Covid-19 and skills training: Top three priorities for Training Providers

In response to the #Coronavirus pandemic, The Association of Employment and Learning Providers @AELPUK has submitted to the DfE and Treasury a list of major actions and other flexibilities which need to be taken to safeguard apprenticeship and skills provision during the pandemic.  The three most important measures needed without any further delay are:

1. Guaranteed programme income across all funding streams for all provider types (grant or contracted) until the crisis is over
2. Removal of all observations for the end point assessment (EPA) of apprentices and replace EPAs with employer/provider assessment and professional discussion
3. Apply the same treatment to Functional Skills as is being applied to GCSEs and A levels, i.e. it should be left to the tutor as to when the learner has achieved competency

 Association of Employment and Learning Providers chief executive Mark Dawe said:

“AELP is receiving hourly reports from member training providers of apprenticeship programmes being stopped by employers, no new apprentices being taken on and existing apprentices being made redundant.  Learners on other skills programmes are also badly affected.  All of this impacts on the funding which a provider receives from the government and providers are therefore having to make their own staff redundant.  Without immediate support action from the government, many providers are in imminent danger of going out of business.  The experience and expertise lost, particularly for apprenticeships, will not be easily restored to the sector once the pandemic is over, especially as the scientific experts are advising that the situation could last for many months. 

“The Government must take action on our three most important requests now before a catastrophe unfolds across the sector and hundreds of thousands of young apprentices and learners on other training programmes have their livelihoods and prospects ended through no fault of their own.  The wait for a proper response has gone on for too long.”