What do updated government guidelines mean for national training providers?

As education training comes under threat, many providers are having to change the way they work to adapt to the current challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and to ensure that employers and their employees can carry on.

With a period of uncertainty ahead, leading national training provider, Qube Learning, is now predominately focusing on conducting business online, whilst they look ahead at what will help boost training and employer functionality.

Joe Crossley, CEO of Qube Learning, says,

‘Right now, so many individuals are fearful about the future in terms of their professional lives. The number of businesses being driven to the brink of collapse is devastating which is why working closely with small, medium and large enterprises and their employees to help them find solutions that will reduce some of the damage caused by the crisis, is crucial to survival.

With new measures being put in place by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) for the duration of the pandemic, our organisation is continuously working to ensure that the impact on our workforce, students and their employers will be limited.

Considerations surrounding the flexible delivery of apprenticeships, continuing training and end-point assessment for furloughed apprentices, applying the policy on breaks in learning, delays to end-point assessment (EPA), alternative arrangements for EPA and external quality assurance are all points that we, like many training providers, weigh up daily. Our ability to understand the industry and the thinking of senior education policymakers and how to work with them is crucial to what lies ahead for our sector.

We work with many people from a variety of backgrounds, some who labour with learning difficulties such as autism and some who live with anxiety and depression but see their apprenticeship programmes as a therapy to alleviate their symptoms. Their courage and commitment are a driving force for us not to give up; they need us now more than ever.

With apprenticeships continuing at present, the government recognises that individuals on the programme play a substantial role in how our economy recovers and how it functions in the future. So, they remain supportive and our industry remains optimistic. However, we are prepared for any outcome; we know that there are well-founded fears that our industry could take a hit at any time.’

Qube Learning is proud to be an OFSTED grade 2 (Good) training provider and works with hundreds of employers across the country to deliver a range of training and qualifications to a wide array of learners. If you are interested in finding out more about the positive opportunities an Apprenticeship or Traineeship can bring, either as a learner or an employer, then speak with the experts at Qube Learning, and find out how an Apprenticeship or Traineeship could kick-start your career or contribute to your organisation by contacting the training experts at Qube Learning.