levy | FE Week

DfE launches digital service for advertising levy transfers

DfE launch their scheme enabling levy payers to advertise their available funds for transfer.

Allow employers to appeal for more time to spend their apprenticeship levy cash, CBI urges

Employers should be allowed to appeal for more time to spend their apprenticeship levy funds if the standards they want to use are still in development, the Confederation of British Industry has said. Its new report, ‘Getting apprenticeships right: next steps’, published today, calls on the government to introduce a process for such employers to […]

ESFA insists the apprenticeship budget is not under pressure

The top apprenticeship civil servant has sought to reassure the sector after fears were raised of a budget overspend this year, as part of a wide-ranging interview with FE Week. Keith Smith, director of apprenticeships at the ESFA, said he was “not expecting any pressures” on the £2 billion budget this year, in response to […]

Redesigned RoATP to open tomorrow despite no delivery from 1 in 3 approved providers

Almost a third of providers on the government’s register did not deliver any apprenticeships last year, FE Week analysis has revealed – the day before the redesigned register re-opens for applications. There were 1,787 providers on the register of apprenticeship training providers in 2017, of whom 580 – or 32 per cent – had no […]

Skills minister will ‘look at whether it is right to continue to fund all apprenticeships’

The skills minister has said she will “look at whether it is right” for the government to “continue to fund all apprenticeships”. Anne Milton made the remarks as part of a wide-ranging video interview with Association of Colleges’ boss David Hughes this afternoon, after she was unable to stay for questions at the association’s annual […]

Levy budget bust: Government agency warns of imminent apprenticeship over-spend

The apprenticeships budget for England is set to be overspent by £0.5 billion this year, rising to £1.5 billion during 2021/22, according to the government agency for apprenticeships. The warning from the Institutes for Apprenticeships follows a refusal from the Department for Education last month to answer FE Week’s questions concerning the full levy costs. […]

The chancellor’s levy transfer increase – a ‘package of reforms’, or mere tinkering?

Selling the increase in the amount levy-paying employers can transfer to small companies as a “package of reforms” is a huge overstatement, says former SFA deputy director Tony Allen I am sure that I was not alone in having a sense of anticipation on Monday morning, when I found out (via FE Week), that Phillip […]

National Audit Office reviewing apprenticeship reforms progress

A follow-up review of apprenticeships has been launched by the National Audit Office, which will focus on whether the reform programme is delivering value for money. The NAO is requesting submissions, with a key theme being whether the Department for Education is ensuring that the system is not being abused by stakeholders. This comes after […]

First early Ofsted monitoring visit of apprenticeship newcomer warns training ‘not fit for purpose’

The first of a new wave of Ofsted’s early-monitoring visit reports on newcomers to the apprenticeship market has been brutally critical of training that is “not fit for purpose”. The inspectorate’s stark criticism of Key6 Group is all the more striking because it has high-profile apprenticeship levy contracts with Liverpool Football Club and charity giant […]