News
Cogent Sector Spotlight
Further details...
Apprenticeships Newsletter- March 2010
Further details...
Techniques for Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Part 1 - Event postponed
Further details...
Last day to book for Technology-based Solutions for Vocational Learning - 26th March 2010
Further details...
NIACE Professional Development Opportunities for 2010
Further details...
News Archive
A message from the ALP management Team about Apprenticeship, T2G and e2e funding.
Given the high level of concern amongst providers regarding the funding of Apprenticeships, Train to Gain and E2E at present I thought you might find it helpful if I augmented the various updates over recent weeks in Countdown with a specific note regarding the action ALP is taking on members' behalf.
I have been in constant discussion with senior Directors of the LSC over the past few weeks about the difficulties being caused for those providers who have delivered strong growth in the three main programmes over the past few months in response to the strong encouragements to do just that from the LSC.
In addition to these ongoing discussions I was able to meet with the new LSC Chief Executive, Geoff Russell, last week, where I was able to reconfirm the position that I had set out in a letter to him immediately after he took up his new post. I have also written today to LSC's new Chief Operating Officer, Chris Roberts, on these issues.
Regarding Train to Gain and Apprenticeships, I am seeking agreement from the LSC to ensure that line by line underspends are offset against line by line overspends across all contracts held by providers (we are, after all, supposed to be operating a single contract), insisting that clawbacks where total contract values have not been breeched do not happen. Furthermore, I am insisting that all legitimate delivery that has taken place already must be paid for.
I am also suggesting that if providers can be given, urgently, a total figure - a capped figure which brings together the rest of the budget available to them in the 2008/09 year, together with the budget available in 2009/10 - providers will be able to manage that 16 month period without the need to damagingly stop new business straight away as I know many of you are understandably doing right now. We know that Secretary of State, John Denham, does not wish to see employer facing delivery unilaterally stopped - neither do we - but I am making it quite clear that the current pronouncements from the LSC are having, and will have, that effect.
Additionally, we are querying why E2E appears to be under threat just as demand is understandably increasing, at a time when the 16-18 Apprenticeship budget is underspent, and of course 16-18 year olds have a statutory entitlement to appropriate support. For many the most appropriate support is E2E!
Overall, I am arguing that the substantial increases available in 2009/10, for Train to Gain in particular, but also Apprenticeships, mean that there is unlikely to be a major cash problem so long as providers are able to manage their businesses sensibly from here on in. This scenario seems not to be disputed by the LSC, but they are so unsure of the current position they are being ultra cautious at this time. Everyone is also looking anxiously at the forthcoming budget statement, although most are suspecting this will be at worst neutral, and at best positive.
Please keep ALP (Paul Warner - pwarner@learningproviders.org ) fully in the loop regarding your particular problems as this data is invaluable in promoting the picture that I have outlined in this note. I remain cautiously optimistic that the vast majority, if not all, of the situations I have outlined will be satisfactorily resolved, however I remain pessimistic that the answers you all need today will not come much before the end of this month.
I hope this outline brings you fully up to date and accurately outlines current difficulties members are having. I will of course modify our position on the back of your data if we are either wrong, or indeed if the position changes. Please be assured that ALP is working energetically on your behalf on these crucial issues.
Regional Events
| March 2010 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |||
LSC Updates
LSC Web Updates - 18/03/10
Further details...
LSC Web Updates for 17/03/10
Further details...
LSC Web Updates - 16/03/10
Further details...