In these times, things have become very uncertain for some businesses. However, one thing is clear…apprenticeship frameworks are soon to be history. The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) has decided that all frameworks will be discontinued from 31st July this year, despite requests for an extension to the cut-off date from colleges and providers who have been fighting the framework corner.
So, what does this mean? Well, for a lot of providers it means that from 1st August they will see a reduction in their programme intake and will have to find alternatives to fill the gaps. Some of the frameworks being discontinued include, the ever-popular Business and Administration Levels 2 & 4 and, for us at Crown, we also see the loss of level 3 Sale of Residential Property.
Will this affect you? A lot of people will be affected by this withdrawal, both businesses and future learners alike. Apprenticeships have been changing and improving over the last few years and the new delivery method is more appealing to employers and apprentices alike. Although the cut-off for frameworks is within the next few weeks there are other programmes which will fill some of the gaps once the deadline has passed. School and college leavers have often relied on programmes such as the business administration level 2 to help them into the workplace. However, we are working with our employers to find alternatives which will support young people into work. Crown is here to guide you through the new world of apprenticeships.
Obviously this will be an upset to a lot of prospective apprentices, as programmes like Business Administration Level 2 presented an opportunity to kick-start their career within a sector they wanted to learn more about and give them the relevant skills they need to develop over time. Although it is a damning blow to apprenticeship providers, there is still hope and other opportunities to be presented. The new standards do not present a ‘one size fits all’ approach but trains and develops apprentices with the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to adopt for succeeding in their chosen industry. Apprentices will have the opportunity to hone their new skills and people of all ages can engage with these new programmes in a more structured fashion.
The cut-off for new recruits to our framework programmes are 31st July 2020 so get in touch if you would like more information. Visit our website or give us a call, 01702 597499.
