Inform August 2021
Updated 18 January 2022
Applies to England
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1. Information: New Learning Aim Class Codes for Essential Digital Skills
The digital entitlement provides full funding for adults with low or no skills to study Essential Digital Skills qualifications (EDSQ) at Entry level or Level 1.
We fully fund non-regulated learning where assessment has identified the learner cannot undertake EDSQs, including those assessed at pre-entry level with significant learning difficulties and/or disabilities as part of a personalised learning programme.
This provision must be aligned with the national standards for essential digital skills and must not be a non-regulated version of a regulated qualification.
We have introduced new non-regulated learning aim class codes (LACCs) within the ILR from 2021/22 AY to record this non-regulated Essential Digital Skills provision, under Adult Skills Funding Model 35.
Categorised under code 42 with EDSQs, you must use codes Z0009419 to Z0009439. Each code includes the level of learning (Pre-Entry level to Level 1) and funding band for hours of the learning aim.
Further information on the LACCs can be found within the ESFA Provider Support Manual and Learning Aim Class Code guidance.
For details on the digital skills entitlement, please see the AEB funding and performance management rules 2021 to 22.
2. Information: recording Higher Education data in the ILR
The Office for Students (OfS) requires that the Learner HE, Learner HE Financial Support and Learning Delivery HE entities are returned for all level 4 and above learning aims for all providers on the OfS register (however, these entities are not required for aims also returned to HESA).
The OfS require this information in order to carry out their functions and duties effectively. OfS use of ILR data includes:
- registration of higher education providers that meet initial conditions of registration.
- monitoring of ongoing compliance of registered providers and taking enforcement action where conditions are breached.
- approving access and participation plans.
- authorising degree awarding powers and the use of the term ‘university’ in a provider’s title.
- providing financial support for registered higher education providers.
- collecting, sharing and publishing information, including cooperating with other organisations that collect data.
Though providers are strongly encouraged to return this data with a suitable level of data quality, it is recognised and accepted that data quality for 2021-22 may not be satisfactory due to the work that providers may need to carry out in order to collect this data and store it on their MI systems for 2021-22.
If you would like to discuss with the OfS how to return information for certain fields within these entities, please email ilrdata@officeforstudents.org.uk.
3. Information: Save The Date for National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) 2022
The Education and Skills Funding Agency announce that the 15th annual National Apprenticeship Week will take place from 7 to 13 February 2022.
National Apprenticeship Week brings together Apprenticeship Ambassadors, MPs, training providers, EPAOs, apprentices, parents and employers to celebrate the work being done across the whole apprenticeship community, promoting apprenticeships and their impact.
We are encouraging employers to promote the outstanding work their apprentices have been involved in over the past year. We also want to highlight the many benefits apprenticeships bring to businesses of all sizes.
Show your support and build the enthusiasm for National Apprenticeship Week 2022 by sharing our news story through your social media channels and start to plan your own amazing National Apprenticeship Week 2022 activity.
National Apprenticeship Week 2021 was a hugely successful week. Highlights included:
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over 1,200 virtual stakeholder, employer, provider and schools events
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NAW2021 trended #1 on Twitter on Launch Day and achieved over 500 million impressions across the week on social media
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the launch video was seen over 126,000 times across social media channels
More information on National Apprenticeship Week 2022 will be announced on GOV.UK and via social media channels in due course.
Follow @Apprenticeships on Twitter and National Apprenticeship Service on LinkedIn to keep up to date.
Thank you for helping apprenticeships to make a difference.
For more information on apprenticeships, visit: www.apprenticeships.gov.uk
4. Information: 2021 to 2022 Procured AEB / 19-24 Traineeships – Learner Support
These changes are being introduced for the 2021 to 2022 funding year to the following funding streams:
- Learner Support for ESFA AEB Procured (Adult Skills)
- Learner Support for ESFA 19 to 24 traineeships contract for services (2020 procurement)
Currently, learner support is claimed via the funding claim process. From 1 August 2021 if the learner support relates to learning delivered under a procured AEB or traineeship contract, you must claim the support through the Earnings Adjustment Statement (EAS.
Your funding agreement will show learner support as a separate value but it forms part of your overall ESFA funded AEB contract for service and we will not manage it separately. We will monitor the amount of funding you spend on support costs and may request additional evidence.
We will pay learner support based on your actual delivery using the latest validated EAS data you provide.
The AEB Funding and Performance Management Rules 2021 to 2022 will soon be available on GOV.UK.
If you have any queries please contact the Service Desk or your Territorial team.
5. Reminder: New Apprenticeship Service – Confirm My Apprenticeship Details launches 26 August
In Update on 21 July, we advised of the changes being made to the bulk upload file which training providers can use to add apprentices to the Apprenticeship Service. These changes will be implemented on 26 August 2021. At the same time this information will be required when adding an apprentice record to the apprenticeship service manually, and before the record can be approved by the employer and training provider.
A key change is the collection of apprentice e-mail addresses, ahead of the introduction of an apprentice’s own individual account on the Apprenticeship Service.
We made software suppliers aware of this change, as we are keen for them to make file exports in this format available from Learner Management Systems.
The revised specification, Apprenticeship Service - apprentice bulk upload specification for training providers version 4: effective 26 August 2021, can be found on GOV.UK.