2024 CEO Summer Spotlight - Your Questions Answered

Throughout this year, we have hosted a series of events such as the AELP CEO Roadshows, our recent employer forum and our webinar on the Growth and Skills Levy, each of which has involved members and employers feeding back their thoughts on skills policy, and helping AELP shape its understanding. In total – alongside the rest of the AELP team – we've had the opportunity to hear from over 1000 organisations through these various events, and we learn something new every time.

The latest of these events was my CEO Summer Spotlight which I hosted on Thursday 29 August which was an opportunity for AELP members and non-members alike to hear the latest on what’s going on in terms of skills policy. With over 250 people attending, I was unable to answer all the questions asked so I have attempted to reply to each question put to the webinar here.

What will IfATE's remit be and how will Skills England work to include prospective apprentices with a learning disability/neurodivergence?

We don’t know yet whether IfATE will continue to exist and if so what it’s remit will be. Nor do we yet know whether Skills England will include input from apprentices (or learners from all programme types) with or without a learning disability/neurodivergence. Our expectation is that it will be on their agenda, the question will be ‘how high’. As well as making sure that this is specifically on their agenda, we will continue to talk to them about the need for the system to be built around learners, rather than trying to force learners to fit their system.

If the plan is to increase the number of regions over the next couple of years that have devolved or semi-devolved powers, do you think the flexibilities we're potentially expecting under the GSL will also be devolved to the same extent? Many MCAs and the GLA currently offer other types of programme once the national priorities have been funded. Will they have to follow the line or be freed up to do even more innovate programmes?

We can certainly see potential for devolved authorities to be heavily involved in flexibilities. In particular, we can see a world in which devolved authorities, through work with employers in their areas and in conjunction with their training provider base, can define evolving ‘modules’ within nationally set standards. It may be that as we all learn over time what works and what doesn’t with devolution that flexibilities around ‘types’ of programme might start to look valuable. But we need to be careful about a proliferation of different programmes that don’t work for employers who operate in multiple areas, for employers and learners who want to recognise the programme they are using (and know that others across the country will do too) and that create administrative complexity.

Our view of innovation is that it often happens best within the framework of a well understood structure. How you deliver an apprenticeship, or a bootcamp, or a 16-19 Study Programme or Adult skills programme is often more impactful than coming up with a new type of programme. And we know that those providers who are innovative – like the growing number of independent providers delivering 16-19 study programmes – are doing some amazing new things within the national structure.

Where we think devolved authorities can make a massive difference is less around innovation of programme and more about galvanising employers and making sure the different parts of the system in a locality work well together.

What are AELP’s asks on the UKSPF and the various skills programme that funds? Traineeships to address the growing number of NEETs

We are pushing the new Government to make sure the system creates multiple pathways into the world of work for young people. Part of this needs to be clarity around UKSPF post March 2025 so that providers receiving this funding can plan. We see potential Foundation Apprenticeships being a really important part of this, but so too will other programmes that happen before the young person is ready to step into the world of work. Traineeship-type programmes are part of this. In addition, the system has to recognise, cherish and ensure connection between the huge amount of voluntary sector, school and DWP work going on that engages, stabilises and motivates people so that they are ready to participate in skills programmes. Hence the importance of the true systems approach!

Historically evening classes were seen as a great way for adults to improve skills. The triple helix was met as adults were in a real job with structured supervision in the form of an experience requirement and off the job training being done in the evening (or weekend courses). Does this model have a place in the future or is it considered outdated?

Yes! We think it does. While we totally get why the levy reforms specified that learning should be in contracted working hours – to stop unscrupulous employers taking advantage of learners – we think that risk (of exploiting employees) is already well covered by other regulations in the system. What is important – and has been squashed by this approach – is to recognise and nurture the enthusiasm of learners who understand that they have a job to do AND who want to learn in their own time. I suspect there is a hybrid model here, and it will do much to address employer concerns about the need to backfill learners when they are learning.

Can you share anything you're hearing about conditionality for app funding e.g. means testing for apprenticeships, (which would be such a retrograde step)

All we are hearing is that this is in the minds of civil servants (especially Treasury ones – so don’t expect it to go away). The fiscal narrative of the new Government is that it cannot afford to spend money on things where that spend does not add enough value, in order that it can redirect those £££s to things where they think they will make the difference. That is not to say that they don’t think there is value in all of the programmes and for all learners – but they may ask the question whether it is Government who should be 100% footing the bill. This is something we are campaigning against – our long standing position is “all ages, all levels” (which includes all occupations, all backgrounds, all locations) – but we know we need to be prepared for this conversation.

What role do you think employers have in any new approach?

There are no apprenticeships and there are no work-based skills programmes without employers. There are two key questions here: 1) how do we get more employers to embrace training and the kind of skills programmes we excel in? and 2) how do we help them to do the right thing once they are involved? Skills England also needs to make sure that it keeps the best of what has worked in terms of employer involvement with the creation of Standards and other programmes, while rapidly implementing changes to remove the bits that haven’t worked.

With reference to flexibility for employers, do you think the govt will hold the current levy caps in place (there was mention of a realignment of cap's late last year) and allow more to be spend on different learning requirements.

I think this is all up for grabs at the moment. As I said in relation to other questions, we are not expecting much in terms of rapid, significant movement, so we are working hard on everyone’s behalf to steer the Government to the best set of trade offs.

I'm running a project with pre-NEET students in Buckinghamshire to restore the young person's self esteem and confidence. They are matched with SMEs who are supportive, spending low pressure, slow time frame to allow the yp to become comfortable with their working environment ahead of committing to an apprenticeship. The SME MDs tend to be people who had a rubbish time at school themselves, so are very empathetic. Happy to discuss the approach to make this a wider program.

I’d love to find out more about this! This is exactly the kind of thing we need to make sure is recognised as a vital part of the overall system. Please email me ([email protected]) and I’ll link you to the right person here.

Will there be more consideration for sub-contracting caps?

We hope so! We’ll be certainly asking for greater clarity on this and working with Government to ensure the benefits of sub-contracting are understood and optimised, and vice versa with the downsides.

What do you see as AELP's greatest achievement in its role to date?

Really interesting question! I think the most important AELP achievement, and one that is the foundation for everything else we have done and will do, is recognition of the importance and value to the country from having such a diverse provider base, from universities and colleges through to charities and large for-profit organisations. The variety makes the system stronger, more flexible and more able to innovate. Of course, we still have more work to go on this, but we have a growing number of articulate champions in the Civil Service, in think tanks and civil society and, crucially, in both Houses of Parliament. There was a time when the ‘machinery’ of Government felt like it wanted to remove independent providers from the landscape – that is no longer the case (we remain vigilant of course…).

If you weren’t able to attend yesterday’s webinar – you can catch up with it online now.

The Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) is a national membership body, proudly representing organisations operating in the skills sector. AELP members deliver a range of training and vocational learning – including the majority of apprenticeships as well as Skills Bootcamps, 16-19 Study Programme, Adult Education Budget and more.

For further information or interviews please contact Matt Strong, Communications Manager, AELP, on 07920 161685 or [email protected]