Correspondence

ESFA Update further education: 25 July 2018

Published 25 July 2018

This correspondence was withdrawn on 20 February 2020

This has been withdrawn as it’s out of date. Find the latest information from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) in the latest ESFA Update.

Applies to England

1. Action: subcontractor declaration for 2017 to 2018 adult delivery, including apprenticeships and traineeships

Today is the last day for organisations delivering ESFA funded adult programmes, including all apprenticeships and traineeships, to declare their subcontracting arrangements.

This is the final collection for the 2017 to 2018 year and you must make your declaration by through the Skills Funding Service (SFS) before 5pm today (Wednesday, 25 July).

If you have previously made a declaration in the 2017 to 2018 year, you will need to review it and make your declaration in the Skills Funding Service (SFS).

For further details, you can visit our subcontracting page. If you have any questions, please contact SDE.servicedesk@education.gov.uk.

2. Information: updated adult education budget (AEB) funding rules 2018 to 2019

In response to sector feedback, this week we have made 2 small revisions to version 2 of the adult education budget (AEB) funding and performance management rules 2018 to 2019.

The changes include:

• amendments to low wage flexibility, paragraph 151, making it clear individuals who meet the criteria, are eligible
• glossary – ‘employed’ definition changed to ‘employed status’

The rules apply to all providers of education and training who receive AEB funding through the ESFA.

If you have any queries about the funding rules please contact the service desk.

3. Information: 2018 to 2019 adult education budget (AEB) webinar

We held 2 webinars last week to cover the 2018 to 2019 AEB funding rules, and focused on the following areas:

• who we fund

• low wage trial

• AEB programmes and policies

• performance management approach

We have published the slides on GOV.UK.

Please send questions about the funding rules to the service desk: servicedesk@education.gov.uk or telephone: 0370 2670001.

4. Information: 2018 to 2019 adult education budget allocations – grant-funded providers

In October 2018, we will review your 2018 to 2019 adult education budget grant allocation against your year-end claim for 2017 to 2018. If your claim is significantly less than your allocation, you may be in scope for a reduction. It is therefore important that you submit an accurate and timely year-end claim.

If you have any queries please contact your provider manager or intervention manager.

This does not affect AEB contracts for service.

5. Information: non-levy apprenticeship performance-management point

A reminder that you are now able to submit growth requests for your 16 to 18 and adult non-levy apprenticeship contract for the 2018 to 2019 funding year.

Please send your completed growth request forms to Provider.PerformanceManagement@Education.GOV.UK and your provider manager before 5pm on Friday 3 August.

Any growth awarded will be from August 2018 to March 2019 and will be subject to available budget and the priorities set out on GOV.UK.

As at this performance management point we will also be reducing your allocation where performance against the standard national profile is below tolerances published in Annex D, please ensure that your R12 ILR returns (due 6 August) are accurate and complete.

For further information, please refer to version 6 of the apprenticeship funding and performance-management rules for training providers or contact your provider manager.

6. Information: adult education budget (AEB) devolution - draft orders laid before parliament

On 23 July 2018, draft orders were laid before parliament to transfer certain adult education functions in the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009, to the combined authorities:

• Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

• Greater Manchester

• Liverpool City Region

• Tees Valley, West Midlands

• West of England

Alongside the laying of draft orders, we have published statutory guidance.

The government remains committed to devolution of the AEB to the Mayor of London in time for the academic year 2019 to 2020. We will deliver this through a delegation to the Mayor of London of certain adult education functions from the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 under S39A of the Greater London Authority Act 1999. This delegation will be set out through an agreement between the Secretary of State for Education and the Mayor of London.

7. Information: new find an apprenticeship developer hub

Following user feedback, we will be launching a new developer hub at the end of July for the technical teams who manage the uploading of apprenticeship vacancies to find an apprenticeship.

The new hub will enable the use of advanced options when searching and creating new apprenticeship vacancies. You can read more details in this FE Connect blog post.

To use the new hub, you will need to register for an account. We will publish details on how to register on FE Connect when the hub goes live. You will still be able to use the existing web services to upload vacancies until early 2019 to allow plenty of time for transition.