ESFA Update further education: 2 September 2020
Updated 2 September 2020
Applies to England
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1. Latest information on coronavirus (COVID-19)
The Department for Education has published guidance about COVID-19 in educational settings for staff, parents and carers, pupils and students on GOV.UK.
There is also guidance on the apprenticeship service about COVID-19.
Please check GOV.UK regularly for updates.
2. Action: subcontracting declarations (including nil returns) – final deadline for providers who missed 31 August deadline
In accordance with the funding rules, providers are required to make a declaration through Manage your education skills funding (MYESF).
Organisations who have missed our deadline of 31 August 2020 must declare their subcontracting arrangements by Friday 11 September 2020. Schools and academies are not required to complete this declaration for their 16 to 19 provision. Please note that if you do not subcontract but receive direct funding from ESFA, you are still required to make a nil return.
The current declarations relate to the following periods:
- 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 for the delivery of any apprenticeship non-levy and levy funded provision
- 1 August 2019 to 31 July 2020 for all other adult education
- 16 to 19 programme for the year from 1 August 2019 to 31 July 2020 (noting schools and academies are exempt)
Please note if you have submitted a declaration for the referenced 2019 to 2020 provisions you are required to submit this data for the second and final time. This information should be updated and reconfirmed in line with the funding rules which state we will collect this information at least twice a year.
The process for collecting subcontractor declarations is through the Manage your education and skills funding service (MYESF).
You will need one of the following MYESF roles to complete and submit a declaration:
- contract authoriser
- contract manager
- data returns and claims authoriser
You can check the user roles and permissions in MYESF.
If you have any questions, please submit an ESFA online enquiry form.
3. Information: independent training providers (ITP) financial forecasts
We are introducing a new requirement for some independent training providers to submit financial forecast and cash flow templates.
Not all providers are in scope. A proportion of our largest contract holders and successful applicants to the Provider Relief Scheme 2 will be notified individually, in writing by Friday 4 September, if they are within scope.
Updated guidance and templates are on GOV.UK, and the deadline for submission for providers in scope is Wednesday 30 September 2020.
4. Information: claims for 16 to 19 Bursary Fund for students in defined vulnerable groups
The online form to claim from the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund for students in defined vulnerable groups for the academic year 2020 to 2021 is now available on the Student Bursary Support Service (SBSS) portal.
5. Information: incentive payment for hiring new apprentices - applications go live
From 1 September, employers large and small can apply for large cash incentives designed to create more high-quality apprenticeship opportunities.
As part of the Government’s Plan for Jobs, employers are being offered £2,000 for each new apprentice aged under 25 they hire, and £1,500 for each new apprentice they hire aged 25 and over, up to the 31 January 2021. This includes taking on an apprentice who has been made redundant.
The new cash incentives for employers are in addition to the existing £1,000 payment for new 16 to -18 year-old apprentices, and those aged under 25 with an education, health and care (EHC) plan.
The incentive payment for hiring a new apprentice is different to the apprenticeship levy and can be used on anything to support organisational costs, for example facilities, uniforms, apprentice’s travel or their salary.
Any organisation can apply for the payment, no matter the size or the sector. Applications must be made through the Apprenticeship Service, employers not currently registered will be able to set up an account.
6. Information: National Apprenticeship Awards 2020 open for entries
The National Apprenticeship Awards 2020 are now open for entries.
Back for their 17th year, the National Apprenticeship Awards are a fantastic opportunity to highlight business and individual success in apprenticeships and are particularly poignant this year, given the challenges many employers and apprentices have faced during the pandemic.
Entries to the awards are open until 25 September 2020, and this year winners will be recognised at online broadcast ceremonies. These ceremonies will also showcase good news stories from COVID-19, with examples of where apprentices have gone above and beyond to make a difference.
Regional ceremonies will take place between 2 and 6 November, with the national ceremony taking place on Wednesday 25 November.
Apprentice employers, apprentices and apprenticeship champions from all sectors are invited to enter the awards - from engineering, digital, healthcare and science, to beauty, manufacturing and education.
To enter the National Apprenticeship Awards 2020, or to sign up to our mailing list, please visit: appawards.co.uk.