Monthly Bulletin

April 2019

Inside this issue... New PAGE 3 - Apprenticeships Apprenticeships logo Here is a copy of the new Apprenticeships PAGE 4 logo. - Apprenticeship Reform National Apprenticeship Week 2019 – PAGE 5 - Education and Skills Funding Blaze a Trail Agency The 12th annual National Apprenticeship Week ran from 4 to 8 March 2019. - WorldSkills It was a hectic week for our members during National Apprenticeship week, - Enterprise please find below just some of the activities that took place during the week. Partnership Themis at College PAGE 6 - Lancs Forum Updates This year’s activities for Themis at included creating an outdoor library in Simonstone - LAAN (see picture) and a day-long programme of fun activities at Burnley Boys’ Club. Page 7 - ASK - Quality Improvement Sub Blackburn College

Group A number of high profile businesses attended Commercial and Business Development PAGE 8 Corporate Lunch. The Event was publicised - Useful resources via live tweeting and retweets by NCW and businesses. A news story about the event was - Training Provider News also published on the college website. - Dates for your Diary Nelson & College It was a busy week of celebrations last week at , as we marked National Apprenticeship Week and National Careers week with an array of activities at the College and within the community.

Here’s a snapshot of the activities that took place...

Event attendance Our Apprenticeship Team were out and about, spreading the word about our range of Apprenticeships and talking to aspiring Apprentices about their options. During the week, The Apprenticeship Team attended lunch time drop ins at Fishermore RC High School, Unity College and Park High School as well as Accrington and Rossendale College and Nelson and Colne College’s Apprenticeships and Careers Expo.

Apprenticeships and Careers Expo Our Apprenticeships and Careers Expo took place on Thursday 7 March, 12pm - 4pm for internal students and 5pm - 7.30pm for members of the public. We had over 40 employers, volunteering organisations and universities exhibiting throughout the day and saw over 800 internal students and 112 members of the

1 www.lancsforum.co.uk public registering at the event. “It was a super day and I particular enjoyed meeting your super students. I hope by engaging with some of them they will consider careers in the Banking and Financial services sector.” - Yorkshire Bank “We saw some fantastic questions from students who had thought about what they wanted to see from a company. Another brilliant event at NCC” - BCW Manufacturing

Life as a local MP A Level History and Government and Politics students had the chance to become ‘Apprentice MPs’ for the day when Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson visited Nelson and Colne College. They gained an insight into what life was really like as a local MP and what his role entails on a daily basis, and take part in a Q&A session.

Back to the Floor for Vice Principal Alison Rushton and Principal Amanda Melton Vice Principal Alison Rushton went ‘back to the floor’ at Panaz Fabrics, where she was given a tour of the facility and an opportunity to speak to current Nelson and Colne College Apprentices and their managers. Principal Amanda Melton visited Accrington and Rossendale Apprentice Oliver Shipston at his place of work - Rosslee Construction. Also in attendance on the day was Gary Clarkson, Managing Director of the company. Apprenticeships and Training Manager Debbie Howard also visited one of Accrington and Rossendale College’s employers - Freddie’s Hair Salon in Rawtenstall. She gained an insight into the day to day activities that Apprentices Katie Higginbottom and Katie Rushton undertake throughout their Hairdressing Apprenticeships. continue to Blaze a Trail for National Apprenticeship Week 2019

National Apprenticeship Week 2019 was again a week of celebration for all things Apprenticeships at Myerscough College. This year saw a raft of press releases with the Principal even spending a day in the life of an Apprentice Greenkeeper at Longridge Golf Club to help promote the specialist programmes on offer. Hits to the Colleges website were 88% up year on year and on social media the @My- Apprentice account saw a massive reach score of 1.18 Million across the 5 days.

Myerscough also rebranded its Apprenticeship pages and social accounts in line with the national theme and their branding guidelines of ‘Blaze a Trail’. Here are some highlights

New look and new logo all in line with Apprenticeships branding guidelines.

Day 1 – Myerscough College Day 3 - Equine apprenticeships Principal makes the cut as neigh problem for Myerscough Vice greenkeeping apprentice Principal Link to story Link to story

Day 4 - Myerscough College apprenticeships are pitch perfect at Blackburn Rovers Football Club Day 2 - Alex is a shoe-in for Link to story his farriery apprenticeship Link to story

Day 5 - Engineering apprenticeships are on the right track at Myerscough College Link to story

2 www.lancsforum.co.uk Apprenticeships General National Apprenticeship Awards 2019 The National Apprenticeship Awards will be launching at the end of April 2019.

Funding policy updates from the 1st April 2019 From 1 April 2019, government funding will cover 95% of the maximum funding band rate for all new apprenticeship starts. Employers will pay the remaining 5% co-investment payment direct to the training provider.

Where the negotiated price for the apprenticeship exceeds the funding band, the employer is responsible for paying the amount above the funding band maximum, direct to the training provider.

For further details about apprenticeship funding are available on GOV.UK and in the employer guide to apprenticeships.

The document on the link below sets out the policy for apprenticeship funding in from 1st April 2019. It updates the policy that has been in place since August 2018.

Since the introduction of apprenticeship reforms, we have received feedback from employers, training providers and interested groups.

This document setting out the funding policy is supported by:

• Published funding bands for individual frameworks and standards. • The full funding rules that set out more detail on how this funding policy will work in practice and our expectations of employers and providers.

Link: https://www.gov.uk/topic/further-education-skills/apprenticeships/latest

Recognition of Prior learning guidance now published The ESFA have published new guidance on GOV.UK for training providers, employers and apprentices about the need for, and importance of recognition of prior learning

The apprenticeship funding rules state that the training provider must assess the individual’s prior learning (education, training, qualifications and work experience) prior to the start of the apprenticeship.

The content, duration and price of the apprenticeship must be reduced to reflect relevant prior learning. The provider must document prior learning in the apprentice’s evidence pack and commitment statement.

Initial assessment is subject to audit checks and funds may be recovered where initial assessment has not taken place, has not been evidenced or a price reduction has not been made.

The new guidance provides additional support and guidance to the apprenticeship funding rules.

New leader board to celebrate top apprenticeship employers Top employers who are helping to lead the ‘apprenticeship revolution’, get more people into skilled jobs and boost British business will be celebrated through a new leader board and quality mark, Education Secretary Damian Hinds announced today.

To mark National Apprenticeship Week (4 -8 March), an annual celebration of the transformative effect high-quality apprenticeships can have on people’s lives, the Education Secretary announced plans to create: • A new leader board of top apprenticeship employers – the new rankings will be independently judged and published annually and are expected to rate the Top 100 large apprentice employers as well as the top 50 SMEs; and • A new quality mark for apprenticeships – developed in partnership with Community Interest Company ‘Investors in People’ to shine a light on high-quality apprentice employers.

Read more here

HSE approach in respect from government funded programmes

Register of apprenticeship training providers - subcontractors The ESFA have said that all organisations wanting to access ESFA funding to deliver apprenticeship training must now be on the register of apprenticeship training providers (RoATP). This includes subcontractors delivering less than £100,000 of apprenticeship training a year. All subcontractors must be listed on the RoATP from August 2019.

3 www.lancsforum.co.uk All organisations wanting to deliver apprenticeship training as a subcontractor from August 2019, that are not already listed on the RoATP, should apply by the end of April 2019 to be confident of being admitted to the register prior to August. Lead providers will need to make sure that their subcontractors are aware of this if they wish to continue to partner with them from August 2019 onwards.

ESFA list of qualifications approved for funding 14 to 19 (formerly known as section 96) The title of the section 96 website has changed to the ESFA list of qualifications approved for funding 14 to 19. This website shows which qualifications are approved for funding for students who are at least aged 14 but are not yet 19 and which age ranges the qualification has been approved for.

National Audit office report - Apprenticeships Follow the link to the outcome of the National Audit Office report on the apprenticeships programme.

Safeguarding – Suspicious Package Advice We have been made aware that there are reports of suspicious packages being found at Glasgow and Essex Universities.

CT policing have issued the attached advice note – please note the instructions contained within it for reporting any suspicious packages or activity (Members of the public should always remain alert to the danger of terrorism and report any suspicious activity to the police on 999 or via the confidential hotline: 0800 789 321).

Could you also let Nigel Lund [email protected] who is the North West HE & FE Regional Prevent Coordinator know if your organisation receives a suspicious package so that he can make sure other institutions and organisations in the NW are aware.

UK Protect CT Incident Update Message

NUS apprentice extra card The NUS Apprentice extra card is a discount card dedicated to apprentices. NUS Apprentice extra provides discounts in-store and online and 1000s are already saving an average of £13.50 per month on everything from food and fashion to travel and tech.

If your apprentices are interested in the card, please tell them about NUS Apprentice Extra. Apprenticeship Reform End point assessment and completion payments Confusion over End Point Assessment (EPA) costs and the completion payment has been raised as an issue. Feedback suggests that some organisations appear to be unaware of the distinction between these two payments and their intended use.

Key facts: 1. EPA costs are included in the total negotiated price for apprenticeship training. 2. Of this total negotiated price, 20% is held back as a completion payment until the end of the training. 3. The remaining 80% (including the funding to pay for EPA) is paid monthly to the training provider, in equal payments, over the planned duration of the programme. 4. Providers were already familiar with retention payments before the introduction of standards, Therefore, when devising the revised funding system, a common pattern of retaining payments across both standards and frameworks was implemented, in order to avoid additional complexity in the funding approach. 5. For frameworks, which include several qualifications that are recognised individually through certification, there was not always an incentive for the provider, employer or apprentice to fully complete the apprenticeship. Retaining 20% of the total cost of training and on programme assessment as a final payment encouraged completion of the apprenticeship. 6. For standards, where there are fewer mandatory qualifications, and where the costs of EPA fall necessarily at the end of the apprentice’s training, the retained payment recognises the timing of these costs. 7. All of these payments are taken from the employer’s account. 8. The 20% retained for a completion payment should not be viewed as a guide price for EPA.

Further information regarding end point assessment and completion payments will be published shortly.

4 www.lancsforum.co.uk ESFA Inform

You can now download the latest edition of Inform, the monthly newsletter about funding systems and data management from the Education & Skills Funding Agency.

The news this month includes:

• Hub corner • Qualification achievement rates (QAR) • Learning aim class codes 2019 to 2020 and learning aims category codes version 4 • New European Social Fund (ESF) documentation to support contracts starting from April 2019 • Updated co-investment rate for all employers • Expiry of apprenticeship funds • Update your bookmark for the Employer Data Service • The FE Choices Employer Satisfaction Survey is now live! • Payments and remittance advice – can you help us improve the information we give to schools and colleges? • Education and Skills Funding Service and the Document Exchange Service – can you give us your feedback?

WorldSkills UK Competition Registration 2019

Do you know a shining star with the skills to compete against the best and win? WorldSkills UK Competitions could be their chance to shine! These Competitions give young students and apprentices an opportunity to hone their technical and vocational skills, competing against their peers to be crowned National and International Champion.

These skills cover sectors that are key to the UK economy, from hospitality to construction, digital to engineering – and everything in between. Competitors can be registered by their employer, college or individually. Click here to register. Colleges and employers can learn how to find your shining star and help them towin Gold here.

By taking part in WorldSkills UK Competitions this year, learners are making the first step on a journey that could lead them to WorldSkills Shanghai 2021, where they will compete to be named World Champion in their chosen skill. This is an incredible, life-changing experience for Competitors and supporters alike.

Each year, Competitors come together at WorldSkills UK LIVE to compete in the National Finals and be crowned the UK’s best in their skill. Every two years, Competitors have the chance to compete on the world stage at the WorldSkills International Competitions.

T Levels – keeping you updated

T levels are coming and the first qualifications will be delivered in September 2020 and in Lancashire there are four local providers who have been selected to deliver them with a national rollout from 2022.

The Lancashire Skills Hub provides a monthly email summary of all the national and local developments including an archive of previous announcements, consultations and news about T levels.

You can sign up, for free, at: https://bit.ly/TechEdLancs

5 www.lancsforum.co.uk Lancashire Forum Update To include: • The Care Act 2014 CPD Mental Health Training • Safeguarding CPD Mental Health Awareness training was held for ESF • Who’s responsibility is it? partners and Forum members on Thursday 28th February19. • All areas of abuse and appropriate action to take The training led by Ken Drewell and was well received with • The Capacity Act 2005, implemented 2007 -Importance 26 delegates attended. of understanding the principles of this act • A light overview of Personality Disorder Further training has been arranged following feedback from the training. Details have been sent out but if anyone wants Follow the link to Ken’s presentation. to book onto the session please email cath@lancsforum. co.uk. The date of the training is 9th April 19 1pm at NLTG in Accrington.

Lancashire Apprenticeship Ambassador Network

It’s been a very busy few weeks for the Ambassador Network as this month has seen National Apprenticeship Week events taking place all across the region.

The theme for NAW2019 was ‘Blaze a Trail’, inspired by the ‘Fire it Up’ marketing campaign.

Carla Jenkinson an employer ambassador from Forbes Solicitors attended the National Apprenticeship Week Careers Fair at Academy@Worden. This event was attending by other employers and many local colleges and training providers. Throughout the course of the morning every learner from Yr. 8 to Yr. 11 visited the stands and were able to ask questions about apprenticeships.

Two of our Apprentice Ambassadors bravely took on Voldemort by hosting Harry Potter themed events daily throughout National Apprenticeship Week for learners from several schools from the Hyndburn, Blackburn, Burnley and Pendle area. Oliver Crookham and Alisha Clarkson hosted these events in the Old Bakery at NLTG with activities including creating an edible Sorting Hat!!

Westinghouse continued its tradition of embracing UK National Apprentice Week this year with an action-packed agenda led by the company’s UK apprentices.

UK National Apprentice week was 4-8 March this year, and is an important celebration for Westinghouse. Our company’s UK Apprentice Training Centre has produced around one-third of our current UK workforce over its 60-year history, including

6 www.lancsforum.co.uk the majority of the current UK lead team. The training centre is located at the company’s Springfields site, which produces more than 15 percent of the UK’s electricity demand.

This year’s celebrations included Westinghouse hosting the National Skills Academy for Nuclear’s (NSAN) Regional Board meeting. This involved the apprentices giving a tour of the Apprentice Training Centre and insight into life as a Westinghouse apprentice to around 30 key leaders at the heart of driving the UK’s nuclear skills agenda. Feedback from the visitors was extremely positive. The apprentices did a fantastic job of showcasing the excellent apprenticeship programme, which produces so many highly skilled nuclear professionals for Westinghouse and also trains apprentices for other external companies across the North West of England.

Westinghouse also welcomed Nuclear Engineering apprentices from British Aerospace’s (BAE) Barrow base, which was extremely beneficial for both companies’ apprentices, who discussed the similarities and differences in their apprentice programmes. The visit was an excellent example of the importance of apprenticeships in the UK and the benefits of the career paths, which can take you all over the world with your companies.

Some of the UK lead team who are former apprentices at Springfields visited the Apprentice Training Centre to talk with the current intake of apprentices, to offer advice, share experiences and inspire Westinghouse’s future leaders. Both the apprentices and the lead team took a great deal from the visit.

The week concluded with an apprentice charity fundraising day where the apprentices undertook multiple activities to raise money for the UK Charity Partner, Kidneys For Life.

Quality Improvement Sub group

The next meeting of the QI Sub group is Wednesday 1st May 19 10am – 12noon The Forum’s very own apprentice at Burnley College. Tudor Williams ambassador and ASK Project Co- who is a Health & Safety specialist will ordinator Paige travelled the length be attending the meeting to give an and breadth of Lancashire delivering update on any changes to legislation the ASK Apprenticeship Awareness that will affect WBL providers. Tudor project throughout National comes highly recommended and Apprenticeship Week. has visited us in the past to pass on his knowledge to the sector. If If you want to become more involved you would like someone from your with the ASK project and the work we H&S department to attend the do in schools, please get in touch with meeting please let Cath know cath@ Cath on [email protected] lancsforum.co.uk.

7 www.lancsforum.co.uk Training Provider News Themis at Burnley College named Top Training Provider at prestigious North West Aerospace Alliance Awards for second year running

Themis at Burney College has consolidated its position as one of the region’s leading centres of Engineering excellence by earning the prestigious title of North West Aerospace New Talent Training Provider of the Year Award for the second year running.

The award, presented at a ceremony attended by top Employers in the successful Aerospace Industry, recognises Themis’s exceptional standard of training provision, based in industry-standard facilities and led by expert Trainers and Tutors who are committed to providing the Aerospace sector with a highly-skilled, committed and innovative workforce. Useful resources Director of Themis Simon Jordan said: Off the Job – Myth Busting Factsheet “To be recognised at the North West Aerospace Alliance Awards for the second year running is testament to the professionalism, expertise and dedication of Become an apprentice – an overview all the Themis Trainer Assessors, who have worked tirelessly with Employers and for an individual considering doing an Apprentices alike apprenticeship.

“As an Apprenticeship training provider we invest heavily in our facilities, A guide to apprenticeships - equipment and staff to ensure we continue to be the very best. This award – in provides information about the which we faced competition from some of the biggest names in the Aerospace opportunities and benefits of doing industry – recognises the passion we have for Aerospace Engineering and the an apprenticeship with case studies commitment we have to ensure every Themis Apprentice is given the opportunity from real apprentices. to reach their goals.” Higher and degree apprenticeships Neil Burrows, Head of Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering at Themis at - provides information for young Burnley College, said: people on the opportunities, progression and benefits of doing a “To win the North West Aerospace Alliance New Talent Training Provider of the higher or degree apprenticeship. Year Award is a great achievement and one of which we are immensely proud. We are privileged to play a part in ensuring the North West’s Aerospace Industry is one of the very best in the world and thank all the Employers who entrust us to Dates for your diary... develop the skilled workforce of tomorrow. Dates of meetings “Our team of highly-motivated Trainer Assessors go above and beyond to ensure Here are the dates of all Forum every Themis Apprentice receives the expert knowledge and guidance which meetings including, Board, can help them succeed. Our Trainer Assessors are at the very top of their fields in Executive Group and the 2 sub- industry and bring a wealth of knowledge and invaluable experience to Themis, groups, Quality Improvement and as well as a passion for their areas of expertise that inspires our Apprentices.” Employer and Skills At the awards evening, several Themis Apprentices also celebrated their exceptional achievements: • William Fallows, of Paradigm Precision Ltd, Burnley, was awarded the title Next Forum meeting Aerospace Engineering Technician of the Year When: Wednesday 8th May 2019 • Nabeela Desai, of Paradigm Precision, who earned the One To Watch Award Where: NLTG, Accrington • Mike Jackson, of Safran Nacelles Ltd, and Joe Howarth, of Paradigm Time: 10am - 12.30 Precision Ltd, were highly commended Chair: Lisa Bloomfield, Training • Lloyd Duxbury, of Paradigm Precision, and Jack Windle, of Safran Nacelles, 2000 were awarded Professional Excellence Awards for their achievements and Please note there will not be a performance in the annual NWAA Business University Challenge contest. meeting in April

Raeleen Duthoit T: 01254 306831 M: 07890 169586 E: [email protected]

8 www.lancsforum.co.uk