ESFA weekly round-up – Issue 363

1. Update to learning aim search on the Hub

ESFA have updated the search functions for learning aims on the Hub. You can now find a new field to indicate an integrated degree standard and enhanced display features that allow search results to be sorted by column.

You can also find further information on the other developments in the table and field definitions for 2017 to 2018 and learning aims search guidance.

2. Payment history available in the Skills Funding Service

You can now see historical payment information related to your contracts for the last two years in the Skills Funding Service.

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

3. Customer engagement user research

Many thanks to those of you who have been involved in the customer engagement focus groups so far, or volunteered for a telephone interview.

ESFA are looking for a final few volunteers for telephone interviews. If you are from a maintained school, an FE college or a sixth form college and can be available for an hour long phone call with one of their researchers in the next week please email.

The purpose of the research is to understand your experience of engaging with ESFA, identify what works well for you and where we may need to make improvements.

4. FE Choices Learner Satisfaction Survey 2016 to 2017

ESFA published the 2016 to 2017 FE Choices Learner Satisfaction Survey on Thursday 13 July. Colleges and training providers that had access to personalised reports earlier in the summer, can now compare their results with other providers and view the overall summary of the national results.

Key findings show that:

• overall, 83% of respondents would recommend their learning provider to friends or family, with over a third (38%) saying they were extremely likely to recommend the learning provider
• learners aged 25 or over were more likely to recommend the learning provider, with 93% of adults aged 25 and over saying they would do so
• the survey also found most apprenticeship framework areas were highly rated by learners compared to classroom-based study in equivalent subject areas

For further information, please view the published data files and reports or contact the Service Desk.

5. Update on procurement for non-levy paying employers

In April, ESFA announced a pause on the procurement exercise for apprenticeship training provision for non-levy-paying employers.

They have now cancelled this procurement and will launch a new procurement at the end of July.

The new procurement will ensure they achieve the best value for employers, providers and apprentices in the move to a fully employer-led system.

While the new procurement exercise is open, the register of apprenticeship training providers will not re-open for new applications.

This procurement will not affect training provision for existing learners.