19+ funding review – outcomes

Summary of appeal results

You may remember that in January 2013 the Skills Funding Agency announced the removal of standalone adult funding from a large number of qualifications from 2013/14. 566 of these were Pearson qualifications and we submitted 167 challenges as part of the appeals process that went along with this announcement. This would not have been possible without fantastic support from centres and sector organisations and we are very grateful to all of you who supported our appeals.

• 566 qualifications were originally going to be switched off for funding and we made appeals in 167 cases. Please see here for the decisions on all 566 Pearson qualifications included in the process.
• 154 qualifications have been re-approved for standalone adult funding in 2013/14. A list of the successful appeals can be found here. 93 will be switched back on until July 2014, and 61 will be switched back on until December 2013.
• 123 of these were challenged by Pearson with centre and sector support, and 31 were challenged directly by centres.

What next?

Please see this list for all Pearson qualifications which will remain unfunded in 2013/14. We have the opportunity to submit final appeals but first require additional evidence from centres who offer these qualifications.

If you offer any qualifications on this list and would like to support the continuation of adult funding, then please contact the relevant Pearson contact listed in each spreadsheet, they will provide you with details on how you can support an appeal. We must receive all support by 3rd June 2013.

All rates can be reviewed in the 2013/14 simplified rates catalogue, the Skills Funding Agency updated this to include all successful appeals on 15 May 2013.

EFA 16 to 19 funding guidance 2013/2014

The 2013/14 funding guidance has just been released by the EFA. The Funding Regulations provides the funding principles, rules on eligibility and regulations used in the 16 to 19 funding model, and the Funding Rates and Formula document provides information on the funding rates and formula used for the EFA’s 16 to 19 funding. Both documents can be found on the EFA's funding guidance webpage.

Further information will follow:

• Version 1 of Individualised learner record (ILR) funding returns is expected to be published in early summer 2013 and includes the detailed technical advice on making funding estimates and final funding claims together with the reconciliation process for contract providers.
• Funding regulations – sub-contracting controls guidance will be published later this summer.
• Funding guidance for young people 2013/14 web-link annex will contain the various web links in the funding guidance documents and is expected to be published in June 2013. This document will enable providers to print the contractual funding guidance, using the individual document links within this document, as a single document.
• Complementary funding guidance presentations – three presentations will be published in early summer 2013 that are intended to assist those using the funding guidance documents for 2013 to 2014.
  

Changes to adult funding plans for awards

In the March version of 'A New Streamlined Funding System for Adult Skills', the Skills Funding Agency indicated that from 1 January 2014, for Award size qualifications, they would only fund qualifications with a credit value of 3, 6, 9.  This would have meant that (with exceptions) qualifications with credit values of 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10 and 11 would no longer be funded for new starts.

On 16 April 2013, at a widely attended webinar run by LSECT, the Skills Funding Agency announced that they would no longer be implementing these plans from 1 January 2014.  Instead, the interim arrangements (below) initially planned for August to December 2013, will now apply throughout the whole of 2013/14.  This announcement has now been formally confirmed on the Skills Funding Agency website.

Award Funding from 1 August 2013 until 31 July 2014

Most learners taking Award qualifications will still be expected to take qualifications with a credit value of at least 3.

The Skills Funding Agency will continue to reassess the position of small qualifications approved for public funding as part of their broader qualifications review work.

Change to Apprentices minimum wage

The government has accepted the independent Low Pay Commission’s (LPC) recommendations for this year’s adult and youth National Minimum Wage (NMW) rates. Importantly for Apprentices, the government has decided that the apprentice rate should be increased rather than frozen as recommended by the LPC. The following rates will come into effect on 1 October 2013:

• the adult rate will increase by 12p to £6.31 an hour
• the rate for 18-20 year olds will increase by 5p to £5.03 an hour
• the rate for 16-17 year olds will increase by 4p to £3.72 an hour
• the apprentice rate will increase by 3p to £2.68 an hour
• the accommodation offset increases from the current £4.82 to £4.91

A further update on the Skills Funding Agency’s streamlined funding system for 2013/14

The Skills Funding Agency has published the fourth and concluding update of A New Streamlined Funding System for Adult Skills.  The update includes details on how the new system will work, and how the Agency are helping providers plan for delivery and the transitional arrangements the Agency have put in place to ensure that unintended consequences are limited.

The document includes a important addition to previous versions regarding funding for smaller qualifications. The Agency have decided to separately fund Award size qualifications (1-12 credits) using a rate of £50 per credit before programme weightings are applied. In addition to this, from January 2014 the Agency will only fund qualifications that are 3, 6, 9 or 12 credits. They state that the decision has been made on the basis ‘that qualifications with these credit values currently reflect the majority of provision that delivers meaningful skills’. In order to allow time for the sector to make changes to the provision they offer, they will fund other size qualifications until the end of December 2013.

They do recognise that very small qualifications can make a big difference for some learners and will continue to fund some very small qualifications with a credit value of 1 or 2 at the rate of £50 per credit before programme weightings are applied. This includes funding for the recently approved QCF English and maths qualifications. They will also continue to fund some other small qualifications designed to support the progression of learners with learning difficulties or disabilities, or both, and for those who are unemployed.

We are reviewing our portfolio of qualifications at this size to see which qualifications will be included and how we can best support our customers to either ensure these qualifications remain funded, or that a suitable alternative is available.

DfE and BIS skills paper – Rigour and Responsiveness in Skills

The latest skills document is a rare one in that it is jointly published by the DfE and BIS. Six areas are highlighted as needing change in order to support the objective of introducing the rigorous and responsive training which, it is argued, is needed in order to not be left behind by our competitors, and to give everyone a chance to reach their potential. The six areas outlined are captured under the following headings: raising standards, reforming apprenticeships, creating traineeships, meaningful qualifications, funding improving responsiveness, and better information and data. Key statements include: LEP priorities will be reflected through the National Careers Service from July 2013, a consultation on next steps for implementing the Richard review for Apprenticeship funding will be released and the funding principles will be implemented in the Spending Review for 2015-16 to be announced on 26 June 2013, and confirmation of the implementation plan and future timetable following the Richard Review will be announced in autumn 2013.

The Future of Apprenticeships in England: Next Steps from the Richard Review

The Department for Education, along with the Department for Business Innovation and Skills have released a consultation on the Future of Apprenticeships in England to shape the next steps set out in the Richard Review.  The purpose is to establish a potential redefinition of apprenticeships, refocusing on employer led outcomes. The two departments invite views on they believe will be:

• a 'clearer' approach to qualifications and standards
• a more 'trusted' approach to assessment
• a commitment to ensure all apprentices achieve L2 Maths and English

A few points are not yet clear, including more general points such as how we practically move from the current system of SSC-owned apprenticeship frameworks, to one where employers design apprenticeship standards and qualifications, and considering more practical question such as the number of qualifications which should be included in each standard.

While next steps will represent a major change for funding if all of the recommendations are accepted, funding remains relatively absent from the questions.  There is a current 'Employer Ownership Pilot' in place to review options for giving employers more 'purchasing power' to test a system where they free pricing from government control, encourage employers to become involved and consider the use of Local Enterprise Partnerships to support employers within this prospective system.

Adult funding 2013/14

Qualifications funded for 19+ learners in 2013/14

The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) recently released their Simplified Funding Catalogue. This lists all the qualifications eligible for funding for 19+ learners in 2013/14 and the funding rates for each learning aim.This tells you what is funded, and the funding rate for every qualification available.

Qualifications no longer funded for 19+ learners in 2013/14

The SFA removed funding for a large number of qualifications for 19+ learners as part of their 2013/14 strategy. 566 Edexcel and EDI qualifications are on the list, these can be found here. (Pearson owns both Edexcel and EDI.)
These qualifications are only being withdrawn from 19+ stand-alone funding; they continue to be available for Apprenticeship funding where relevant, and can continue to be offered if they are employer or self funded.

Qualifications no longer funded for 19+ learners in 2013/14 – appeals made

We challenged the decision made for 167 out of the total 566 qualifications, submitting an appeal in every case where we could meet the very specific appeals criteria. (The criteria required evidence that removal of funding for new starts for a qualification would have an adverse, unreasonable or uneven impact on an individual and/or organisation.) The full list of Pearson and EDI appeals can be found here.

Next steps

• All appeals will be formally reviewed on the 15 April 2013.
• The SFA will inform us of the results by 30 April 2013.

January

2013/14 Adult funding rules

The Adult funding rules for 2013/14 have been released four months earlier than usual.  This will give the sector chance to process and understand the significant changes.  Many of the changes were announced in the Skills Funding Statement, and the Agency has been communicating details of the new system for some time. The main changes are:

The streamlined funding system – this combines the two previous models (Adult Learner Responsive funding and Employer responsive funding) to make a single funding stream. Under the new system, rather than being assigned an individual rate, each qualification will be placed into one of 8 bands denoting a monetry amount based on credit size. 

24+ Advanced learning loans - these are brand new in 2013/14 and are available to learners aged 24+ studying at level 3 or 4.  This has some wider implications for age and eligibility.

The rules also cover Community Learning, European Social Fund, Learning Support, Learner Support, Contracting and Subcontracting.

Qualifications funded for adults 2013/14

The Skills Funding Agency has published the initial list of qualifications within scope for 19+ funding 2013/14.  All eligible qualifications are published along with their rates in the new Simplified Funding Rates catalogue. 

The list will not be final - rather, we will have four weeks to appeal the withdrawal of any qualifications omitted due to low or no registrations over the past two years. The full list will then be published in April 2013. For more information about this list, please see here.

Higher level apprenticeships – SASE

At the end of December 2012 Matthew Hancock announced that changes will be made to the Specification of Apprentices Standards for England (SASE) to allow for the Higher Apprenticeships at Levels 6 and 7. Currently the SASE only covers apprenticeships up to Level 5. It is not yet clear what the new rules will be.

Skills Funding Agency Update

On the 16th January the Skills Funding released the latest of their regular updates. News includes:

• Adult Skills Budget Funding Claims and Audit Returns 2012/13 – guidance for colleges and training organisations paid on the basis of an annual profile for their ASB and explains how and when they should submit funding claims to the Skills Funding Agency for 2012/13.
• 16-18 Apprenticeship Pilot – tenders invited from colleges and training organisations currently published on the Register of Training Organisations who have expressed an interest in delivering Apprenticeships but have not got an existing direct contract
• 24+ Advanced Learning Loans Data Sharing with the Student Loans Company – at the end of January 2013 contact details for all colleges and training organisations issued with a 24+ Advanced Learning Loans (Loans) Facility will be shared with the Student Loans Company (SLC).
• A New Streamlined Funding System for Adult Skills – The Funding Rules 2013/14, Confirmation of the details of the new simplified funding system, including the earnings and payment methods, and Rates for all learning aims for 2013/14 will all be published at the end of January.
• Qualifications previously not funded, will now be funded by the Agency in the areas of food hygiene, first aid, fork lift truck and health and safety. The qualifications will be available for delivery to individuals on Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) in the Work Related Activity Group (WRAG) only. They will also be approved for delivery as part of Offender Learning and Skills.
• The Apprenticeship Grant for Employers has been extended until 2014.

Traineeships - a discussion paper

The Department for Education and BIS have set out plans for a new Traineeships programme to give young people the skills to enable them to compete for Apprenticeships and other jobs. They are currently engaged in what they are describing as a discursive consultation process.  Traineeships are intended to include:

• work preparation training for the job search, application and interview process
• high quality work placements to build confidence and work experience
• English and Maths training for those yet to achieve a GCSE grade C or equivalent in these subjects

Matthew Hancock has pointed out that many providers already offer this type of delivery and that the intention is to centralise support, funding availability and national branding for these types of programmes rather than dictate a whole new scheme.

24+ Advanced Learning Loans

The Skills Funding Agency has published a set of resources on 24+ advanced learning loans.  These are intended to support providers and aid them in their conversations with learners and employers. Resources include:

• learner frequently asked questions
• learner factsheet
• frequently asked questions for providers to use in conversations with employers

They are available on the Student Loans Company's practitioner website along with the draft loans chapter from upcoming funding rules, the LSIS support package and the loans policy overview.

The Skills Funding Agency will soon add to this with case studies showing scenarios for different learners interested in loans and introductory paragraphs to loans which providers can use on their websites and in their publications.

Concerned about 16-18 funding where the last-date-for-new-starts shows on the LARA as 31/12/2012?

We have extended a large number of qualifications which were initially set to expire on the 31/12/2012.  The new review dates are listed here.

These qualifications are now passing back through the funding approval process.  It would be very unlikely for a qualification already approved for funding, not to have funding extended, but we can never guarantee these external processes.

The spread sheet attached contains two pieces of information you may find useful:

1. New review dates set by Ofqual.  These are helpful as they are normally used for approval end dates by the Section 96 team and ‘last-dates-for-new-starts’ on the LARA
2. Earliest estimated LARA updates. This is based on the date each one was extended and the specified time-allowances we are asked to make for the Section 96 team to confirm the extension of approval for 16-18 delivery, the EFA to review and confirm the rates and the data service to update details on the LARA. Please be mindful of the fact that these dates are rough estimates and that there are several agencies involved in this process.

If there are any similar qualifications which you are concerned about and cannot see on this list, then please contact the funding team at funding@pearson.com.

Looking for information about qualifications that aren’t currently showing as eligible for funding on the LARA?

There are a few qualifications that will be funded in 2012/13 but are not yet showing as eligible for funding on the LARA. They are still going through the funding approval process. The purpose of these briefings is to let you know what is happening with these qualifications.

These documents were first produced on 29 August 2012 and were most recently updated on 5 November 2012 in response to a recent update of the Section 96 database and the Skills Funding Agency confirmation list.

• Foundation Learning 
• Level 3 BTEC 90 Credit Diplomas  
• Level 1/2 BTEC Firsts   
• BTEC Other
• Level 3 BTEC Nationals in Children’s Play, Learning and Development 
• Level 3 BTEC Aviation 
• NVQs 
• Mathematics Qualifications 

This item previously displayed details around ESOL qualifications, these have all now been approved for funding for eligible learners aged 16-18 and 19+, details can be found on the LARA.

14-16 year olds in FE

Matthew Hancock MP recently announced proposals that will allow for FE colleges to recruit and enrol 14 and 15 years olds. The 16-19 funding methodology will be applied to pupils aged 14 and 15 who enrol directly with an FE college on a full time basis. 

New accountability measure 16-19

The Department for Education has set out new accountability arrangements for 16-19 education and training. These explain how education under-performance will be identified through Ofsted inspection and an interim national minimum standard.

Skills Funding Statement

BIS’ Skills Funding Statement was released on Friday 7th December. It sets out the key policy objectives and targets for the next 3 years, and outlines the priorities for the Skills Funding Agency and for the further education sector. No further budget cuts are announced, but the money will follow the priorities. Some key points include: from  2013/14 onwards, funding above level 4 will be available only for Higher Apprenticeships at Levels 5 and 6, the QCF will be retained but its operation will be reviewed, funding will continue to be focussed on the young and the unemployed, and some new approaches, namely traineeships, the Employer Ownership Pilots, and the Large Employer Pilot will start/be continued. bThe new funding rates to be introduce in 2013/14 will not be introduced for existing frameworksb. They will however be applied for new Apprenticeship frameworks where these are developed.

NQF BTECs for 19+

The Skills Funding Agency have confirmed they will fund the new NQF BTECs at level 2, which appear in the 2014 and 2015 Key Stage 4 Performance Tables, for eligible 19+ learners from September 2013. The decision was made in early December by the Skills Funding Agency’s Qualifications Approvals Group and this will now be formalised as part of the refreshed offer which will be published by the Skills Funding Agency when the current strategic review is completed in mid January.

The Richard Review of Apprenticeships

Doug Richard has submitted the 'Richard Review of Apprenticeships' to the government.  The review considers how to maximise the potential of Apprenticeships.

Providers’ relationships with employers forms a key focal point of the review.  Richard calls for government apprenticeship funding to be routed through employers via a tax credit system.  He asserts that this would give employers and learners more purchasing power, better enabling them to define their requirements and encouraging providers to reconsider their customer focus.  In addition he suggests tax breaks for employers to make apprenticeships more attractive to businesses.  The government would have a quality focused role in this system, ‘maximising value’ and ‘minimising poor practice’ and ‘boosting awareness of new apprenticeships’.

Other recommendations include explicit rules on making apprenticeships more distinct from other workplace learning, encouraging individual employers to develop apprenticeship qualifications for their sectors and a clearer focus on recognised, standardised outcomes.

An overview and summary can be found here.

Functional Skills rates changes

Last week at the AoC conference, Matthew Hancock MP, announced that the rates available for English and Maths functional skills delivery will be doubling:

“..to show the value we attach to English and Maths, and to make sure you've got the resources to deliver, today I'm announcing we are doubling the amount we pay for adult English and Maths functional skills, and for English and Maths within an Apprenticeship.”

The full speech can be found here with the key statement above in the final paragraph on page eight.

The Skills Funding Agency has moved fast to implement this, announcing on Friday 23 November that this change would take place during 2012/13 with the LARA scheduled to be updated over the next few weeks.  The announcement and details of the change can be viewed here.

Lord Heseltine’s latest report ‘No Stone Unturned in Pursuit of Growth’ published

The Report was commissioned in the last Budget and its main recommendation is to use the power of greater localism and private dynamism to help generate growth. It puts bodies such as Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and local Chambers of Commerce in the front line working in a direct relationship with Government Department and a new National Growth Council. See the Pearson Policy Watch for a summary.

Updated guidance on the Innovation Code

The Skills Funding Agency have released an updated guide to help colleges and training organisations make the most of the freedoms and flexibilities of the Innovation Code. The guide doesn’t introduce any additional rules or bureaucracy and should be read together with the 2012/13 Funding Rules, as the Code must be delivered in line with existing eligibility and funding rules. The Agency have also produced an Innovation Code FAQ document to help with technical questions. This will be updated regularly to address questions raised by colleges, training organisations and other key stakeholders.

Skills Funding Agency – policy change funding Q&As

The Skills Funding Agency held the Colleges and Training Organisations Funding Conference on Tuesday 10 July. The event focused on key features of the new streamlined funding system for adult skills and the impact that funding policy change is likely to have on providers and trainers in the further education sector. As a result of the sessions at the event they have published a Q&A document; it covers a wide range of funding policy areas including Apprenticeships and provision for the unemployed to 24+ Advanced Learning Loans.

AELP and LSIS guide to using the Adult Skills Budget

The AELP, with support from LSIS, has produced a guide for providers on supporting them in understanding and using the Adult Skills Budget as effectively as possible. It includes sections on contract issues and rules, business planning, delivery opportunities, and funding simplification and 2013/14 changes.

Select Committee Report on Apprenticeships

The BIS Select Committee of MPs published the report of their inquiry into the Apprenticeships programme. Its recommendations fall under five headings: better definition and positioning; work with schools; quality improvement; value for money; and the system simplification. See the Pearson Pocket Watch for a summary.

Qualifications Information Guide – Skills Funding Agency publication

The Skills Funding Agency have produced a Qualifications Information Guide to inform the sector about the publicly funded qualifications offer for learners aged 19 and over in England in 2012/13. At 19 pages it’s a useful quick guide to how and what qualifications are funded by the Skills Funding Agency. It is set out in two parts:

• The first section explains why qualifications are funded or not funded, and the processes by which funding decisions are made.
• The second outlines associated qualifications areas such as Recognition of Prior Learning, Unit Delivery and the Innovation Code.

A package of support from LSIS for providers who are planning for the introduction of 24+ Advanced Learning Loans from April 2013

At the end of October 2012 LSIS launched a package of support to help providers identify the issues they might face in:

• Planning and implementing the organisational change required for the introduction of 24+ Advanced Learning Loans.
• Managing learners accessing the loans.

From 2013/14 learners aged 24+ studying at level 3 and above will no longer have access to public funding, but all learners will have access to FE loans.

16-19 Funding Formula Review – slides from the EFA briefing events

The Education Funding Agency have been holding a series of briefing events throughout the country to help schools, colleges and other providers understand the significant changes being made to the 16-19 funding formula. The slides from the events have been posted on the DfE website and can be found here.

EFA – shadow allocations calculation toolkit and field guides

The Education Funding Agency have recently released shadow allocations for schools, colleges, and other providers. The shadow allocations allow institutions to see what their funding allocations would have been if the new funding formula was in place. They aren’t indicative allocations, but a chance for institutions to see how the funding formula works, and feedback any concerns to the EFA. Feedback needs to reach the EFA by the 16th November 2012. Final allocations will be out in March 2013. A shadow allocation calculation toolkit and Field Guide is available for all institutions to download here.

Increased Funding for Work Placements within Foundation Learning

The Education Funding Agency has raised the amount providers receive for delivering ‘Work Placement within Foundation Learning’. The aim which was introduced in 2011 will attract an increased cash value of £584 (up from £292).  All other rules around this aim will continue to apply.  The increase has been made to mitigate any challenges providers might face when trying to arrange high quality work placements within the upcoming programmes of study. It demonstrates the emphasis placed on quality work experience as part of these programmes. There will be further notification when this is implemented on the LARA.

The letter of notification can be found here
Further details are available here

Draft Funding Rules 2013/14 – 24+ Advanced Learning Loans

2013/14 will see a radical new addition to the FE funding system in the form of 24+ advanced learning loans. The Skills Funding Agency has released the loans section of the draft funding rules for 2013/14 ahead of the publication of the complete rules (scheduled for January 2013).  Amongst other things, the chapter deals with programmes covered by the loans, learner eligibility and relevant information requirements, loan amounts and entitlements and details around the £50m bursary fund to be made available over two years.  This can be found here.

The purpose of the early release is to draw comment from the sector; the Skills Funding Agency request comments, suggestions and points of confusion are sent in by 6 November 2012:
fundingsystemsteam@skillsfundingagency.bis.gov.uk

24+ Advanced Learning Loans briefings

The fifth in a series of briefings from BIS about 24+ Advanced Learning Loans, looks at key dates – things to look out for, communications materials to be issued from September 2012 onwards, the potential national promotional campaign, preparing for the introduction of 24+ Advanced Learning Loans, and the follow up to July seminars. It also outlines the package of support available, and gives key contacts for anyone needing more information. The previous briefings can all be found on the dedicated section of the BIS website.

Summary of the Annual College and Training Organisation Survey results

Summary results of the Skills Funding Agency’s second Annual College and Training Organisation Survey, which looks at how the Skills Funding Agency is performing according to the organisations they work with, are available on the website. The Skills Funding Agency are working through the detail of the survey to develop a series of actions.

EFA briefing sessions on 2013/14 funding/

The Education Funding Agency are arranging a number of briefing sessions around the country to explain post-16 funding arrangements in 2013/14. The events will have a detailed, technical focus and will cover the following topics:

• the key aspects of the Post-16 Funding Formula Reform;
• calculating post-16 allocations; and
• a high-level summary of funding for High Needs Students.

More information can be found here.

September

Employer Ownership of Skill – first pilot projects announced

The first proposals selected to pilot the Employer Ownership of Skills scheme have been announced.  Each of the successful 34 employers will have access to up to £250 million of public investment over two years to develop and deliver their own vocational training to their respective sectors.  The scheme works on the premise that companies not only benefit from training their own employees, but also those working within their supply chain.  The pilots are expected to foster the training of 11,000 apprentices, 27,000 non-apprenticeship on-job trainees and 49,000 other learning or training opportunities. See here for more details.

August

Holt Review – helping SMEs take on Apprentices

The Education and Business Secretaries commissioned the Holt report in February to advise them on what more could be done to help SMEs take on apprentices. The Review has now been published. It includes a recommendation to have a month or two Apprenticeship Spring (a bit like the current university recruitment period) and a Provider Charter (to help SMEs find best local providers).

Apprenticeship Application Support Fund for young people – prospectus published

A new Apprenticeship Application Support Fund (AASF) of £450,000 is being managed by AELP on behalf of the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS). The fund is available for young people who have struggled to get on to an apprenticeship via the government’s Apprenticeship Vacancy service.

Training organisations are being invited to bid to run projects around the country designed to increase the quality and success rate of applications for apprenticeship vacancies made by young people between the ages of 16 and 20.

See the prospectus on the AELP website for further information. Application forms will also be available on September 3rd, 2012. The deadline for receipt of completed bids is midday on October 1st, 2012. Enquiries regarding the AASF should be directed to aasf@aelp.org.uk.

Apprenticeship Grant for Employers – package of reform from NAS

Ministers and the HM Treasury have formally agreed a new package of reforms around the AGE (Apprenticeship Grant for Employers) provided by NAS (National Apprenticeship Service):

• Employers will be paid the full amount of £1,500 13 weeks after the apprentice starts, instead of two instalments of £750 at weeks 8 and 52
• The scheme will be extended to mid-sized businesses with up to 1,000 employees, with the proviso that at least 50% of the grants (20,000 of the 40,000 grants available) should still be targeted at SMEs (companies employing no more than 250 employees).
• The number of grants a single employer can claim will be increased from three to ten.
• The rule informally known as the ‘3 year rule’ will be relaxed so that an employer will be eligible for AGE if they have not employed an apprentice in the last 12 months. This issue will also be revisited in the autumn when the whole scheme is reviewed. It was originally hoped this rule would be abolished, but the Treasury need strong evidence to be convinced to do this.

NAS are working with partners to make sure that the employers who are newly eligible for the grant, or otherwise affected, are contacted. These include:

• Employers who have previously applied and been accepted for AGE under the old ‘split payment’ rule – NAS will be contacting providers and asking them to pay the second instalment earlier, at 13 weeks instead of 12 months.
• Employers who have previously applied and been turned down for AGE, but would now be eligible under the new rules – NAS want this group to be proactively contacted and offered the grant.
• Employers who did not previously apply for AGE but be eligible under the new rules – NAS want this group to be dealt with on a case by case basis – they can be paid the grant retrospectively.

The official announcement of the changes will be integrated with the launch of the Holt Review at the end of August.

Looking for information about the recently developed BTEC Level 3 90 credit Diplomas?

Many of the 90 credit Diplomas are on the LARA for 16-18 and 19+ funding. The newer qualifications are still going through the funding approval process and details of where these are in the system can be found in the attached document.

We do expect these qualifications to attract 16-18 and 19+ funding, but providers needing to register learners before the LARA is updated can register learners on the smaller qualifications, and top them up once the qualifications are available.

This document was produced on 15 August 2012 and will be updated when any further changes are made. 

Good practice guides – AELP

The AELP (Association of Employment and Learning Providers) have recently re-publicised some of their useful good practice guides compiled over the last eighteen months with the support of the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS):

• Making the most of the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF)
• Moving from Key Skills to Functional Skills - a step by step guide
• Provider Guide - Delivering Adult Skills Provision to the Unemployed
• Building Higher Level Skills Provision

Funding arrangements for 14-16 year olds wishing to study in Further Education Colleges – DfE – 2013/14

On 30 July 2012 the DfE released School funding reform: Final arrangements for 2013-14 which includes information about how they will fund Further Education and Sixth Form Colleges offering full-time provision for 14-16 year olds. The intention is to ‘fund these settings in a simple and transparent way’. Further details will follow in the Autumn.

Qualification journey – from regulation to funding – Skills Funding Agency

A useful publication from the Skills Funding Agency which outlines the process by which qualifications are assessed for public funding for post-19 learners in England. It covers the process from a qualification’s accreditation by Ofqual to its consideration by the Skills Funding Agency for public funding.

Qualification journey – from regulation to funding – Education Funding Agency

The EFA have recently updated their publication the journey of qualifications for use by young people. It describes the processes and organisations involved in a qualification’s journey; from when a qualification is regulated, to acquiring approval under section 96 and finally being published on the Learning Aim Reference Application (LARA) with any eligible funding information, for the use by young people under the age of 19 years old.

19+and Apprenticeship funding rules - 2012/13 - Final version

The final version (version 3) of the Funding Rules 2012/13 has been published by the Skills Funding Agency. It includes a number of clarifications (rather than new rules) to the evidence requirements made as a result of feedback received from providers during June and July. A Revisions document has also been produced which sets out the revisions made between this and version 2.

A new FAQ document has been produced by the Skills Funding Agency which provides a policy overview and updated frequently asked questions. The Skills Funding Agency, in conjunction with the Student Loans Company (SLC), has also released a 24+ Advanced Learning Loan post-seminar report which clarifies key areas of concern raised by delegates at a series of AELP/AoC facilitated sessions for independent, sub-contractor and college providers.

Funding 16-19 education and training - 2013/14 - guidance for local authorities

The EFA have released guidance which outlines the system for funding 16-19 education and training provision for the 2013/14 academic year. The document describes the funding system and sets out the role of local authorities within that system to work with partners to shape provision in their area by identifying gaps, enabling new provision and developing the market.The key policy changes to the funding formula, the system for high needs students, study programmes and raising the participation age are highlighted. The key changes are set out in paragraph 4 of the guidance document.

24+ Advanced Learning Loans - BIS briefing

The latest BIS briefing on 24+ Advanced Learning Loans has been released. This month’s update includes: key dates to watch out for; details about the regulations being laid before Parliament; BIS’ new package of support to help vulnerable learners and individuals taking Access to Higher Education courses; summaries of four 24+ Advanced Learning Loans seminars run in July; results of BIS’ meetings with stakeholders; and information on how LSIS will help providers by offering practical support to help providers identify the issues they might face in managing learners with loans and in planning and managing any organisational change.

Hefce student number controls - 2013-14 - guidance and invitation to bid

Hefce released details about how the student number controls (SNC) will work in 2013/14. It covers the student numbers excluded from the control, how Hefce will create and allocate a ‘margin’ of 5,000 places, information for specialist arts institutions on control options and crucially for non-funded providers looking to grow controlled numbers, an invitation to institutions that Hefce do not currently fund for full-time undergraduate provision to bid for numbers, and can be found. here.

Unit delivery - 2012/13 - Skills Funding Agency update

This Skills Funding Agency have recently updated their unit funding information for 2012/13. All further education colleges and training organisations on the Skills Funding Agency’s register of training organisations and with an active contract are eligible to offer units as part of the offer for the unemployed 2012/13. Providers will be able to deliver fully-funded units to unemployed individuals within the new single adult skills budget in accordance with the 2012/13 Funding Rules.

16-19 study programmes, and funding formula review – 2013/14

Two key publications were released by the EFA - ‘Study programmes for 16-19 year-olds’ and the sister publication the ‘16-19 funding formula review’. They are the long awaited response to the March 2011 Wolf report, and the resulting 14-19 consultation launched back in October last year.

The study programmes paper sets out government plans to ensure that post-16 year-olds study coherent programmes. All students who are able, will take either A levels, or a ‘substantial’ qualification. Where appropriate, students will also take part in work experience.

Students who don’t have a GCSE in English and maths at 16 will continue to study these subjects after 16. Students who aren’t able to study a qualification will take a programme of work experience focusing on developing their employability skills, along with work to develop numeracy and literacy. The funding formula review explains how the funding system will be reformed to support this - under the new system institutions will attract a standard rate of funding for each student weighted for other costs. The move to a standard rate of funding per student is a striking change to the current funding formula which is based on the qualifications studied. 

A fuller summary of both can be found under Funding Forecast. The full 16-19 study programmes paper can be found here, and 16-19 funding formula review can be found here.

16-19 funding regulations and rates and formula – 2012/13

The EFA published Version 1 of the 2012/13 funding regulations document and the rates and formula document today. The first provides the funding principles, rules on eligibility and regulations, and also includes sub-contracting provision controls guidance (previously published as a separate document). The second provides information on the funding formula used in the 16 to 19 funding model, and the elements that make it up: standard learner number (SLN) values, national funding rates and provider factors.

Summaries of what these mean for the sector will shortly be available in the Funding Handbook section of the website for 2012/13. The full documents can be found here.

A fuller summary of this document can be found under Funding Forecast. The full document is 13 pages and can be found here.

19+ and Apprenticeship funding rules – 2012/13

The Skills Funding Agency today published the final version of their Funding Rules 2012/13. This is an update of Version 1 published in April 2012. This sets out a single set of rules for adult and Apprenticeship funding in one place.

Summaries of what these mean for the sector will shortly be available under Funding Handbook section of the website for 2012/13. The full document can be found here.