CONGRATULATIONS to all who have been successful in the Non-Levy procurement!
The ESFA announced the results of the non-levy tender in December and FE Week posted a list of the successful applicants.
It's been a shocking wait for training providers who began this process more than a year ago as this tender was an addition to the first RoATP opening.
For many it's a bitter sweet success to make it on the register as some haven't been able to deliver training without this additional contract, or indeed be eligible to apply for non levy procurement this time around due to the revenue constraints etc.
There's some good news regarding the appeal process though as FE Week announces:
• Non-levy tender appeals are lucky for some
• Grade two provider wins non-levy tender appeal!
According to FE Week 32% of the successful applicants will be delivering their first main apprenticeship contract, which makes for a very exciting time ahead!
With this in mind and considering all the new elements involved in apprenticeship delivery, especially for providers who have previously only delivered training as a subcontractor, I thought it would be a good time to recap on some of the new rules, regulations and available resources.
Subcontracting rules
With the introduction of the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers (RoATP) and its associated application rules
a main provider must directly deliver some of the apprenticeship training and are not allowed to subcontract it all out.
"At the outset of each apprenticeship, a main provider and employer will agree a plan for its delivery. You must directly deliver some of the apprenticeship training and/or on-programme assessment associated with each employer’s apprenticeship programme. By apprenticeship programme we mean the apprentices that are being trained for the employer that has chosen you. The volume of training and/or on-programme assessment that you directly deliver for each employer must have some substance and must not be a token amount to satisfy this rule. It must not be limited to a brief input at the start of each employer’s programme or involve delivery to just a few of a large number of apprentices."
P123 Page 20 Apprenticeship funding and performance-management rules for training providers v4
Take a look at my recent blog regarding the new subcontracting rules which will be in force as from January 2018.
There are some courses available to those who need support transitioning from delivering frameworks to standards, check out the Delivering Standards section below!
Apprenticeship 20% off the job training and annual leave
The ESFA provided the following clarification announcement yesterday:
"To provide clarification, off-the-job training is an essential part of an apprenticeship and therefore, must take place during employed time. If, by exception, training takes place in an evening, or outside of contracted hours, this should be recognised (for example, through time off in lieu).
Should an apprentice not be able to attend a planned training session (due to leave, sickness, operational pressures) the apprentice should be given the opportunity to catch up on what they missed (e.g. by attending one to one sessions with their provider or using on-line learning materials). As above, this should take place during paid working hours.
The programme is sufficiently flexible to accommodate exceptional periods of leave or sickness."
Monthly ILR submissions
As you know a main provider needs to satisfy all of the ESFA's contractual requirements such as monthly ILR submissions.
This can be very complex and frustrating and I've tried to provide as much information as I can in this area.
I recently wrote an updated blog post including the latest versions of documentation, ILR Entry tool and PDSAT application, so rather than repeat this here go check out that post!
As a provider of an ILR compliant MIS system I would also advise that you check out our system too, Athena MIS!
There's no need to mess about amalgamating XML files when you use Athena MIS, all learner types are automatically generated in one ILR.
We offer as much support as possible in creating your error free ILR's in Athena MIS, we will even validate and upload to the Hub for a small monthly fee!
Ofsted
In September 2016 Ofsted changed the rules regarding inspections of training providers to include subcontractors.
“Ofsted reserves the right to inspect and grade any subcontractor and its provision as a separate entity”.
There has been several news articles in FE Week regarding this ruling as Ofsted haven't inspected any subcontractors as yet, but I would think this is about to change!
• Halfon: ‘Ofsted must start inspecting subcontractors’
• Milton appears to back subcontractor inspections
Regardless of being a main, employer or supporting provider all are subject to the scrutiny of Ofsted!
As many of the frameworks are being withdrawn training providers will have to deliver the new apprenticeship standards sooner rather than later.
I would imagine changing delivery methods from frameworks to standards could be quite daunting but The Education & Training Foundation
have a series of courses to help "progress your delivery of apprenticeship standards".
Delivering apprenticeship standards courses in:
• adultcare, healthcare and dental
• business administration and customer service
• digital
• motor vehicle and engineering
Course fees are reduced for SET members.
"The Society for Education and Training (SET) is the new professional membership organisation of the Education and Training Foundation for practitioners working in the post-16 education and training sector. Since the close of the Institute for Learning (IfL) in November 2014, SET has taken on its legacy and continues to support practitioners through their professional membership."
