ESFA weekly round-up – Issue 360
Education & Skills Funding Agency’s weekly round-up of business-critical information to ESFA-funded colleges, other training organisations and direct grant employers. (28 June 2017)
1. Advanced Learner Loans funding and performance management rules 2017 to 2018
A reminder that ESFA have published version 2 of the Advanced Learner Loans funding and performance management rules 2017 to 2018.
They will be holding three webinars during July to support the publication and highlight good practice.
| Date | Time |
|---|---|
| 4 July | 2:00pm – 3:30pm |
| 5 July | 10:30am – 12:00pm |
| 6 July | 10:30am – 12:00pm |
Please email to book your place.
2. Adult Education Budget Funding and Performance Management Rules 2017 to 2018
This week ESFA have published version 1 of the Adult Education Budget Funding Rules 2017 to 2018.
These rules apply to all providers of education and training who receive adult education budget funding from the ESFA.
Please note the performance management rules for 2017 to 2018 will be included in version 2.
They will be holding 3 webinars during July to support the publication.
| Date | Time |
|---|---|
| 11 July | 10:00am – 11:30am |
| 14 July | 10:00am – 11:30am |
| 19 July | 2:00pm – 3:00pm |
Please email to book your place.
3. Apprenticeship Grant for Employers (AGE) reports available in the Skills Funding Service (SFS)
From Wednesday 28 June, you will be able to see your AGE reports for the last 2 years in SFS.
You will be able to view this information if you have any of the following user roles:
- contract authoriser
- contract manager
- contract user
- data returns and claims manager
Check the SFS user roles and permissions.
If you have any questions, please email the servicedesk.
4. Legal entitlement offer for level 2 and level 3: 2017 to 2018
ESFA have updated the list of qualifications that are part of the 2017 to 2018 level 2 and level 3 legal entitlement offer. It includes new technical and applied qualifications in the 2019 performance tables, AS and A Levels and new access to HE qualifications.
The Hub will shortly be updated to reflect these changes.
5. Qualification eligibility principles and legal entitlements: 2017 to 2018
ESFA have published the 2017 to 2018 qualification eligibility principles and legal entitlements documents.
These documents explain how theye make qualifications eligible for funding through the Adult Education Budget and explains how these offers are updated.
6. Non-levy apprenticeship growth requests
The first performance-management point for non-levy apprenticeships will take place in July instead of August. You can now submit requests for increases to your 16 to 18 and 19+ non-levy apprenticeship contract values for May 2017 to December 2017.
Please send your completed growth request form to Provider Performance Management and your provider manager before 5pm on Tuesday 11 July. You must submit a growth request to be considered for an increase.
Please contact your provider manager if you have any queries.
7. Customer engagement user research
As a newly formed agency, the ESFA is looking at how it engages with its customers; they want to understand your experience of engaging with them, identify what works well for you and where they may need to make improvements.
To achieve this they would like to talk with you directly through:
-
brief one to one phone calls with a researcher (they will advertise dates for these next week and ask for volunteers)
-
up to 8 face-to-face focus groups (locations across the country)
They are currently looking for volunteers to host (in their workplace) and attend the focus groups shown below.
| Customer focus group | Date |
|---|---|
| Local authorities and academies | 10 – 21 July |
| FE colleges and sixth form | 10 – 21 July |
| Training providers (independent and charitable) | 17 – end July |
| Employers | 17 – end July |
If you would like to host one of the workshops, please email ESFA, deadline for responses is 5pm Tuesday 4 July.
Responses