Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that independent training providers have access to funding on an equal basis with other adult skills providers, including colleges.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The government recognises the important role Independent Training Providers (ITPs) play in delivering adult training and skills. After changes in the law brought about by the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, it was decided to procure an element of the Adult Education Budget (AEB) openly and competitively, for contracts for services provision. ITPs can submit bids for these contracts in Education and Skills Funding Agency non-devolved areas. In areas where the AEB has been devolved, mayoral combined authorities are now responsible for the provision of AEB-funded adult education for their residents and for deciding which providers to fund.
Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve communication at a (1) local, and (2) national, level about best practices in the delivery of adult skills.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The steps being taken to improve communication at a local and national level about best practices in the delivery of adult skills were outlined in the white paper, Skills for Jobs: Lifelong Learning for Opportunity and Growth, published in January 2021: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skills-for-jobs-lifelong-learning-for-opportunity-and-growth.
We are trailblazing new employer-led Local Skills Improvement Plans in a small number of areas in the 2021-22 financial year. They will be created by employer representative bodies working closely with further education colleges, other providers and key local stakeholders and will set out the key changes needed in a local area to make technical skills training more responsive to employers’ skills needs. Alongside the trailblazers, we are legislating to put Local Skills Improvement Plans on a statutory footing as part of the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill.
Local Skills Improvement Plans will provide a framework to help colleges and other providers reshape what they offer, to tackle skills mismatches and ensure that they are responding as effectively as possible to labour market skills needs. We will also make development funding available in the 2021-22 financial year in a number of pilot areas to support colleges to reshape their provision to address local priorities that have been agreed with local employers.
We will reform our funding and accountability systems to better support providers in their role. To this end, The Skills for Jobs: A New Further Education Funding and Accountability System Government Consultation was published on 15 July 2021: https://consult.education.gov.uk/fe-funding/reforms-to-funding-and-accountability/. This consultation proposes a range of steps to improve communication at local and national level about effective skills delivery:
Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the importance of independent training providers in delivering training to meet current and future skills shortages in (1) the North East, and (2) the wider UK economy.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
In our Skills for Jobs White Paper, published in January 2021, we recognised the unique knowledge and capacity that independent training providers bring. They are the largest provider type delivering apprenticeships and they contribute substantially to adult education and training. In the academic year 2019 to 2020, enrolments at publicly funded private sector providers were:
- 21,700 apprentices and 15,900 adults in the North East
- 429,190 apprentices and 175,810 adults in England.
This prominence across the market is why we are legislating through the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill to place duties on independent training providers, alongside other post-16 providers, to co-operate with employer representative bodies in developing Local Skills Improvement Plans, so they can play their part in responding to the skills gaps that the plans identify.
Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the provision of practical music education in England.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The government is committed to all pupils and students receiving a high-quality education and it has continued to be the case that music education, including one-to-one lessons, can be undertaken in school, college or university so long as safety precautions are undertaken.
In relation to schools, advice has been provided in COVID-19 guidance since August 2020, setting out how teaching music can be conducted safely. This includes visits by peripatetic teachers, including music teachers from music education hubs. The hubs acted swiftly and innovatively to support schools through the COVID-19 outbreak, including the continuation of continuing professional development to classroom teachers.
During the COVID-19 outbreak, the department also introduced several initiatives for schools and parents including signposting to a range of online music education resources such as BBC Education, Oak Academy and other professional organisations such as Music Mark.
Following the announcement by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, on 22 February 2021, the government published updated guidance for full opening of schools on 8 March. The guidance continues to make clear that the curriculum should remain broad and ambitious so that the majority of pupils are taught a full range of subjects over the year, including music. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak.
In addition, updated guidance for out-of-school venues, such as supplementary schools providing part-time music provision and private music tutors for under 18s, can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/protective-measures-for-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.
Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of apprentices in England leaving apprenticeships early during the COVID-19 pandemic as a result of (1) furlough, and (2) redundancy, broken down by industry sector.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
We are committed to supporting apprentices to safely continue with, and complete, their apprenticeship programmes during the COVID-19 outbreak.
We have introduced flexibilities to enable furloughed apprentices to continue with their apprenticeship training and undertake end-point assessments wherever possible. We have also taken significant steps to support apprentices who suffer redundancy.
We launched the Redundancy Support Service for Apprentices which provides clear, accessible advice and guidance to individuals, as well as a vacancy sharing scheme to help apprentices find new opportunities with employers. Over 1,200 employers have submitted opportunities to the vacancy sharing service for redundant apprentices. We have also amended legislation to enable more apprentices to complete their apprenticeship in the event of redundancy.
Where it is not possible and practicable for the apprentice to continue training, a break in learning can be used to allow the apprentice to return to learning at a future date. Our guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-apprenticeship-programme-response.
The department does not collect data on furloughed and redundant apprentices by industry sector.
From 30 July 2020, employers have been able to record on the apprenticeship service if an apprenticeship has ended due to a redundancy. Our collected data on 1 December 2020 shows that 1,360 apprenticeships have ended due to redundancy since August 2020. This figure does not include all apprenticeship redundancies as not all non-levy employers are currently using the service. Further breakdown of data can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships.
Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to simplify tender processes for education establishments to procure cloud-based virtual learning environments.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The department has published user tested procurement guidance on GOV.UK as well as approved frameworks as part of our Buying for Schools guidance. At present this does not currently provide a recommendation for virtual learning environments, but approved frameworks are regularly reviewed to ensure they meet the current and future buying needs of schools.
In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, we are funding support for school to get set up on one of two free-to-use digital education environments: Google’s G Suite for Education or Microsoft’s Office 365 Education.
Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what funding they will make available to education establishments to invest in virtual learning environments.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the department is investing £14.3 million to fund expert technical support for schools to get set up on an accredited digital education environment. Using this funding, schools and multi academy trusts can apply to get set up on one of two free-to-use digital education environments: Google’s G Suite for Education or Microsoft’s Office 365 Education.
Further information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/get-help-with-technology-for-remote-education-during-coronavirus-covid-19#get-help-using-online-education-platforms.
Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that apprentices, including those on higher and degree courses, will have their courses funded to completion, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
We understand that apprentices, including those undertaking higher level and degree apprenticeships, may face disruption to their learning as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
We are supporting employers and training and assessment providers to make use of distance-learning tools, wherever it is possible and practicable to do so, to enable as many people as possible to continue with and complete their apprenticeships.
We recognise that some apprentices may be unable to undertake training at present and that training providers may not currently be able to deliver it. We have therefore temporarily changed the funding rules to allow employers and providers to initiate a break in learning of over 4 weeks to ensure that apprentices can promptly resume their learning when they can do so.
Funding remains available for all apprentices continuing their apprenticeships, including higher level and degree apprenticeships.
Further guidance for apprentices, employers and providers can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-apprenticeship-programme-response.
We are keeping this guidance under review and will publish updates as the situation evolves.
Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to provide funding to public sector training providers for the breaks in learning caused by the COVID-19 pandemic as opposed to these funds being drawn from employers' levy funding.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
We are working with training providers, end-point assessment organisations and external quality assurance organisations during this challenging time to support employers and apprentices.
We are encouraging training providers to deliver training to apprentices remotely and via e-learning as far as it is practicable. Where that is not possible and a break in learning of more than 4 weeks is necessary, payments to the training provider will be suspended for the duration of the break in learning. For levy-paying employers, this means that payments from their apprenticeship service accounts will be paused. Further guidance for employers and training providers is available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-apprenticeship-programme-response.
Where the COVID-19 outbreak results in loss of income due to ceased or reduced delivery of training, training providers should consider their eligibility and apply for the wide range of financial support that HM Treasury has announced for businesses. Full details of this substantial package of support can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/covid-19-support-for-businesses.
Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the progress made towards meeting their target of three million apprenticeship starts in England by 2020; and what further action, if any, they plan to take to achieve that target.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
Over 90 per cent of employer PAYE schemes with larger levy declarations (of over £150,000) have registered an account on the apprenticeship service. Feedback from levy payers has shown they plan to increase their demand for apprenticeships.
We have made significant changes to the way we build a skilled workforce and in light of this it would be premature to draw definitive conclusions on the basis of the limited data available. We fully expect there to be a period of adjustment while employers decide how to maximise the opportunities these reforms present them.
The department is supporting employers to help them plan their future programmes. This includes account management for over 1,000 of the largest levy-paying employers. We have recently announced initial awards totalling around £485 million to hundreds of providers across the country to offer apprenticeship training to non-levy paying employers.
We are also undertaking a wider range of ongoing communications and engagement activities to encourage the take-up of apprenticeships. A new phase of our communications campaign started on 26 January 2018, to encourage employers to offer high quality apprenticeship opportunities and to promote these to potential apprentices.