Correspondence

ESFA Update further education: 11 January 2023

Updated 12 January 2023

Applies to England

1. Action: mandatory 2021 to 2022 FE workforce data collection deadline is 27 January

Please disregard this if a complete return has already been submitted.

The FE workforce data collection will close on 27 January 2023. This will be final extension possible, as any further delay will seriously impact publication plans.

We encourage your organisation to utilise the additional time to remain compliant with the collection. The collection is in three strands, staff, vacancy and recruitment, and governance information. Please ensure all strands have been submitted before the deadline.

To access the collection, use the Submit learner data sign in process.

If your require an account, please follow our IDAMs registration guidance.

We have released guidance documents for the collections to support staff who are completing the collections.

Please cascade this message to the relevant leads in your organisation as soon as possible.

2. Action: check your provisional qualification achievement rates (QARs) (2021 to 2022) before data query window closure on 31 January 2023

Provisional qualification achievement rates, due to be released this week, can be accessed through View your education data. Here you will find:

• a QAR dashboard that uses your ILR data from the R14 return to show your rates
• a QAR data download to show your learner level information

On reviewing this provisional data, you will have until 5pm on Tuesday 31 January 2023 to inform us of any concerns about how we have implemented our published methodology.

Note: You cannot request fixes or adjustments to your 2021 to 2022 Individualised Learner Record (ILR) data.

2.1 Further support

If you have any queries, download and complete the query form at the bottom of the QAR guidance page, referencing the data from the data downloads. Submit the completed form via our enquiry page, selecting the QAR ‘query type’

3. Information: 16 to 19 funding arrangements for 2023 to 2024

We have published details on how 16 to 19 funding will work for academic year 2023 to 2024 and confirmed the timeline for delivering allocations.

We have increased the national funding rate for students aged 16 and 17 and students aged 18 and over with high needs in band 5 to £4,642, and we will continue to fund an extra 40 hours per student. We’ve also confirmed the funding rates for T Levels and other students.

We have updated our guidance on:

• programme cost weightings
• advanced maths premium
• high value courses premium
• teachers’ pay grant and teachers’ pension employer contribution grant

If you have any questions after reading our guidance, please contact us using our online enquiry form.

4. Information: updates to subcontracting declaration arrangements for 2022 to 2023 academic year

Post-16 providers are required to submit a fully completed subcontractor declaration on Manage your education and skills funding (MYESF) by the dates given to you.

If you do not subcontract you must still provide a nil return to confirm this (schools and academies that do not subcontract out post-16 provision do not need to submit a declaration). Further information on declaring arrangements is available on GOV.UK.

We have made some improvements to the way we expect subcontracting data declared to us.

4.1 Changes for 2022 to 2023 academic year: January collection window

In previous years we have expected providers to update their declaration in January or February regardless of whether there has been a change or not.

For January 2023 you will only be required to submit a declaration to us if there are changes to report. You are still expected to submit updates as and when your subcontracting arrangements change.

If you have any questions, please submit an ESFA online enquiry form.

5. Information: independent training providers (ITPs) needed for user research on ITP handbook data collection

ESFA has announced plans to introduce a new governance and financial management handbook for ITPs.

Later this year, to inform the implementation of the handbook, ITPs will be required to complete a one-off data collection about their existing governance and financial management arrangements.

If you can help to ensure that the data collection meets the needs of ITPs, please:

1. read the Participant Information Sheet and if you’re willing to take part, complete the Consent Form, and
2. book a confidential online research session with a user researcher. Sessions last around an hour and are running from now until 23 February 2023.

Do consider getting involved. The information you provide will help us to ensure that we understand your needs, and to design a collection that meets them.

6. Information: the new approval process for funding of qualifications from 2025

Yesterday we published details on GOV.UK of the new approval process that all academic and technical qualifications at level 3 in scope of the review will need to go through to receive public funding approval from 2025 onwards.

We have also published a guide to the future qualifications landscape from 2025.

This document contains further context to the qualifications review, together with more specific policy detail about:

• the categories of technical qualifications that will be considered for funding
• the range of subjects where large and small academic qualifications can be approved in future
• our expectations for the combinations of subjects that would be suitable at 16-19
• the scope and timelines for the 2 approval cycles for teaching in 2025-26 and 2026-27.

DfE, IfATE and Ofqual will be jointly delivering an introductory webinar for providers. The webinar will give an overview of these announcements and provide the opportunity for you to raise any questions.

If you are interested in attending, please register your interest at DfE Webinars on Eventbrite. Please note that you will only need to attend one webinar as they will cover the same content.

7. Information: update to the Register of Flexi-Job Apprenticeships

7.1 New Flexi-Job Apprenticeship Agencies

Following the re-opening of the application process, the Register of Flexi-Job Apprenticeship Agencies has been updated with 16 new agencies being added; these include:

• Cogent Skills, who will be focusing on the nuclear sector, defence, industrial sciences and life sciences
• HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), who will be supporting prisoner apprenticeships
• Hays Specialist Recruitment, who will be focusing on digital and construction

Employers that have been successful in joining the Register of Flexi-Job Apprenticeship Agencies understand their sector and region well and have identified barriers that have so far prevented employers from engaging successfully in apprenticeships. They are committed to delivering high-quality apprenticeship training and are ready to support the growth of apprenticeships.

7.2 Existing Flexi-Job Apprenticeship Agencies

Existing Flexi-Job Apprenticeship Agencies were given the opportunity to expand their offering. Five agencies decided to expand the sectors and/or locations they covered. These were Evolve Apprenticeships Ltd, Inspire ATA Ltd, Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, TrAC and En:Able Futures.

The full list of Flexi-Job Apprenticeship Agencies can be found on GOV.UK.

Find more information on Flexi-Job Apprenticeships,

8. Information: 4 weeks until National Apprenticeship Week 2023 (NAW2023)

We have only 4 weeks to go now and we cannot wait to see all of the amazing events and activities that will be happening over the week.

Please read our online newsletter to find out about all things National Apprenticeship Week!

Keep up to date with National Apprenticeship Week 2023 by following Apprenticeships on Twitter and Apprenticeships on LinkedIn, or sign up to our mailing list.

Don’t forget to use the hashtags #NAW2023 and #SkillsForLife on social media.

You can contact us at The.Week@education.gov.uk.