom from 09.30am to midday, while a second group of seven will replace them on campus in the afternoon slot, leaving by 3.30pm to avoid using public transport in the rush hour. A small group of plumbing apprentices are also on site to complete practical assessments. Just five teachers will return for teaching this week.

“Gradually numbers will increase but we’re focusing only on those learners who need extra help or to complete their practical assessments to progress next year,” Sohail explains.

Those who are coming back are pleased with the decision to return.

Samir Ibrahim tells me: “I’m enjoying seeing my classmates again and catching up with our practical work, which is what we have all missed during lockdown.”

His peer, Jinsorp Rios Selinas, also aged 19 and on the first year of a BTEC level 3 course in IT, adds: “I was feeling worried because it is risky to come here, but the measures the college has put in place have made me feel a lot more comfortable.

“We’re doing the practical side of the course here which we can’t do at home as we do not have the software.

“It is much better to come here than being at home with online classes. It is easier to interact with our lecturer and ask questions. It is good to be back.”

As Sohail puts it: “You can never replace the human touch.”

According to the government’s English Indices of Deprivation 2019 statistics, Lewisham is the 63rd most deprived local authority in England (out of 343).

This is a challenge the college faced pre-Covid, but has been heightened this year as 40 per cent of Sohail’s students are in what she describes as “digital poverty”.

These students have not been able to engage with online lessons through the pandemic as they do not own laptops and other equipment.

While the college has been “innovative” in its attempts to overcome these barriers, by, for example, using WhatsApp and printing out copies of textbooks and mailing them to students at home, it is an issue that is of highest concern to Sohail as she looks forward to a potentially bigger reopening in September.

“There’s no way all learners can be on college campuses next year because we know social distancing will have to be maintained,” she says.

“One of the models we’re looking at is that we run the timetable as normal for 50 per cent of our learners who will come into college, and the other 50 per cent will be dialling in more.

“Now, for those 50 per cent to be dialling in remotely, they will need to have access to devices and digital connectivity, which many do not have.

“I’m asking every single forum, the Association of Colleges, our local authority, we’re knocking at the doors of businesses to say ‘if you are recycling laptops and computers, could you please donate to us so that we can reconfigure and give to our students?’

“That is my biggest worry for next term.”

The wider cost of reopening, including paying for signage, cleaning materials and implementing social distancing measures, was described by head of estates Michael Gayle as “astronomical”.

To date the college has spent £8,500 on hand sanitiser stations and two different types of gel refill stocks (one with alcohol and one without), £9,500 on signage, £4,500 on protective screens, £900 on the external security booth hired to manage the campus one-way exit system, and  £4,800 on PPE.

These costs, particularly for security, additional cleaning staff and consumables, will only increase come September.

And all of this unforeseen expenditure must come from the college’s existing budget, as the Department for Education has said it will not provide any financial help in this area.

Sohail said if the college had still been a standalone (in August 2017 it joined NCG, one of the biggest college group’s in the country) it would have found it “really difficult” to survive, because of Covid’s “significant” costs.

Looking ahead to September, Lewisham College is planning for every possibility but hopes to be in a position to reopen its social spaces, including the canteen (with all of the required social distancing measures in place), as well as the hair and beauty facilities – provision which requires students to be in close contact.

But one thing is for sure, according to Sohail, campus will be a “very different place”.

Ofqual has today published the findings of their initial “technical evaluations” of apprentice end-point assessment organisations (EPAOs).

It covers the first wave of 50 EPAs that the exams regulator was the external quality assurance provider for over the past two years.

The aim of the evaluations is to provide EPAOs with guidance “as to how to make sure their assessment materials meet the criteria”.

Eight “issues” that Ofqual said are “a threat to assessment validity” were found, ranging from there being more than one correct answer in multiple choice questions to contradiction between apprentice and assessor versions of materials.

FE Week has pulled out the key findings.

 

1. ‘Insufficient’ assessor guidance – unclear task requirements

Ofqual said that two thirds of evaluated EPA materials had issues with the “clarity of the task requirements” in the guidance provided to assessors.

These types of issues “pose a risk that assessment requirements are left too open to interpretation, and that judgements, and ultimately grading decisions, are not comparable between different apprentices”.

Often they did not consider whether the apprentice showcase should or should not involve a discussion, whether extra time should be allowed if the assessment isn’t completed in the allocated time and how the assessor chooses which practical tasks to assess the apprentice on.

 

2. Little or no exemplification of grading criteria

Two thirds of EPA materials had issues with a “lack of exemplification of the grade criteria or performance requirements, by which assessors judge proficiency”.

Ofqual said a lack of “necessary detail” might result in variations of interpretation by assessors, inconsistent approaches to criteria and “incomparability” of results.

In some cases during the technical evaluations it was “unclear” from the material how assessors should differentiate between grades for timed assessments and what the evidence requirements were.

 

3. General errors, contradictions and inaccuracies

Half of the EPAs Ofqual reviewed had a “wide range” of different errors, from spelling and grammar mistakes to contradictions between apprentice and assessor versions of materials.

The regulator said such errors “affect the expectations of both apprentices and assessors of the assessment experience and may result in unfair practices for apprentices”.

In some materials they found that titles of assessor guidance documents were “unspecific” and the wording was difficult to follow, and there were “discrepancies” about how and when the EPA should be booked – for example, in one case there was guidance stating the EPA should be booked 10 days in advance and opposing guidance which said it should be booked 20 days in advance

Inconsistencies in approach included one set of guidance stating that invigilators should mark the test, whilst another stated that this is not permitted.

 

4. Assessment requirements differ from the grading criteria

Examples of this issue found in EPA materials included the grading descriptors for merit and distinction “didn’t match the criteria in the assessment plan”, as well as that a list of knowledge and behaviours for an assessment method that didn’t match the requirements of the assessment plan.

 

5. ‘Lack of clarity’ around the task requirements for the apprentice

In some apprentice guidance Ofqual said it “wasn’t clear” that assessors may use the reflective journal as part of the assessment if they don’t observe elements naturally during the observation itself.

Arrangements for the preparation and submission of the portfolio were also “not sufficiently clear” and included “conflicting information”. For example, the regulator found in one part of a document it stated that the portfolio should be submitted when an apprentice reaches gateway, and later on it stated that it should be completed during the three months leading up to the EPA.

 

6. Not all knowledge, skills and behaviours are covered

In some assessment guidance Ofqual found that “not all” elements of the standard were covered, which could “result in an apprentice passing a specific assessment without having demonstrated all of the requirements set out in the assessment plan”.

The criteria provided was also “not specific enough”, and the language used was “different from that used in the assessment plan, so it was not clear that all criteria from the plan were covered”.

 

7. More than one correct answer in multiple choice questions

On a “number of occasions”, Ofqual’s technical evaluation “identified that some multiple-choice tests had items where more than one of the possible options could be considered correct, but only one of the responses was rewarded in the mark scheme”.

The regulator said in such a circumstance an apprentice might provide a legitimate answer to a question, but may not be rewarded with a mark.

 

8. EPA not meeting the requirements of the assessment plan

In “some” materials, Ofqual found that the assessment plan stated that the assessor should “use a range of questions devised by the EPAO” for the professional discussion, but the assessor guidance stated that assessors should review log books to identify areas to explore during the assessment.

In another example, the plan stated there should be 20 questions in an assessment that lasts one hour but there were 15 questions in the assessment which lasted 90 minutes.

Ofqual said such “anomalies” might lead to a variety of issues, including “different assessment methods being used to assess the same things within a standard, incomparable experiences for apprentices and unfair practices, leading to inconsistent and unreliable results”.

The mayor of Tees Valley has earmarked £1 million to pay the wages of more than 100 young apprentices in an effort to reverse the decline of starts as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Mayor Ben Houchen (pictured) announced the fund for his region today after a recent survey by his combined authority found 69 per cent of businesses who responded had furloughed apprentices while more than third said they could no longer commit to employing an apprentice.

The money will be used to fund “100 per cent” of the apprentices’ wages in their first six months of employment, and 50 per cent for the remainder of the apprenticeship, up to a maximum of two years.

The announcement said businesses who sign up to the scheme will be asked to pay the national minimum wage, rather than the national apprenticeship wage, where applicable, and the apprentices will also be employed for a minimum of 30 hours a week.

The fund will be made available to those aged 16 to 20.

It comes just weeks after prime minister Boris Johnson told the nation during a coronavirus briefing that young people “should be guaranteed an apprenticeship” after warning of “many, many job losses” expected from the fallout of Covid-19. Details of how this would work or whether it is even an actual policy are yet to emerge.

The Association of Employment and Learning Providers has since called on the government to set aside £3.6 billion, as part of an £8.6 billion post-pandemic skills package, to spend on subsidising wages for half a million young apprentices to protect them from redundancy.

At the end of May, the Department for Education published statistics that showed from March 23, when lockdown started, to the end of April, a total of 13,020 apprenticeship starts had been reported so far – half of the 26,330 reported for the same period at the same point last year.

Mayor Houchen said: “The coronavirus pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for businesses and local workers. As part of my plan for jobs, we need to make sure that our young people who are part way through an apprenticeship can continue with the qualifications, which will help them for the rest of their lives.

“Unfortunately, many businesses are now reluctant to commit to offering apprenticeships to young people because of the uncertainty they are currently experiencing and as part of my plan to create local jobs for local people, I’m going to change this.”

💰 £1 MILLION TO FUND WAGES OF MORE THAN 100 APPRENTICES 🔧

Unfortunately businesses are reluctant to offer apprenticeships to young people because of the current uncertainty

As part of my plan to create local jobs, I’m going to change this 👇

The Comeback starts now #OurTime pic.twitter.com/MPixfY06Ud

— Ben Houchen (@BenHouchen) June 18, 2020

He added: “By offering almost £1 million and funding the salaries of more than 100 apprenticeships, we can make sure that our talented young people across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool are getting the good highly skilled, good quality jobs they deserve and are starting off on the road to a successful career.

“This has been a difficult time for everybody, but we need to make sure our young people are equipped to fill the skills gap which many businesses are crying out for.

“They do not deserve to be disadvantaged because of the coronavirus – they are the workers of the future and we need to do all we can to support them.”

A college rocked by an expenses scandal has been saved by a £1.5 million government bailout after its new leaders found it had almost run out of cash just weeks after the former principal left.

The emergency funding was granted to Highbury College this month after its bank refused to supply an additional loan.

It followed a “reprofiling” of the college’s Education and Skills Funding Agency allocations, which meant £800,000 was received quicker than planned, at the beginning of the year when its interim leaders first became aware it could soon go bust.

The bailout should enable the college to “continue to operate for at least a further year”.

The details were revealed in the college’s delayed 2018/19 accounts which were published yesterday following a “thorough independent audit of historical finance practices”.

While Highbury achieved a surplus of £1.6 million last year, this was largely because of a £5.7 million building sale that was completed in August 2018.

The college is predicting a deficit of £1.3 million by the end of 2019/20 and to remain in ‘inadequate’ financial health, but this could worsen as the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated their problems and has lost “significant income” from its commercial activities.

The 2018/19 accounts state that the total net impact of the pandemic to date on the college’s cash flow is “estimated to be £124,000 negative”, although the full effects of the virus are still unknown.

Highbury College has gone through a turbulent period in recent years. It axed its sixth form last year owing to financial pressures and made a number of staff redundant, and is still in the midst of a long-running legal battle in Nigeria to recover funds.

The government intervened at the college in September 2019 after an FE Week investigation revealed how its long-standing principal, Stella Mbubaegbu, had spent £150,000 on expenses in four years, which included one-off lavish items such as a £434 pair of designer headphones and a lobster dinner.

The college has been in FE Commissioner intervention since November. A report on commissioner Richard Atkins’ findings has been held up by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mbubaegbu, who joined in 2001 and officially retired in April 2020, actually left her position as accounting officer in December – a month before new interim principal Penny Wycherley and interim chair Martin Doel discovered Highbury was running out of cash.

The newly published accounts reveal “significant accounting failings over a number of years”, which were discovered by new external auditor’s from Mazars who were appointed in July 2019.

The auditors found, for example, that “no books or records were maintained” for the college’s subsidiary Highbury College Nigeria Limited.

They also gave their opinion on Mbubaegbu’s expenses (click here for full story).

The accounts were signed off on a going concern basis but with “material uncertainty” going forward.

Doel said the college has “already made significant steps to secure the college’s finances”.

“Between the period of time these accounts review and now, the college has become, in many ways, unrecognisable,” he added.

“The introduction of an experienced interim governance and leadership team has not only stabilised the finances and significantly improved staff morale but the college’s success and retention rates look to remain well above national average, meaning our students are able to thrive in a supportive and productive environment.

“On top of the day-to-day challenges of the FE sector, our staff and students have also adapted fantastically to the current Covid-19 pandemic and shown true strength of spirit to think innovatively, overcome hurdles and continue to succeed.”

The college hopes to move its financial health to ‘requires improvement’ by 31 July 2021.

A Highbury College spokesperson said the £1.5 million bailout is repayable and the details of the repayment are currently being finalised.

A spokesperson for the DfE said: “We can confirm that Highbury Portsmouth College requested Emergency Funding in May 2020 due to cash flow issues.

“In line with the arrangements set out in the College Oversight: Support and Intervention all such requests are considered on a case by case basis. Funding has been approved and arrangements for paying these funds are currently being finalised.”

They added that the FE Commissioner’s report publication has been suspended during Covid-19 and that Highbury’s will be released in “due course”.

The skills minister has rejected all plans for PhD-level apprenticeships after concluding that funding them from the levy would not provide “value for money”.

In a letter to the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education published and laid in Parliament today, Gillian Keegan said the level 8 programmes are “not in the spirit of our reformed apprenticeships system”.

Two PhD-level apprenticeships – for a clinical academic professional and nuclear technical specialist – have been in the works for a number of years after being developed by employers.

The clinical professional standard had progressed the furthest, having been officially “approved for development” by the IfATE.

But the institute itself previously questioned whether the programmes would be in the “spirit” of the government’s new apprenticeships system.

The decision to never fund these level 8 programmes comes after the education secretary Gavin Williamson ordered a review of the level 7 senior leader standard that allows apprentices to gain an MBA. The MBA is now set for the chop later this year.

In Keegan’s letter, she said higher and degree level apprenticeships “continue to form an important part of our skills and education system, providing people of all backgrounds with a choice of high-value vocational training alongside traditional academic routes”.   

However, it is “important that levy funds are supporting those that can benefit most from an apprenticeship, such as those starting out in their careers or helping people from disadvantaged backgrounds to get ahead”.

“While we do not yet know the full impact of the Coronavirus, our priority is ensuring that apprentices and employers can continue to access high quality training, both now and in the future,” she continued.  

“I do not believe that using levy funds for level 8 apprenticeships, which could result in a PhD, provides value for money, nor are they in the spirit of our reformed apprenticeships system.  

“Therefore, I am writing to inform you that after careful consideration the department will not fund apprenticeships at level 8. As the powers to take decisions on standards development and approval reside with the institute you will wish to consider whether you continue to invest resources in the development of apprenticeships at this level.”

Keegan said she was aware “aware” that the employers involved have worked “hard developing not only these level 8 apprenticeships, but also a range of apprenticeships at lower levels that have contributed to the success of our reforms”.

“I want to thank them for their continued commitment to this vital programme.”

A spokesperson for the IfATE said: “We accept the decision and will not support the development of level 8 standards at this time.

“We would like to thank the trailblazers for their hard work on the proposals. The institute has been as upfront and informative as possible with them on the funding issue. We requested policy guidance from the DfE and it is appropriate that this has now been issued.”

Joanne Cooper, chair of the clinical academic professional trailblazer group, said the news “is disappointing” but added “we were aware at the outset that funding was not guaranteed and progressed on the basis of developing a national framework which have given us greater clarity and agreement regarding the knowledge, skills and behaviours of clinical academic roles”.

“I am grateful for the support from Skills for Health colleagues and the openness that the IfATE has had along this journey.”

You can read Keegan’s letter in full here.

The controversial expenses racked up by Highbury College’s former principal were “not in line” with value for money rules for managing public cash, an auditing firm has concluded.

In September 2019 and following a year-long freedom of information battle, FE Week revealed that Stella Mbubaegbu had spent £150,000 on the college’s corporate credit card in just four years on items such as first class flights, five star hotels, designer headphones and a boozy lobster dinner.

Then Department for Education minister Lord Agnew, who said he was “deeply concerned” by the spending, intervened immediately by sending in the FE Commissioner Richard Atkins to investigate.

At the time, the college insisted the expenses were “approved and authorised and were then subject to independent audit, as is usual practice”. Mbubaegbu, who became principal of Highbury College in 2001, was then suspended in November and officially retired in April.

While the FE Commissioner’s report findings are held up by the coronavirus pandemic, Highbury College’s new external auditing firm, Mazars LLP, have given their opinion on the expenses after conducting their own investigation.

In the college’s delayed accounts for 2018/19, which were published this week following a “thorough independent audit of historical finance practices”, the auditors said: “During the year, as part of a whistleblowing incident, some instances of potentially inappropriate use of college funds were identified.

“This related to expenditure by a member of the senior management team, some of which arose during the period 1 August 2018 to 31 July 2019.

“In our opinion, the expenditure was not in line with the principles set forth by Parliament of achieving Economy, Efficiency and Effectiveness.”

Asked if the auditors’ opinion would lead to any further action, a spokesperson for Highbury College said: “Matters raised within the report have been reviewed via the appropriate channels. We are unable to comment further.”

And a spokesperson for the DfE said: “We decline to comment. It is a matter for the college, which has conducted its own investigation into the matter.”

Mbubaegbu was replaced by Penny Wycherley as interim principal in December and Martin Doel was later announced as interim chair.

Doel said that the introduction of an “experienced interim governance and leadership team has not only stabilised the finances and significantly improved staff morale but the college’s success and retention rates look to remain well above national average, meaning our students are able to thrive in a supportive and productive environment”.

But since Mbubaegbu’s departure, Highbury has had to secure a government bailout after the new leadership team discovered the college was set to run out of cash (click here for full story).

The NHS is to spend up to £100 million on delivering a tailored level 2 apprenticeship for administrators.

From July 31, all starts on old-style apprenticeships known as frameworks will be switched off to make way for the final transfer onto new employer-led standards.

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education has repeatedly and controversially rejected requests from more than 100 employers, including from the NHS, for a level 2 business admin standard to be created despite the popularity of its framework equivalent.

FE Week reported in March that some NHS trusts had found that the level 2 customer service practitioner standard could be used instead, which was backed by the Education and Skills Funding Agency. But HEE warned at the time that it could only work for a “limited number of job roles”.

HEE has now launched a tender for a training provider to adapt the level 2 customer service standard and then deliver the “bespoke” programme for NHS apprentices from August 1.

It is aniticipated that NHS employers will spend up to a combined £100 million of their apprenticeship levy funds on the programme over the next four years.

The procurement says: “The level 2 business administration apprenticeship framework has been a vital entry level route into the NHS for many years. With the removal of this framework from 31st July 2020 and no direct replacement apprenticeship standard HEE want to ensure that the NHS can still offer a level 2 programme to attract new talent into the NHS and also offer existing staff the opportunity to move into administration roles.

“HEE are therefore launching a national procurement for a NHS specific level 2 customer service practitioner apprenticeship standard and welcome bids from national and regional providers to deliver a bespoke programme that will cover the wide range of administration and patient facing roles in the NHS from 1st August 2020.”

The tender continues: “HEE, on behalf of NHS (and other public sector) employers nationally are looking for suitably qualified apprenticeship training organisations to adapt the customer service practitioner (level 2) standard to reflect the business and operational needs of health and social care, whilst fulfilling all the requirements of the standard.

“This may be either national providers, or a mix of national and regional (including some NHS main providers), and could be either fully delivered by the training provider, or delivered in partnership with the employers where that capability and wish to do so exists.”

HEE, which is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department of Health, added that it will be willing to work with the successful provider to develop and adapt content, but the majority of that work will be expected to be carried out by the provider.

The latest proposal for a business admin level 2 standard was submitted by employers in February but was rejected outright by the IfATE.

The institute claimed the proposal did not meet the required length or quality of an apprenticeship standard and its chief executive Jennifer Coupland told FE Week’s Annual Apprenticeship Conference the next month that signing off on the standard would “undermine” efforts to create a “well regarded” programme.

During an FE Week webcast last week, she added that she did not regret the decision.

HEE’s tender has a closing date of July 10. Providers can bid for the four-year contract here.

The government should set aside an extra £3.6 billion to upskill the “764,000 people most at risk” post-Covid-19, according to the Association of Colleges.

The call comes just a week after the sector’s other main membership body, the Association of Employment and Learning Providers, demanded a one-off skills package worth £8.6 billion.

In ‘Rebuild: a skills led recovery plan’ published today, the AoC sets out “five key asks”, which includes a £143 million college-based “national tutoring scheme, re-engagement and catch-up programme”, as well as £1 billion in “targeted” employer cash incentives to take on apprentices.

The submission warns of “increased demand” for college places as high unemployment “crowds young people out of the labour market”, and “large numbers of young people needing support to catch up as a result of lost learning in lockdown”.

It also warns of a “large number of apprentice redundancies and a shortage of new places for apprentices”, as well as “large numbers of adults requiring training to help them move from struggling sectors into those that recover more quickly, or even grow”.

FE Week has pulled out the AoC’s five asks that make up their £3.6 billion package:

 

1. £458m to ‘retain’ every young person

The association wants every 16 to 18 year old to have a “confirmed high-quality education or training place”, funded to meet their “needs and the learning they have lost”.

This would include a college-based “national tutoring scheme, re-engagement and catch-up programme” funded through a £375 “premium per enrolment of students who have yet to achieve good grades in English and maths” at a total cost of £143 million.

It would also include a “targeted” one-off £2.4 million grant to support delayed assessments from summer 2020, a one-off £70 million grant fund for social distancing adaptations for colleges, as well as extending high needs funding for final year students by 5 percent.

 

2. A £1.975bn ‘relaunch’ scheme

The AoC says this should include an “up to 12-month pre/re-employment programme to upskill and reskill targeted at key worker and recoverable sectors under a single brand to ensure employer awareness, with clear links to apprenticeship opportunities as they become available and including an interview guarantee through national employer body partners”.

It would also comprise of “investment” in a “range of ‘employability’ wrap around services to complement the pre/re-employment training offer including a funded information, advice and guidance offer”.

Level 2 and 3 traineeship programmes for all 16 to 24-year-olds should be “reformed”, including extending the maximum length to up to 12 months allow the use of “work simulation and realistic environments” where access to work experience is not possible and reduce the minimum requirement of 100 hours.

The AoC also wants the government to introduce “block release apprenticeships” along with employer cash incentives of up to £3,000 per apprentice, to help businesses “retain and take on apprentices with a level of accountability built in”.

 

3. £1.04bn for retraining adults

The AoC calls on government to “enhance” the existing adult education budget together in one budget line with the National Retraining Scheme, the National Skills Fund, and the Shared Prosperity Fund.

If “properly aligned”, colleges would be funded “once to deliver across all of these funds, cutting bureaucracy and making the system more understandable and accessible for colleges, employers and students”. 

The association also wants officials to fully fund adults aged 24 and above to undertake “subsequent level three programmes or units in priority sectors to respond to post furlough unemployment”.

 

4. A single £150m capital budget for colleges

In the March 2020 budget the government announced a £1.5 billion programme to upgrade college estates over the five years from 2021 to 2026.

On top of this, there are five other college-focused capital funding lines: the local growth fund, Institutes of Technology, T-levels, higher education capital, and sixth form college condition funds.

The AoC said if these capital funding lines were brought together they could offer “one clear opportunity for much needed capital investment and reduce the administrative burden on both colleges and the department”.

The association adds the funding is needed now as the shift to online learning has “refocused attention” on technology but colleges have struggled to maintain their IT infrastructure because of pressures on budgets. 

 

5. Simplify the funding rules and rates

Lastly, the AoC calls for a review and implementation of a “range of funding and rule changes to 16 to 18, traineeship, apprenticeship and adult offers”.

Their suggestions include funding 16 to 18 students to repeat a qualification they were enrolled on in 2019/20 and were unable to complete, as well as streamlining the process of making a case for in-year funding to reflect growth in student numbers.

For adults, the association wants government to allow those aged 19 and above to take a second level 3 qualification free of charge, whilst funding “should allow for modular learning at levels 4 to 5 and we ask that the funding restrictions on standalone short courses are lifted”.

And for apprentices, as well as “targeted employer incentives”, there should be “flexibilities in the delivery of off the job training aligned to apprenticeship content but delivered outside employment”. 

The government has confirmed that free digital skills qualifications for adults will finally be launched from August 1 – but no awarding organisation has yet gained approval to offer them.

Adult education budget funding rules for 2020/21 were published today and include a “legal entitlement to full funding” for “essential digital skills qualification, up to and including level 1”.

It means all adults without basic digital skills will be able to enrol on the new qualifications free of charge in two months’ time.

The sector has been waiting for this rollout since it was first announced by the government in October 2016. It became law in April 2017 as part of the Digital Economy Act and puts the subject on a par with English and maths.

New “national standards” for digital skills have since been created, which awarding organisations (AOs) must use to develop their qualifications.

However, each AO must go through a “technical evaluation” process with Ofqual to ensure they are “valid and fit for purpose” before being made available to colleges and training providers to deliver.

The exams regulator published an update yesterday which revealed that none of the nine AOs developing these qualifications have gained Ofqual’s approval so far.

Ascentis and Gateway are the closest to completing the process, scoring 4 on a 5-point scale (5 being sign off), while Pearson has the lowest score of 1 – which means the awarding organisation is “yet to submit materials to Ofqual for technical evaluation”.

A number of the others appear to have had their qualifications knocked back by Ofqual.

Explaining their evaluation process, the regulator’s update said: “Using a combination of subject and assessment experts, we review the materials submitted by each awarding organisation against our rules.

“These materials include the specification and the sample assessments. We consider issues such as their level of demand, coverage of the Department for Education national standards, and the quality of the questions and the associated mark schemes.

“We also review the awarding organisation’s assessment strategy, the key document in which they explain the approach they are proposing to the design and delivery of their qualification.”

FE Week has asked Ofqual whether they are confident that any of the free digital skills qualifications will be ready for use by August.

 

[UPDATE: A day after this article was published Ofqual released an update to its technical evaluations page to say that one AO – Gateway Qualifications – has now completed the process.]