The government has confirmed that colleges and training providers can begin face-to-face contact with adult apprentices from 15 June, but reiterated that 16 to 19 apprentices should be “prioritised”.

In updated guidance published this afternoon, the Department for Education repeated their view that providers should include apprentices in their wider reopening plans alongside students on the first year of a two year 16 to 19 study programme.

They said the government supports offering face-to-face contact to any 16 to 19 apprentice, although training providers could offer this to “certain groups” such as those on the first year of an apprenticeship, those who require on-site training to help them complete their apprenticeship, or those who have upcoming “key assessment dates” and would “therefore particularly benefit from face-to-face training”.

The guidance added that although 16 to 19 apprentices should be “prioritised”, there “may be some apprenticeships that include apprentices within a classroom-based training environment that are over 19”.

Providers “can choose to allow” apprentices who are over 19 to attend, but “should continue to prioritise 16 to 19 apprentices”.

“If older apprentices attend on site delivery, the maximum number of 16 to 19 year olds attending on site at any one time must be reduced to ensure the setting remains within the overall limit.”

The guidance follows prime minister Boris Johnson’s announcement last week that plans for the wider reopening of schools, colleges and providers this month are moving forward after the government’s five tests for easing lockdown measures were being met.

Wider guidance for the reopening of FE settings was published on Friday and confirmed that from the week commencing 15 June, providers can broaden the number of 16 to 19 learners attending on-site delivery.

To help reduce the coronavirus transmission risk, the guidance asks that the number of FE learners attending at any one time is limited to a quarter of those on the first year of a two year 16 to 19 study programme.

Vulnerable young people and children of critical workers, within this cohort, are to be counted within the attendance limit. However, vulnerable young people and children of critical workers outside of this cohort who might already be in full-time attendance do not count towards the attendance limit and can continue attend.

A huge training provider that delivers hundreds of apprenticeships for the civil service is planning to make major redundancies.

Training giant QA Limited, which currently employs over 2,250 staff, is bracing itself for business to plummet following recent conversations with their clients as a result of Covid-19.

FE Week understands that hundreds of those jobs are now at risk but the company would not be drawn on a figure. It is preparing to launch a consultation on the losses in the coming weeks.

A QA spokesperson said that since the start of the pandemic, the firm has taken “extensive measures to ensure that it can continue to serve its customers and provide critical training virtually, while its training centres have been closed”. 

“Due to the severe economic recession however, it is now clear that activity in our sector will be reduced for some time and this has been confirmed in recent conversations with clients,” they added.

“As a result, the group needs to reduce costs and this will involve all areas of the business and is likely to result in a number of redundancies.”

The spokesperson said these steps will ensure that QA “weathers the current crisis well and is then able to play a key role in the economic recovery that will follow by providing skills to help businesses grow and create new jobs”.

QA is one the largest apprenticeship providers in England and one of the first to announce redundancy plans as a result of coronavirus.

It offers commercial training and apprenticeships to the technology sector and recorded a £181 million turnover in its most recently published financial accounts, for 2018.

The firm already made 90 of its staff redundant in January 2020 after taking a strategic decision to refocus its apprenticeship division to more technology focussed programmes, according to the spokesperson.

QA has 19 training centres across England and was rated ‘good’ by Ofsted following a visit in January this year when the firm had 6,500 apprentices. Around 2,700 of those were studying IT, around 2,500 on business administration and law apprenticeships, and 2,000 were on business management apprenticeships.

It is also an approved provider of apprenticeships to the Crown Commercial Service and a subcontractor to KPMG – training hundreds of apprentices for the civil service in departments such as the Cabinet Office and the Treasury. KPMG was rated ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted in March 2020 in a report that criticised the provision offered by its subcontractors.

QA came under new leadership in September 2019 when former RBS and Direct Line Group boss Paul Geddes took over as chief executive from William Macpherson.

Macpherson retired two years after he helped strike a deal for private equity firm CVC Capital Partners to buy out QA from previous owners Bregal Investments. The deal as reportedly worth £700 million.

The sixth webcast in FE Week’s series – further education sector’s response and requirements to coronavirus pandemic – was broadcast yesterday.

This week, FE Week publisher Shane Mann was in conversation Christian Kaye, the senior regional business development manager at insurance firm Gallagher, who provided an overview of what organisations should consider in terms of risk assessments and insurances.

Dame Ruth Silver also spoke about FETL’s latest report – Voices of the shamed: The personal toll of shame and shaming in further education.

And to finish off the broadcast we had FE Week editor Nick Linford talk us through the latest guidance and requirements for the FE sector published last week, including the extension to the furlough scheme.

You can watch it back for free by clicking here.

Another webcast will take place next Monday at 14:00-15:30. Register here.

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education has launched an online survey to find out what impact coronavirus has had on recruitment and what more they can do to support employers.

Apprentice employers are being asked to forecast how their recruitment over the summer will compare to the same time last year and for “key messages” that should be “heard by the institute.”

The survey also asks when employers will “next have an apprenticeship start” and whether there is “anything preventing your organisation from starting apprentices”.

The research comes after skills minister Gillian Keegan said in April that her “biggest worry” during the Covid-19 pandemic is the “recruitment of new apprentices”.

She acknowledged that “potentially businesses and others are not going to have this top of mind right now” but was concerned about “how to keep the whole pipeline going with all this uncertainty”.

On Friday, the DfE published statistics that showed the immediate impact of Covid-19 on apprenticeship starts. From 23 March, 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.

The IfATE’s survey goes on to ask employers for the “key message you would like to be heard by the institute”. One message that is bound to be popular with some is a call for an extension to apprenticeship frameworks, after the Department for Education confimed last month that the 31 July 2020 cut-off date for starts is still going ahead despite sector-wide concern.

Robert Nitsch, the IfATE’s chief operating officer, said: “We are really keen to hear from you about anything further you think the Institute should know.

“We will also be running this survey again in future to make sure we are listening to your changing needs.”

The closing date for the survey is 15 June and can be found here.

The Department for Education is setting up its own “rapid rebuttal unit” to tackle so-called “fake news” in the media.

It is said to be one of the first department-specific teams in government to challenge “misinformation at the source” and rebuff “misleading content” before reaching the mainstream.

Two DfE job adverts for media officers to work in the unit are currently live and state that this work is “more vital than ever” in making sure the public aren’t “deceived by so-called fake news”.

They add: “The department is one of the first in government to be looking to tackle misinformation at the source with a team that will aim to make sure misleading content running in the media or on social media is corrected in the shortest period possible time before it reaches the mainstream and misinforms the public.

“The department’s new rapid rebuttal unit aims to spot and counter misinformation on social media at its source, making sure it doesn’t make its way into mainstream media and mislead the public. This is one of the first teams of its type across government.”

A similar but government-wide “rapid response” unit was set up in the Cabinet Office in 2018 by former prime minister Theresa May to counter fake news, and then by minister Michael Gove in August 2019 which specifically targeted Brexit half-truths.

In March, the Cabinet Office announced this unit would now combat misinformation about Covid-19.

There do not appear to be any other similar teams across Whitehall, meaning the DfE’s could be the first department-specific rebuttal unit.

Fake news was a problem raised by former education secretary Damian Hinds just before he was sacked in July 2019. Speaking at a social media summit, he spoke about the specific problem of the “spread of misleading content on vaccinations” in schools but added this “issue goes much further than that, and without firm action it is set to get a lot worse”.

The concern has not been raised by Hinds’ successor Gavin Williamson since he came into post, but there have been recent cases of his department publicly rebutting stories published by the media.

On 18 April, a preview of the Sunday Times’ front page revealed reports that senior ministers had drawn up plans for schools to reopen as early as 11 May.

But the DfE tweeted that evening: “No decision has been made on a timetable for re-opening schools. Schools remain closed until further notice, except for children of critical workers and the most vulnerable children. Schools will only re-open when the scientific advice indicates it is the right time to do so.”

Just today the DfE has also published a blog entitled “addressing misleading claims about department guidance” following two stories in the media from Sunday.

It said that one, from the Independent, reported on claims made by National Education Union joint general secretary Mary Bousted who suggested the department’s guidance to schools on how to open to more pupils have been updated 41 times since it was posted on 12 May.

The DfE claimed this is “untrue” and the guidance in question has been updated “just once since it was published last month”.

Another article, published this time by The Mirror, reported that celebrity fitness expert Joe Wicks was due to lead a review of the PE curriculum, which the DfE said again is “not true”. 

The government’s existing anti-fake news units have however come in for criticism, with the Liberal Democrats’ former Brexit spokesperson, Tom Brake, describing them as “shameful spin machines” last year.

A DfE spokesperson said: “In line with wider work by the Government Communication Service, we want to identify and counter misinformation and disinformation online, whether it is shared inadvertently or maliciously.

“That’s why we’re looking for talented individuals to join our team, helping us dispel myths and explain education policies to the public using straightforward, easy-to-understand social media content, blogs, and more.”

 

The Association of Employment and Learning Providers has decided to not pursue legal action against the Education and Skills Funding Agency’s Covid-19 supplier relief scheme.

Lawyers have advised that the only challenge they could now take would be to seek a judicial review, which the board of the membership organisation believes would come “at a significant cost”.

A statement released today added that while a positive result from a judicial review would be to review the supplier relief process, there would still be “no guarantee of substantial support from the Department for Education for suppliers even after that” and this would also “take time, to a point where it might be too late for many AELP members”.

A legal letter was sent from law firm Veale Wasbrough Vizards LLP on behalf of the AELP on 27 April after the ESFA excluded the majority of apprenticeship providers – those funded through the government’s digital system – from their supplier relief scheme.

It argued that the ESFA’s claim that apprenticeships funded through the digital system, mainly with levy-paying employers, are a contract with the employer and provider was “an abuse of power” and makes their supplier relief scheme “unlawful”.

The Government Legal Department (GLD) responded on 14 May and concluded that it is “not accepted that the relief scheme is unlawful on any of the grounds alleged by the AELP (or on any other grounds)”.

AELP said their lawyers have indicated that the GLD’s response does not make a case for defending the DfE’s position on the application of PPN 02/20, and that the AELP’s board feels “strongly” the letter is simply one of “rebuttal and it avoids addressing the key issues such as the legal agreement between the Education and Skills Funding Agency and a provider for levy-funded apprenticeships constituting a contract”.

The Labour Party’s shadow education team wrote to education secretary Gavin Williamson last week and accused the government of failing to make a “serious attempt” to answer AELP’s claim.

They also called for officials to abandon their “very flimsy case” for the majority of apprenticeships from the supplier relief scheme.

Click below to read the letters from the relevant parties in full

Veale Wasbrough Vizards LLP challenge

Government Legal Department response

Labour letter to Gavin Williamson

The Department for Education has published updated guidance for colleges and other FE providers about the return of more students next month.

It comes after the prime minister, Boris Johnson, confirmed the government was pushing ahead with plans to start to provide face-to-face support for year 12 and equivalent students from June 15.

The original wider reopening date for colleges was set at June 1 but Johnson announced a two-week delay to this last Sunday.

Here’s what we learned from today’s updated guidance.

 

1. Only welcome back 25% of students at a time

To help reduce the coronavirus transmission risk, the guidance states the number of learners attending at any one time will be “limited to a quarter of those on the first year of a two-year 16 to 19 study programme”.

This is in “addition” to vulnerable young people and children of critical workers outside of this cohort who might already be in full-time attendance.

 

2. Remote learning ‘should remain the predominant mode of learning’

The DfE said they recognise that for some programmes, remote education will be working “effectively with a high degree of learner engagement”.

Colleges and other providers will have “flexibility to decide the appropriate mix of online and face to face content for each programme, within the constraint of limiting those on site at any one time, reflecting what will maximise learner engagement as well as supporting more vulnerable learners, and enabling the provider as a whole to minimise transmission risk”.

They added that remote education “should remain the predominant mode of learning during this time”.

 

3. FE providers have ‘flexibility’ over which learners can return

From the week commencing June 15, FE providers “should offer some face to face contact for 16 to 19 learners on the first year of a study programme” alongside the current provision offered to vulnerable learners (including those at high risk of becoming NEET) and the children of critical workers.

This will “primarily” impact colleges, but will also include a “small number of local authority providers, special post-16 institutions and independent training providers”.

While the DfE’s “overriding principle” is that the focus should be 16 to 19 year olds on the first year of a two-year programme, there is “flexibility” to bring back four other types of learners.

This includes classes where there are students aged over 19 on the same 16 to 19 vocational course, as well as 16 to 19 learners who were due to finish this academic year, but have not been able to because their assessments have been deferred.

Apprentices aged 16 to 19 can also be brought back for face-to-face contact.

The last group that can be brought back are learners who “may be on extended programmes, for example because they are studying part time, alongside caring responsibilities or had to retake exams or part of their programme”. If they are part way through a study programme, and have “key” exams and assessments next year, they “can be included”.

 

4. Range of protective measures should be implemented but funded from own budgets

The DfE said they “will ask settings to implement a range of protective measures” including increased cleaning, reducing ‘pinch points’ (such as at the start and end of day), and utilising outdoor space.

Any additional costs arising from wider opening, such as personal protective equipment (PPE) must be funded “from existing college budgets”.

Almost nine in ten full Ofsted inspection reports for FE providers returned either ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ grades in May.

And all but one of the 13 monitoring reports published this month produced ‘reasonable’ or ‘significant’ progress ratings.

The education watchdog originally paused the publication of all further education and skills reports on the 20 March due to the ongoing pandemic.

They had planned to release them only when teaching returns to normal, but later decided to publish them sooner if requested by individual providers. The first of the pre-Covid reports were published on 5 May.

Since then, 17 full inspection reports have been released in which two ‘outstanding’ and 13 ‘good’ grades have been handed out. The remaining two were ‘requires improvement’ grades. In addition, nine short reports have been published where providers have retained a grade two.

Chichester College Group received grade ones across the board from inspectors who lauded leaders and managers for successfully developing a strong “collaborative culture between the campuses, particularly within teaching, training and learning”.

Similarly, Ron Dearing UTC was judged ‘outstanding’ in a report that did not include one line of criticism as it was dubbed a “guiding light in the education sector”.

Five FE providers were graded ‘good’ after previously receiving ‘requires improvement’, three of which were adult and community learning providers.

This also included Lancaster and Morecambe College after Ofsted found that leaders have “created a clear vision for the college” by “reshaping many elements of the curriculum offer”.

Essex-based independent learning provider Central Training Academy Limited also improved from a grade three to a two. It was praised for preparing learners for employment “very effectively,” and taking their existing skills and knowledge into account.

Prospects Training International Limited, which trades as Geason Training, received one of only two ‘requires improvement’ ratings this month in its first inspection.

The provider was previously found to be making ‘insufficient progress’ in two out of three themes in its early monitoring visit, which led to the government paused its ability to recruit learners. A grade three means this suspension can now be lifted.

While Prospect’s newly appointed leadership team recognised that the curriculum was “not fit for purpose” and has overhauled its content, the inspectorate said “there is still much to do to strengthen the provision further”.

UTC Swindon also received a grade three from Ofsted which reported that the quality of education is “not yet good enough”.

It found that outcomes at the end of sixth form have been low in recent years, with current pupils doing much better but “still not achieving as highly as they should”.

The most critical report to be published in May was for independent specialist college Fir Tree Fishery CIC. Inspectors found the new provider making ‘insufficient progress’ across the board in an early monitoring visit which has led to the government pausing the college’s ability to recruit learners.

The education watchdog claimed leaders and managers have “not developed a coherent, well-designed curriculum that meets the needs and interests of learners”.

In contrast, two independent learning providers, Fitch Learning Ltd and Itec Training Solutions Ltd, were found to be making ‘significant progress’ across the board after their early monitoring visits.

Lambeth College also received two ‘significant progress’ grades in a monitoring visit following a grade three report while Richard Taunton Sixth Form College was graded ‘reasonable progress’ in every assessed area in its own monitoring visit after a ‘requires improvement’ rating.

Ofsted, which has suspended all routine inspections until further notice, previously told FE Week it was sitting on 50 FE and skills reports that had been completed before the Covid-19 outbreak.

Thirty-nine of these, from inspections that took place prior to lockdown, have been published this month in total.

Independent Learning Providers	Inspected	Published	Grade	Previous grade
Alchemist Consultants Limited	12/03/2020	26/05/2020	M	N/A
Apprentice Team Ltd	13/03/2020	05/05/2020	2	M
Azesta Limited	06/03/2020	06/05/2020	2	M
Bridge Training Limited	26/02/2020	06/05/2020	2	2
Central Training Academy Limited	13/03/2020	12/05/2020	2	3
CSR Scientific Training Limited	28/02/2020	05/05/2020	2	M
Dick White Academy	12/03/2020	05/05/2020	M	N/A
Fitch Learning Ltd	05/03/2020	06/05/2020	M	N/A
GK Training Services Limited	27/02/2020	12/05/2020	2	2
Ioda Limited	12/03/2020	11/05/2020	M	N/A
Itec Training Solutions Ltd	12/03/2020	20/05/2020	M	N/A
Let Me Play Limited	12/03/2020	15/03/2020	2	M
London Vesta College Limited	28/02/2020	06/05/2020	2	2
Park Education & Training Limited	27/02/2020	21/05/2020	M	N/A
Pier Technology Limited	12/03/2020	07/05/2020	M	N/A
Prospects Training International Limited	13/03/2020	28/05/2020	3	N/A
TDR Training Limited	05/03/2020	27/05/2020	2	2
The National Logistics Academy Ltd	13/03/2020	12/05/2020	2	M

 

Sixth Form Colleges (inc 16-19 academies)	Inspected	Published	Grade	Previous grade
Richard Taunton Sixth Form College	27/02/2020	11/05/2020	M	3

 

Adult and Community Learning	Inspected	Published	Grade	Previous grade
Central Bedfordshire Council	11/03/2020	11/05/2020	2	2
Swindon Borough Council	13/03/2020	26/05/2020	2	3
The Learning and Enterprise College Bexley	06/03/2020	18/05/2020	2	3
Training 2000 Limited	06/03/2020	13/05/2020	2	3
Tyne North Training Limited	11/03/2020	06/05/2020	2	2

 

Other (including UTCs)	Inspected	Published	Grade	Previous grade
Leeds Arts University	27/02/2020	20/05/2020	2	2
University of Northampton	26/02/2020	05/05/2020	M	N/A
University of Plymouth	05/03/2020	07/05/2020	M	N/A
UTC Swindon	04/03/2020	12/05/2020	3	N/A
Mulberry UTC	11/03/2020	28/05/2020	2	N/A
Ron Dearing UTC	12/03/2020	21/05/2020	1	N/A

 

Specialist colleges	Inspected	Published	Grade	Previous grade
Catcote Futures	12/03/2020	28/05/2020	M	N/A
Fir Tree Fishery CIC	26/02/2020	18/05/2020	M	N/A
Linkage Community Trust	18/03/2020	06/05/2020	2	2
Hedleys College	03/03/2020	27/05/2020	2	2

 

General FE colleges	Inspected	Published	Grade	Previous grade
Chichester College Group	06/03/2020	12/05/2020	1	1
City College Plymouth	12/03/2020	12/05/2020	2	2
Lambeth College	12/03/2020	26/05/2020	M	3
Lancaster and Morecambe College	06/03/2020	14/05/2020	2	3
Southport College	14/02/2020	14/05/2020	2	M