Apprenticeships Response to Covid -19

26 March 2020

The Apprenticeship Programme response to COVID-19 was published on 23rd March 2020. Minister Keegan wrote to the non-college FE sector to share the attached link to our new guidance, as well as other support we are providing to FE.

The guidance provides information on:

• applying the policy on breaks in learning;
• delays to end-point assessment (EPA); and 
• alternative arrangements for EPA and external quality assurance.

And set out details of the specific support being provided, which includes:

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• Encouraging training providers to deliver training to apprentices remotely and via e-learning as far as is practicable.
• Allowing the modification of end-point assessment arrangements, including remote assessments wherever practicable and possible.
• Clarifying that apprentices ready for assessment but who cannot be assessed due to COVID-19 issues can have their End-point assessment rescheduled. Apprentices whose gateway is delayed can have an extension to the assessment timeframe.
• Enabling employers and training providers to report and initiate a break in learning where the interruption to learning due to COVID-19 is greater than four weeks.
• Clarification on how to record breaks in learning so that funding is not unnecessarily disrupted.
• Confirming that where apprentices are made redundant, it is our ambition to find them alternative employment and continue their apprenticeship as quickly as possible and within 12 weeks.

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education has also published new guidance on the delivery of assessment at https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/response-to-covid-19/  

This guidance will be updated regularly as further areas of the programme to support providers, employers and apprentices are developed. There has also been a helpline set up to assist with these enquiries, please see below.

If we get any more specific communications from the DfE we will of course let you have that as soon as possible.

Phone: 0800 046 8687
Email: DfE.coronavirushelpline@education.gov.uk

If any BASA Member Company is at risk of closure and or is considering redundancies I have been asked to pass this along to Government, so please let me know.

Lorna Williams

secretary@basa.uk.com