Taking up the ventilator challenge

Engineering apprentices have been helping companies produce more than 60,000 ventilator parts for the NHS in the face of increased demand during the coronavirus pandemic.

Over the past five weeks, 14 level 3 and 4 apprentices who are employed by Shipley-based firm Produmax and who train at Keighley College have been producing components for a consortium of manufacturers that includes the likes of Rolls-Royce and Formula 1.

Paul Birtles, operations director at Produmax, said: “The apprentices have been a phenomenal help during these challenging times. It’s brilliant to see them involved in the whole process of the ventilator components, from using advanced equipment to quality checking.”

The apprentices have been supporting the manufacturing of component parts using advanced computer numerical control equipment and employing subtractive and additive machining techniques.

Birtles stated it has been “incredibly rewarding” to see how much the students have developed since starting their apprenticeships.

Max Weatherhead, one of the level 3 apprentices, told FE Week he was “proud to be part of something that is helping save lives”.

Ronnie Magee, deputy head of Keighley College, added: “It’s fantastic to see a local company supporting the NHS during these challenging times.

“Our apprentices are thrilled to be able to make a difference and assist with producing ventilator components.”

Two other level 3 advanced engineering apprentices from Keighley College have also been assisting in the production of ventilator components at Yorkshire Precision Engineering as part of the VentilatorChallengeUK consortium.

Both apprentices have been supporting the production of parts by setting tooling and monitoring performance and consistency.

Lynda Laybourne, sales and finance director at Yorkshire Precision Engineering Ltd, said: “We’ve been working tirelessly around the clock to make this happen; the apprentices’ work ethic is admirable and we’re incredibly proud that they can help us fight against the virus.”

In total, the firm has produced 8,000 brass-turned parts and 4,000 plastic mill parts, which will be distributed to hospitals across the country.

Why take on an apprentice during these challenging times? Here’s why

If businesses in the hardest-hit sectors are to thrive post-lockdown, new skills and new ways of working will be essential, writes Stuart Shield

For apprenticeship training providers and colleges up and down the country, the past month has seen a rapid shift to digital delivery. And, for many, it’s proving a great success.

At Catch22, we’ve been delivering our property-management apprenticeships almost entirely via Microsoft Teams. Not only has this meant quality training can continue, but we’re actually signing up brand new learners. 

Some apprentices who are being upskilled have been furloughed by their current employers and are therefore able to spend more time focusing on their apprenticeships.

We’ve changed the frequency of our learning sessions – from one-a-month face-to-face sessions, to (on average) an hour’s session every two to three days. Some are one-to-one, others are group sessions. Our apprentices are visibly more engaged, enthusiastic and are performing better. 

We’ve also seen greater engagement from employers (in particular, senior managers) who are more easily able to observe apprenticeship training and assessment sessions now that they’re being done digitally. Previously we had struggled with some senior leaders, who couldn’t see the value of apprentices. Now, though, with greater exposure, they are recognising the benefit and are investing more in the scheme. 

Such is the success, our plan is to include digital delivery in our future apprenticeship training programmes so that we have a mixed model of delivery. 

Adapting to business needs

We use a partnership model working with employers, aimed at delivering bespoke training designed to provide mutually tangible benefits. For example, we have developed supplementary bespoke modules with some of our partners to meet the needs of the current climate – including a module on handling angry, difficult customers, and effectively managing expectations. 

If there’s any certainty during what is otherwise a period of huge uncertainty, it’s that businesses and their operational functions will need to change. New practices and procedures (whether that’s moving to increased digital delivery, or adapting to staff shortages) are being implemented everywhere. As a result, we’re seeing growing skills gaps, people shortages and therefore more development opportunities.

Brexit and Covid: the double blow to hospitality, tourism and property

Industries such as hospitality and housing and property have suffered a double blow in recent times – first, the implications of Brexit, and now, the pandemic. Travel and tourism are suffering in the current lockdown, with no obvious endpoint in sight and a huge reluctance from anyone to plan future travel. 

As for retail – while some businesses, such as supermarkets, food stores and online retailers, will be doing well and actively recruiting, high-street stores are in crisis. The move to solely online trading has been the approach of some, while others are preparing for re-opening, albeit with increased hygiene and social distancing measures in place. All this requires staff – whether new or existing – to have different skills. 

So if businesses in these hard-hit sectors are to survive, then thrive, once lockdown measures start to be lifted, they will need to adapt rapidly.

Why apprentices hold the key  

Forward-thinking businesses are looking at how they build capacity back into the organisations by reskilling or upskilling existing staff. This, as well as bringing in new staff with relevant skills, is going to be essential. This messaging is something that training providers can promote to businesses – particularly those that have apprenticeship levy to spend and are looking to how they adapt in the post-Covid-19 world.

Bringing in new apprentices who are adaptable can help boost capacity and add fresh energy to companies. Apprenticeships are developed in-house and allow businesses to both retain (through upskilling or reskilling existing staff) or bringing in new talent, without the time and expense of going through a lengthy recruitment process. 

Apprentices are a valuable investment for any organisation. And we know from the businesses that we work with, and provide apprenticeships for, in times of difficulty it is often the apprentices who prove among the most valuable staff, delivering the frontline services that help keep businesses afloat.

If businesses can retain and develop the apprentices into the managers of the future, then even as businesses go through natural attrition and staff churn, they can be confident that they have the key skills within the organisation to survive even the most brutal of societal shocks.

Oldham’s IT team get to do their ‘disaster recovery’

A college’s IT services team have been hailed “unlikely heroes” in the face of Covid-19 after rapidly connecting more than 6,000 staff and students when the outbreak hit.

Lee Murphy, IT services manager at Oldham College, said he always had a plan for “disaster recovery” scenarios but never expected to have to put it into practice.

In total, his team of seven either had to buy, source, build, prepare, install, test, protect and deliver more than 300 separate pieces of kit in a matter of days.

With no Oldham College staff on site to take deliveries, every single one of the purchases had to be sent directly to Murphy’s home in Rochdale.

“My house has been like an Amazon depot,” he said. “My neighbours just keep seeing huge IT-delivery trucks coming and going from my house at all hours. They must think I’m running some incredibly dodgy racket from home – I might have to move!”

Staff rounded up around 100 laptops that students had been able to borrow and recommissioned them all with “standalone” access to systems.

A planned purchase of 145 Chromebooks was brought forward, and 40 new mobile phones were also sourced so administrators and programme leads could regularly contact learners.

Some students, including those studying English as a second language, had no kit, so workbooks had to be printed and hand-distributed to their home.

Some employees had no home broadband, so each had to be sorted with access to a mobile network.

One staff member has been visiting campus each day to check that all the central infrastructure is functioning as it should. The rest of the team have been monitoring user activity, identifying issues and logjams and dealing with enquiries: more than 500 phone calls, 50 emails and 25 IT service requests have been received.

Principal Alun Francis said “a huge debt of gratitude” was owed to Murphy and the IT services team for their “incredible” work during this period. “They are always positive, full of solutions and never shirk a challenge.

“To be honest, we would have failed without them in the last few weeks. They have been truly astonishing every day.”

One positive we’ll take from coronavirus is that it forced us to be innovative

Students need support more than ever during the Covid-19 crisis, and rapidly finding new ways to reach and engage with them has been challenging and eye-opening, says Dave Hopley, director of student services at Stoke on Trent College

The college halls are almost empty, but it’s been a busy day in student support services. This morning we sent out our weekly e-vouchers to all our students in receipt of the vulnerable bursary fund payments, or free school meals, so they could access money for food. 

Our trained counsellors provided emotional support to students and their families via video call, instant messaging and telephone. Two of our peer mentors – trained students who support other students – hosted their twice-weekly Zoom wellbeing session while another prepared for their weekly online craft workshop. Our wellbeing warriors wrote their blog, offering tips on self-care, body positivity, managing anxiety and mindfulness.

Our admissions team responded to calls and emails from young people worried about exam results, reassuring them that they’ll still have a place at the college in September; and we hosted the first of ten virtual open event sessions running throughout the week. 

Our careers team supported worried members of the public as well as students, providing virtual careers advice on training, CV writing and job hunting to anyone who needs it. 

While our doors may be closed to all but our vulnerable students, the college is still very much open. However, Covid-19 forced us to become a virtual college overnight and making sure that our 10,000 students and 400 staff feel safe, supported and engaged in our community has been one of the biggest challenges we’ve faced. 

It’s been a steep learning curve as we adapt to working in this virtual world. We’ve had to upskill in new areas of digital technology in a short space of time. Some staff didn’t even have wi-fi in their homes until this year, yet now they’re using digital technology every day. 

This has been one of the positive impacts of Covid-19. We’ve pulled together to introduce things almost overnight which would have taken months or even years to implement. People haven’t been afraid to come up with new ideas and try them out, even if they may not work. We set up an online debating club which was a success, and we’ve now started a Ludo club. We’re running a weekly group throughout May for Ramadan and we’re launching “Mr Slotivator” sessions – fun workouts to keep students active. 

It can be overwhelming for staff as well as students as they’re adapting to new ways of working while juggling their own family responsibilities, so we’ve taken a proactive approach to their wellbeing. We’ve introduced a “my acts of self-care” initiative and virtual time-to-talk sessions. We all want to feel connected, even when we’re apart. 

Engaging with students was challenging at first. They may be more digitally capable but they are not used to working in this way. We started small and built things up, using various communications channels to promote services. Word got out, students enjoyed something and told their friends, interest grew, and feedback so far has been really positive.  

We’d all like to go back to normal soon but there are definitely positives we’ll take from this experience and our virtual college won’t disappear when the doors reopen. Some things have worked so well online and will continue to complement what we do face to face in the long term. For example, our wellbeing services have become much more accessible and the team has supported more than 200 students and their families online. We’ve had more nominations than ever for our student union elections because students have found it easier to submit their manifesto online.  

I’m proud of the student services teams, who are working really hard at home to complement what our academic staff are doing, making sure that not only do our students achieve, but that they’re safe and supported in this unprecedented time.

Observations from a disappointed independent training provider

It is a mistake for the ESFA to use the apprenticeship achievement rate to measure the quality of provision. Neil Davies explains the true context that should be considered

I understand a journalist’s need to create the eye-catching headline, otherwise their article may get overlooked. A link to an article dropped into my inbox last week and on opening it, I inwardly groaned. Off the webpage sprang: “Providers that failed to meet the minimum standard for apprenticeship achievement rates last year will be informed next week of the government’s ‘action to challenge this situation’.”

The article went on to quote from an FE Week webcast earlier that week in which the skills minister Gillian Keegan had expressed concern at historic “low-quality” apprenticeships delivery and said: “I was quite shocked at some of the lower quality delivery that happened in the first stages of the levy being introduced.”

I feel sure that I join many ITPs who are fed up with statements that malign all our efforts and achievements without, seemingly, having an understanding of the full picture – a picture created by government. I believe some context is important.

The minister links lower quality to the advent of the levy. Whether a fan or not, the source of funding is not related to quality of delivery. Quantum certainly will be. In recent funding band reviews, government has reduced initial funding allocations across many apprenticeships. So if the vast majority of employers are unable to make a cost contribution, what might give if funding is reduced?

The minister and the Education & Skills Funding Agency are using the apprenticeship achievement rate (QAR) as a measure of the quality of provision. I do not see the direct link.

ITPs have done an incredible job in taking the scant new standard descriptors and developing employer-specific training plans. Such radical change is going to take time to implement effectively as both ITPs and employers learn to adapt. Do we believe that all this effort and investment is recognised?

Government insisted that ITPs start delivery of the new standards even though, for many, there were no end-point assessment organisations (EPAOS) approved. ITPs had to design delivery programmes to meet employer needs without knowing what the final assessment criteria might be. Do we believe that this potential systemic mismatch has been considered before criticism is levelled?

New EPAOS had no experience of implementing theoretical processes, and an arbitrary 90 days was deemed an appropriate timescale for end-point assessment. How many ITPs, learners and employers have been impacted by the inability or incapacity of EPAOs to respond to the pipeline of completing apprentices?

How many ITPs suffer financially because the 90 days was not achieved? How many ITPs suffer financially because their programme, agreed with the employer, did not quite map to the EPA final-assessment criteria? This resulted in either the loss of the vital completion element or incurring unbudgeted costs to get learners through EPA, or both.

Without an exemption Level 2, English and Maths became a mandatory element of apprenticeships. I dare say there will be many a tale of ITPs doing their utmost to get a learner through their functional skills, incurring additional costs, losing the 20 per cent completion payment. We all know that, despite best efforts, some learners will not achieve. Is it a fair indicator of quality?

The ESFA QAR number itself is difficult to reconcile and it is too blunt a tool to be an indicator of quality. ITP performance is affected by factors completely outside their influence or control: left employer, changed job role, on maternity leave, sickness absence etc. The raw data is available, so would it not be fairer to be judged on a wider range of factors. Would not a percentage entering EPA gateway and then the percentage achieving be a more interesting measure?

Our organisation was significantly impacted by the lack of capacity in EPAOs, and despite best efforts, a material number of our achievers fell into the following year. Curiously, while writing this article, the expected ESFA letter has dropped into my inbox. Thankfully, no intended action, as they have accepted the reasons behind their number. In our submission, to demonstrate the blip, we were able to point to currently outstanding achievement numbers for this funding year. Symptomatic, but sadly no word of recognition or appreciation of the good work being done.

DfE relaxes traineeship rules

The Department for Education has relaxed its requirement for students on traineeship programmes to record 100 hours of work experience owing to the social distancing measures caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Providers will be allowed to the mark the component as complete if the trainee has completed more than 70 placement hours and they are satisfied that the learner has “gained sufficient work skills”, the department said in a statement tonight.

Officials will also allow providers to extend the traineeship programme duration up to 12 months where the learner has “not completed their qualification and basic skills learning aims including employability, maths or English” or where the student has completed less than 70 planned work experience hours.

They can also extend the duration if the provider has “assessed the learner as needing further work placement hours to complete this element of their traineeship”.

The DfE said this flexibility is offered “on the basis that the trainee undertakes online or alternative distance learning to complete other non-work experience learning and/or alternative work experience learning part of the traineeship where online learning is possible”.

Any provider that has trainees with reduced work experience hours should “record this and retain it as evidence for audit purposes” and the trainee should “continue with other learning aims via alternative methods such as online learning in order to complete these elements of their traineeship”.

Providers will need to “demonstrate” how they have continued to support trainees to develop their work experience skills in the absence of a work placement in the learner file such as “developing content that aligns with apprenticeship provision to facilitate smooth transitions from traineeship to apprenticeship” and “developing matching processes for when students can go on placements again”.

The DfE said they have introduced these flexibilities as they want to “enable providers to continue to deliver where possible given traineeships will play an important part in re-engaging and supporting young people to get back into learning and work following the coronavirus outbreak”.

Mark Dawe, the chief executive of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers, said his organisation “very much welcomes the changes as they will help keep a critical programme alive”.

But, he added, to prevent “abuse” on the relaxation of the work experience requirements, DfE “must only apply while the lockdown remains for each sector”.

Dawe continued: “The extended programme duration is also a sensible decision. It’s essential that traineeships are in rude health to help deal with the surge in youth unemployment and they can form the foundation of a wider pre-employment programme in the coming months.”

This evening’s announcement went on to detail how to extend 16 to 19 study programmes and how to extend 19 to 24 adult education budget and 16 to 18 traineeships without 16 to 19 study programme funding.

Here’s what it says in full:

Extending 16 to 19 study programme traineeships

“Our funding guidance sets out that planned hours should not be changed after the qualifying period unless correcting an error or starting a new study programme in-year. However, we recognise that in the current circumstances some students may need more hours than originally planned in order to complete their traineeship programme.

Where learners need longer than originally planned to complete their traineeship programme, we expect, in most cases, stretching their existing planned hours over a longer duration should provide the flexibility providers need.

In exceptional circumstances, where a learner with part-time hours requires significant extra delivery, while they are unable to deliver work experience with an employer, providers can increase the planned hours. Providers should record where an increase of planned hours is required in the learner file and demonstrate the need for increased hours to ensure learners remain engaged. We may ask for this evidence through monitoring processes.

The planned end date must not under any circumstances be changed or extended within the ILR. Providers should continue to record the end date of the programme using ‘Learning Actual End Date’.

We expect providers to arrange alternative provision to cover the delivery that cannot take place. The alternative delivery needs to be above the already planned work experience hours as these cannot be funded again within the same time period.

This is a temporary measure that applies only in this period of social distancing and while students are not able to access work placement activity.”

 

Extending 19 to 24 adult education budget and 16 to 18 traineeships without 16 to 19 study programme funding

“Where learners need longer than originally planned to complete their traineeship, programme providers should stretch their existing planned learning aims over a longer duration.

The planned end date must not under any circumstances be changed or extended within the ILR. Providers should continue to record the end date of the programme using ‘Learning Actual End Date’.

Additional funding demand in 2020 to 2021, as a result of the programme’s actual end date extending from the original planned end date in 2019 to 2020, may impact on the availability of growth in 2020 to 2021 if there is not sufficient budget available to support demand. It is your responsibility to ensure you meet the cost of trainees that continue into the following year within your funding year allocation.

This is a temporary measure that applies only in this period of social distancing and while students are not able to access work placement activity.

For more information, we are publishing a traineeship addendum to the ESFA adult education budget funding rules 2019 to 2020 on 13 May.”

Speed read: Highlights from our webinar with Toby Perkins

FE Week was joined by Labour’s shadow minister for apprenticeships and lifelong learning Toby Perkins on Monday for our latest webinar on the response to the coronavirus pandemic for the FE and skills sector.

Here were the main takeaway points.

Extend supplier relief support to levy-funded apprenticeships

The Labour Party believes the Education & Skills Funding Agency should extend its Covid-19 supplier relief to all apprenticeships, including those funded through the digital services that are currently barred from the financial support.

Perkins said the issue, which the Association of Employment and Learning Providers is challenging legally, needs to be implemented to “safeguard a tremendous amount of the sector”.

“I think it’s a position the government will ultimately be forced into, and the sooner they get on with it, the greater the reduction in casualties, either in terms of businesses and apprenticeships or in terms of job losses.”

 

A national skills response to coronavirus is needed

The shadow minister said it was important to attempt to predict the impact of the crisis on the economy and what the skills response to that should be. “I think that means there’s going to be a huge need for retraining.”

He claimed there are likely to be many people in the job market as a result, and proposes a major adult education and reskilling programme “to give people hope… To give people the skills that they need to adapt to the changing circumstances is absolutely crucial”.

Perkins went on to say he thinks the government needs to be giving “really serious thought to working collectively with the sector on the provision of all the alternatives that will enable us to build in a better-skilled future out of the current crisis”.

 

Colleges need additional funding for an expected increase in students

Perkins warned that if, due to the economic circumstances and furloughing of staff members, many companies decide not to go ahead with planned apprenticeships, colleges will be faced with a “massive increase in the number of full-time students”.

He is calling on the government to look at how colleges can be funded in the event they do find a surge in such learner numbers “to be able to provide that provision without hitting a cashflow crisis”.

 

Updating IT infrastructure would be ‘very valuable’

In response to Andrew Adonis’s controversial comments about education establishments not providing adequate online learning and support, Perkins said: “I think we all recognise that this is an incredibly difficult period of time and I think it’s important alongside any critiques to recognise the absolutely extraordinary steps that many teachers and lecturers are going to in order to provide both educational support and personal support to learners and to their families at this time.” He acknowledged that many in the sector were “dismayed” by Adonis’s comments, but added that Adonis may have heard alternative cases that have led him to believe that learners are being let down. If this is the case, these should be investigated.

The MP added there should be an assessment of what infrastructure is available to deliver remote learning. “I think there is always going to be a need to make sure you are investing in something that you are going to be able to continue to use going forward.”

He noted that there is representation to suggest that updating IT in the sector is “an overdue project anyway”, which would have both an immediate benefit plus longer-term benefits, “so I would absolutely support that.”

 

T-levels introduction may consume departmental attention

Last month the government said it is still committed to rolling out the first T-levels in September 2020, despite the pandemic. Perkins said his “biggest worry” with the plan is that the new qualifications are something that are going to affect a “tiny number of students in the first instance, but will consume a huge amount of departmental attention” and their ability to deal with “really pressing issues facing a far greater section of the sector”.

He admitted it is difficult to determine the impact from the outside but that, so long as they are in a position to address the other challenges, “I’ve no objection”.

Perkins added the other main obstacle with T-levels is the work-experience element. “That will be a substantial undertaking, I think, under any circumstances. To do it in the current climate is even more challenging, so there needs to be some flexibility around that sort of issue.

 

‘Huge concern’ over redundancies in the sector

Perkins said he is “very worried” about likely job losses in FE “on the back of nine or ten years of terrible economic allocation”. He is concerned that “if they were to see the sort of scale of cuts or deductions in income that I’m hearing, that there isn’t going to be enough in the system for them in some cases to even survive, but certainly to prevent really significant job losses in a sector that I just don’t feel can afford it”.

The shadow minister added that it must be ensured that the FE sector comes out of the crisis in a position to contribute to skills being at the “forefront of the national response” and with a workforce capable of achieving this.

Low Pay Commission calls on government to better protect apprentices

The government has been urged to take action against recurrent “very high levels” of illegally low apprentice wages.

The Low Pay Commission published its third report today to advise government on compliance with national minimum wage rates, and highlighted that as many as one in three apprentices in some age groups are not paid their entitlement.

The analysis suggests that “confusion” around the requirement to pay apprentices for their training hours is “likely to account for a large proportion of this underpayment”.

The report said the highest levels of non-compliance are recorded for apprentices aged 19 and over in their second year, which is after their minimum wage has increased from the apprentice rate to the appropriate minimum wage for their age.

“Large proportions” of younger, 16 to 18 year old apprentices in their first year, also report underpayment, it added.

The LPC has made a three recommendations to government to better protect apprentice wages.

These including using “targeted communications” to both apprentices and their employers to “highlight underpayment risks, and in particular the problem of non-payment of training hours”.

The second proposal is for HMRC to “review the way they record apprentice underpayment, and to publish the numbers and profile of the apprentices they identify as underpaid”, while the third is for the tax office to “review their approach to investigations involving apprentices, to understand whether these investigations would identify non-payment of training hours”.

The current apprentice rate, from 1 April 2020, is £4.15 per hour, which increases to the national minimum wage for over 19s when they move into their second year of the programme.

The LPC’s report uses the Apprenticeship Pay Survey (APS) as the most reliable source of minimum wage compliance. The latest survey, for 2019, was released in January and revealed a 1 per cent rise in illegal wages for apprentices.

It found that 19 per cent had reported being underpaid – slight increase on the 18 per cent rate from the last survey in 2017.

Non-compliance at levels 2 and 3 was higher than average in hairdressing, 48 per cent, and lowest on management apprenticeships, seven per cent.

Apprentices in England have to spend 20 per cent of their time training off-the-job, in line with Department for Education rules, which must be paid for by the employer.

The apprenticeship pay survey asks apprentices whose payslips show an hourly rate what that rate is and found that underpayment “according to this measure is significantly lower than when looking at the derived hourly rate,” according to the LBC.

“There tends to be a difference between stated and derived hourly pay across the pay distribution; this is more common at the lower end of the distribution, but is not restricted to apprentices whose pay is non-compliant.

“This suggests that the underpayment APS is finding is not simply a matter of employers paying the wrong rate, but rather of paying the right rate but for too few hours, and that this practice is widespread.”

The LBC said apprentices are also often underpaid if, for apprentices aged 19 and over, an employer fails to take account of the required NMW uplift at the end of the first year of an apprenticeship.

“HMRC have told us that this is often a factor in cases where they have found underpaid apprentices,” the report added.

“The year two increase in the minimum wage is clearly linked to higher underpayment among second-year apprentices –the groups subject to the uplift have the highest levels of underpayment.”

The LBC said it “often hears from stakeholders” that the apprentice rate is “more complex” than other national minimum wage rates, while other employers are “unaware” of the rules.

A government spokesperson said: “Everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum Wage, including apprentices, should receive it. All businesses, irrespective of size or sector, must pay the correct minimum wage to their staff, so we won’t hesitate to take action against those who fail to do so.

“That’s why we’ve more than doubled the budget for enforcement and compliance of the National Minimum Wage for this year, with HMRC having identified a record £24 million in unpaid wages for 220,000 workers in 2018/19.”

They added: “The government welcomes to Low Pay Commission’s report and will respond to its recommendations in due course.”

ESFA delays full rollout of digital apprenticeship system to April 2021

The full transition onto the digital apprenticeship system has been delayed by four months, the Education and Skills Funding Agency announced today.

Officials had planned to end provider funding allocations being used to train apprentices with small non-levy paying businesses by 31 October, with all starts to be managed through the online service from 1 November.

But “in light of the challenges being faced by providers and employers as a result of the current coronavirus pandemic” the transition period has been extended to 1 April 2021, the agency said in an update today.

“We are extending the transition period onto the service – funds available for new starts on non-levy procured contracts can now be used until 31 March 2021,” they added.

“We remain committed to giving smaller employers greater control over their apprenticeship choices by moving towards a system in which employers select an apprenticeship standard, choose their training provider and secure access to funding for all new apprenticeships through the apprenticeship service.

“As originally planned, this means, over time, more employers who do not pay the apprenticeship levy will begin to access apprenticeship training via the apprenticeship service, as well as through a provider with an existing government contract (now extended until 31 March 2021).

“Contract variations will be issued in the summer to support the changes and performance management rules will be confirmed shortly through the usual routes.”

Only larger employers with an annual pay bill of over £3 million who pay the apprenticeship levy can draw down funding for an unlimited number of starts from the online service.

Small employers were originally expected to have access to the service in April 2019. Their transition onto the system began in January but non-levy paying businesses have been capped initially and can only make reservations for up to three apprenticeship starts.

Today’s announcement comes amid a £10 million project to “simplify” the digital service, which is currently being tendered for by the ESFA.