ESFA Update further education: 5 August 2020
Published 5 August 2020
Applies to England
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/esfa-update-5-august-2020/esfa-update-further-education-5-august-2020
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. Reminder: all apprenticeship job adverts for learners starting from 1 August 2020 should feature apprenticeship standards
On 8 July 2020 we published a final reminder that from 1 August 2020, all new apprenticeship learners must start on new, employer-designed apprenticeship standards, and that apprenticeship frameworks will be withdrawn to new learners after 31 July 2020.
We are aware that there are currently a number of live job adverts on Find an apprenticeship that still link to apprenticeship frameworks. These adverts are being archived, and we are making efforts to contact respective providers. Applicants will receive a direct email with details of what to do next.
In order to prevent any vacancies with frameworks appearing on Find an apprenticeship, do not re-open old adverts or extend the closing dates of adverts featuring frameworks. All adverts must be for standards only. Any adverts featuring frameworks will be removed.
Apprentices who started on a framework on or before 31 July 2020 will still be able to complete their apprenticeship. It is our ambition that all apprentices will have completed apprenticeship frameworks by 31 July 2025 (accounting for any breaks in learning).
3. Information: provider relief scheme (April – June 2020) – reconciliation returns
Training providers who received funding via our post-16 provider relief schemes are required to submit a reconciled summary of costs used within 60 days of the support ending. As the initial scheme (April – June 2020) has now ended providers are required to submit this by 2 October 2020.
If you are in scope to submit a reconciliation return you will have received an email including a template, which should be sent to esfa.ppn220queries@education.gov.uk by the closing date.
In the template, you will need to evidence that each of the activities described in your application for support have been delivered. You will also need to evidence that each of your eligible costs as described in your application has been spent accordingly. Please note that we will recover funds which were not used for their intended purpose or where the funds were not required.
Submission of the reconciliation template is a condition of funding, and failure to return the template within the specified timescale may lead to the recovery of funds paid under the scheme.
If you believe you should have received a template, please email esfa.ppn220queries@education.gov.uk. You should also use this email if you have any questions about the process or the template.
4. Information: Redundancy Support Service for apprentices launches
High-quality apprenticeships will have an important role to play in creating employment opportunities post-COVID-19, and in supporting employers to access the skilled workforce they need to bounce back and succeed. Training providers have a critical role to play in supporting redundant apprentices to help them to find a new employer and support them through to completion.
To further support apprentices who have been made redundant, or who are at risk of redundancy, we introduced the Redundancy Support Service for Apprentices on 1 August.
The service will provide advice and guidance to individuals on the impact of redundancy, their options and next steps. We will also help redundant apprentices to identify new apprenticeship and employment opportunities, and, where they are eligible, complete their current apprenticeship.
The service is made up of three main elements:
- providing apprentices with advice and guidance on the impact of redundancy
- signposting apprentices to local and national support services
- an apprenticeship vacancy sharing service to make redundant apprentices aware of new opportunities
An employer who would like to recruit a redundant apprentice or offer new apprenticeship opportunities should visit the website or call 08000 150 600.
Apprentices should visit the website or call 0800 150 400.
5. Information: 16 to 19 tuition fund
We have updated the 16-19 tuition fund guidance originally published on 24 July as there was an omission in the original version. We wish to make it clear that although the actual tuition does not need to be for GCSE English or maths, the students supported all need to be those who had not achieved grade 4 or above in at least one of those subjects at this level by age 16.
You can read the updated 16 to 19 tuition fund guidance on GOV.UK.
6. Information: monitoring post-16 funding for 2020 to 2021
We will publish the list of areas we will monitor in the 2020 to 2021 funding year on Friday 7 August. The document identifies the relevant rules that support each area, and any changes to the suite of 16+ monitoring reports which we will publish later in the year.
We have expanded the scope of our activity to include community learning, T levels and the T Level Transition Programme. Some data quality checks that previously sat within the suite of reports will now run upon submission of your monthly ILR returns. This is in response to your requests for us to publish reports earlier where possible. We will also implement further validation rules to maintain data quality. Further details will be published in the Financial assurance: monitoring the funding rules for post-16 funding for 2020 to 2021 on 7 August.
For further support contact us through the service desk marking it for the attention of ‘post-16 funding monitoring’.
7. Information: Learning Aims Reference Service: Category Codes 2020 to 2021
We have published our guide to using Learning Aims Reference Service: Category Codes 2020 to 2021.
This document provides the definitions and guidance for each category on the Learning Aim Reference Service (LARS).
For further information, please contact the service desk.
8. Information: the National Careers Service Exam Results Helpline
The National Careers Service Exam Results Helpline is available again this year, providing professional and personalised advice to those receiving any exam results, including BTECs, GCSEs and A Levels. The Exams Results Helpline runs from Wednesday 12 August and continues until Friday 28 August. It is available for young people, and their parents or carers looking for careers support, who can contact the helpline on 0800 100 900 from 8am to 10pm 7 days a week.
As well as the Exam Results Helpline, National Careers Service has developed new pages on its website, offering post-16 and post-18 advice, covering everything from exploring options and career routes at 16 and 18, to how to write a CV and how to find job opportunities. Please see the National Careers Service website for further information.