Correspondence

Inform November 2021

Updated 18 January 2022

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You can find the latest from ESFA in our weekly newsletter, ESFA Update.

Applies to England

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sfa-inform/inform-november-2021

1. Information: a webinar for training providers about a new recruitment API for creating apprenticeship vacancies, and the plan to decommission existing tools

The Apprenticeship Service is pleased to bring you the next in our series of support webinars.

All webinars are hosted by subject matter experts to help service users to understand more about the apprenticeship service and the apprenticeship programme.

Join us on 8 December 2021 at 12 noon when we will be providing:

  • an overview of the current tools available
  • the plan to decommission some tools in current use
  • an overview of the new API functionality
  • next steps in recruitment improvements

Registration for this webinar opens on our webinar registration page from 23 November 2021.

You can watch all apprenticeship service webinar recordings on YouTube.

2. Information: ILR Documentation – call for research participants

A new phase of development is starting on the ILR Documentation and over the next few months I will be interviewing people and collecting reactions to prototypes.

I am putting together a list of people interested in participating. The 45min to 1hr interviews will be 1-to-1 on MS Teams and all research results will be anonymized.

I am looking for anyone who uses the documentation as part of their job.

  • Reading about, recording and submitting ILR data
  • Creating ILR record systems
  • Experts and novices
  • Using assistive technology

Is this something you would like to take part in?

If so, please email me at penn.smith@education.gov.uk with the following information.

2.1 Providers + ILR record system creators

  • Your organisation (research results will not name the organisation)
  • Your role
  • How long you have been working with ILR documentation

2.2 Providers (if the information is known)

  • The recording system used for the ILR data
  • Number of apprenticeship learners (approx.)
  • Number of 16-19 (excluding apprenticeships) learners (approx.)
  • Number of other learner types (approx.)

If you are not currently available, please let me know if you would like to be considered for future sessions.

Please note all lists of ESFA research volunteers are kept securely, deleted after a year, and you can at any point ask to be removed from the list.

3. Action: R04 individualised learner record (ILR) data entry

The R04 ILR data return closes on Monday 6 December. It is important that you submit accurate and timely data.

We use your R04 data return in several ways, including:

  • calculating 16 to 19 growth for the 2021 to 2022 funding year (subject to affordability)
  • reconciling independent learning provider’s 16 to 19 ILR recorded delivery against funding allocations for 2021 to 2022 funding year
  • calculating 16 to 19 funding allocations for 2022 to 2023 funding year
  • calculating the carry over costs for procured non-levy apprenticeship contracts for the 2022 to 2023 financial year
  • supporting the calculation of 19+ funding allocations for the 2022 to 2023 funding year
  • measuring the performance of your adult education budget, 16 to 18 traineeship (for providers without 16 to 19 funding) and 19 to 24 traineeship contract values as set out in the Adult education budget (AEB) funding rules 2021 to 2022

For further information on data submissions please refer to our ESFA - Online Documentation and also our funding guidance for young people: ILR funding returns.

If you have any queries, please contact your territorial team lead or use the ESFA help centre.

4. Information: 2020 to 2021 Final reconciliation statements

Thank you for submitting your 2020 to 2021 final funding claim. Reconciliation statements will be available for you to view on Manage your Education Skills and Funding by the end of November 2021.

This will set out the final position for the 2020 to 2021 funding year and inform the funding that is required to repay (if applicable) or over delivery funding that we will pay.

We will be contacting providers who submitted a business case for adult education budget (AEB) on the next steps required depending upon the outcomes of the process.

Final Reconciliation Statements are published following submission of a final funding claim for the following funding streams:

  • ESFA AEB – adult skills and community learning – grant-funded
  • ESFA AEB – covid skills offer – grant funded
  • ESFA AEB – 19 to 24 traineeships – grant funded
  • ESFA AEB – adult skills learner support – paid-on-profile (AEB procured)
  • ESFA AEB – 19 to 24 traineeships learner support – paid on profile (procured) advanced learner loans bursary (ALLB) – grant-funded

If you are required to repay funds back to us, we will schedule those repayments from December 2021.

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