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Keep abreast of new government rules, budget cuts, and provider implications in the education field. Stay competitive, adapt to changes, and ensure financial stability in uncertain times.
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Changes in the Policy Context • New Government, New Rule Book • Changes in Structures • Less Money • Simplification of Funding • Qualification Reform
New Government, New Rule Book New rules on how the public sector delivers and engages with customers • Less bureaucracy and micro-management • More freedoms and flexibilities • More consumer choice • More competition to raise standards • Payments for results and outcomes • More transparency on what is spent and achieved (Return on Investment)
Implications for Providers • Single adult budget • Virement between adult learner and employer responsive streams allowed for most providers • Summary Statement of Activity not required, more responsive to local demand • No ‘in-year’ funding adjustments • Implications for performance management • More flexibilities • Relaxation of 14-19 entitlement • Freedom to choose which and how many 14-19 Diplomas to offer
Implications for the Demand Led Funding Formula • Move away from the DLF where demand was largely determined by somebody other than the consumer to what learners and employers actually want • More transparent and accessible information on local skills needs and on what providers actually deliver, to enable rational choice • Improved IAG
Changes in Structures • New Departments • Department for Education (DfE) • Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) • New Agencies • Young People’s Learning Agency • Skills Funding Agency
YPLA responsibilities • Non Governmental Public Body • Fund and support Local Authorities to deliver the national entitlement in schools with sixth forms • Directly funds provision in FE and Sixth Form Colleges and Training Providers • Local Authorities still involved in strategic planning • National Commissioning Framework now discontinued • In 2010-11, £8,500 million investment in participation, learner support and capital projects
Skills Funding Agency responsibilities • Agency of BIS • Also houses National Apprenticeship Service and National Employer Service • Funding adult responsive and employer responsive provisions • Identifying demand for strategic skills with key partners, e.g. UKCES, SSCs, DWP • In 2010/11, £3,000 million investment in learning programmes (ex. Programmes for Unemployed)
Less Money 1 • Reductions in SLN rates for Adult and Employer Responsive already in place • Some cuts already in pre-employment budgets, e.g. Young Persons Guarantee • Seeking cuts of 25% over 4 years for most government departments • Spending Review in October may require reductions in funding rates from start of financial year (April 2011)
Less Money 2 • BIS budget cut by 7% p.a. (25% over period) • FE resource budget reduced from £4.3b to £3.2b by 2014-15 • Cut in administration • RDAs abolished • Quangos under consideration, e.g. CITB, UKCES • Some protection for Adult and Community Learning
Less Money 3 • Abolition of Train to Gain • Replaced by an SME focused training programme • Reprioritisations around apprenticeships and skills for life • Additional 75,000 adult apprenticeships (£250m p.a.) • Employer contributions? Voluntary training levies?
Less Money 4 • HEFCE budget cut by 40% (£7.1b - £4.2b) • Biggest cuts in arts and humanities • Tuition fee increases • Implications for Access to HE provision • More student loans, including for those aged 24 and over on level 3 programmes
Less Money 5 • DfE budgets see small cash increase • Cuts in central department costs • EMAs replaced by ‘targeted support’ for those facing financial barriers to education (£500m) • 16-18 funding maintained in cash terms but reductions in unit costs as growth in participation is not fully funded
Implications for Providers • Focus public funds on key priorities, e.g. Apprenticeships, Skills for Life • Less secure financial position for providers • Some providers already getting support • Future cuts could be even more destabilising • Greater focus on outcomes, e.g. employment or progression to higher education, and the qualifications required • Greater focus on business objectives of employers, e.g. productivity, profitability, less waste
Implications for Providers • Providers need to know their costs and how to reduce them • More collaborative working to reduce overhead and back-office costs • More effective use of estate • Learning on employers’ premises • Bigger organisations will be more financially resilient and get economies of scale (not just by mergers)
Implications for Providers • Increasing minimum contract levels for employer responsive funding means that providers will have to work together • Increased levels of co-investment • Those who can afford to will pay more • Differential fee rates • Innovative ways of delivering learning • More focus on learning technologies
Different Funding Streams for Providers • Learner responsive • 16-18 • Adults (ALR) • Employer responsive (ER) • Train to Gain • Apprenticeships • Programmes for the Unemployed (PfU) • Employability and Skills Programmes • Six-month offer • Response to Redundancy
Main Changes in Funding Streams for 2010/11 • Significant growth in apprenticeships funded from reallocations • Reductions in funding rates per SLN for adult learners, adult apprentices and Train to Gain learners • Funding focused on QCF provision • More flexibility in the 19+ funding streams • Removal of unnecessary regulation and bureaucracy
Funding Formula The funding formula is applied to each learning aim taken by a learner: Provider Factor ALS £ National Rate £ Short Programme Modifier Large Employer Area Cost Uplift Success Factor (LR) x x = Programme Weighting Funding SLN Disadvantage Uplift +
SLN Volume of learning measured in GLH or cost of activity National ratesbased on affordability NFR Reflecting different cost weightings and success rates PF ALS Partly based on formula (60%) and discretionary (40%) Funding Different funding streams for each market The impact The Formula in a Nutshell x x + =
Standard Learner Number (SLN) • SLN is the volume of learning measured in guided learning hours required for a learning aim (learner responsive) or by the cost of the activity (employer responsive) • Learners do not earn any funding until they become ‘starts’, i.e. attend for a minimum period of time • Learning aims can either be listed with a fixed value, e.g. NVQ, or unlisted, where the number of planned GLH determines the value, e.g. adult learner responsive skills for life
How to calculate SLNs • Convert GLH into SLNs using the 450 GLH divisor 450 GLH = 1.00 SLN • Maximum size of any learner’s programme is 1.75 SLNs per year (no cap in employer responsive)
Employer Responsive Model • Covers Train to Gain, Apprenticeships, adult employer-based NVQs • All learning aims are listed values (SLN) • Indicative contract values/minimum contract values • Payments on actual delivery in arrears • 75% instalments for retention • 25% instalment for achievement
Calculation of rate for a single qualification • Activity cost research • Information from SSC and Sector Bodies • ILR data • Other information sources, e.g. Ofqual
Employer Responsive Model for NVQ Two modes of NVQ delivery • Within Train to Gain • Within an apprenticeship framework
Employer Responsive -Employer Engagement • NVQs delivered wholly or partially in the workplace through FE and NVQs delivered through Train to Gain have two rates • Level 2 and below • Level 3 and above • Skills for Life have different rates
Train to Gain Rates 2010/11 • Rates for specific full level 2 and 3 aims can be different
Employer Responsive –Apprenticeships • SLN value for Apprenticeships is divided into several elements • NVQ/Competence-based and apprenticeship • Knowledge based qualification (same values as in 16-18 and adult responsive models and same weightings) • Key/functional skills (same value as in 16-18 and adult responsive models) – key skills up to April 2011 • Employee Rights and Responsibilities/PLTS • Same SLN values used for adults as for 16-18 except for expected employer contribution for adults
Employer Responsive – Programme and Achievement Funding • Programme funding of the NVQ (and apprenticeship) element of 75% is paid monthly over the duration of the NVQ (and apprenticeship) element • Balancing SLN instalment for early completers • Achievement funding of 25% of the NVQ (and apprenticeship) element is paid on successful completion of the NVQ (and whole framework)
Employer Responsive – Programme and Achievement Funding • Knowledge based qualifications and key/functional skills do not have an achievement element • These are paid in full by monthly instalments • Integrated qualifications, where competency and knowledge based are delivered together, have a 25% achievement element
ILR Field A51a • Proportion of funding remaining • Amended for any prior learning or qualifications, e.g. exemptions and credit transfer • Only applies to on-programme instalments and not achievement • Used to reduce costs of frameworks, e.g. pre-apprenticeship programmes
Provider Factor • Weightings applied to SLN to reflect relative costs of programmes and learners • Also reflects importance of success rates (retention and achievement for ER) • Product of the composite elements • Different for each of the funding streams • Large employer factor applies in ER (25% reduction for over 1000 employees)
Relevance to Employer Responsive provision • Programme weightings • Reflect differences in costs • Different from Learner Responsive • Disadvantage uplift • Based on learner’s home post code • Does not apply to Train to Gain • Area cost uplift • Based on where the learner is employed
Importance of Minimum Levels of Performance in the Formula • Move provision away from providers who fail to deliver MLPs (success rates) • 50% for Apprenticeships and Advanced Apprenticeships • 65% for Train to Gain
National Funding Rate • Set by LSC taking account of amount of provision needed and desired average funding/learner as well as priorities and AFFORDABILITY • Two rates • Youth/16-18 rate • Adult rate
National Funding Rate • Two adult rates • Fully funded rate for those on means tested benefits or first full level 2 • Co-funded rate for adults to take account of tuition fee assumptions • Cash value can vary over duration of programme • The assumed tuition fee rate for learner/employer responsive is 50%
Tuition Fee Assumptions for Train to Gain Full funding for • Level 1 • First level 2 • First level 3 if aged 19-24 • Skills for Life (excluding ESOL) All other qualifications are subject to eligibility and expected employer contribution.
Implications of Tuition Fee increases • Assumed co-investment rate in the future? • Price sensitivity of demand varies according to market and qualifications • Some learning aims on QCF are not eligible for any public funding • Charges for exam fees and materials can differentiate your offer • More progress required on providers achieving fee income targets (cash not in-kind)
Pre-Apprenticeships • Elements of a full apprenticeship framework delivered before the learner gets employment • Can include knowledge based units, functional skills, employee rights and responsibilities, personal learning and thinking skills • These elements will not be repeated or funded again on the full apprenticeship programme
Programmes for the Unemployed • On programme payments depending on duration (GLH): e.g. £585 for ESP • Additional payments for job start and/or progression to Train to Gain or Apprenticeship • Significant reductions in Young Persons Guarantee (FJF)
Simplification • Simplified budget lines with greater flexibilities and the removal of Summary Statements of Activity and detailed planning assumptions. • Colleges paid on monthly profile for single adult budget with no in-year reconciliation. • Training organisations paid on actual delivery, in arrears, against a national standard profile, with automated quarterly reconciliation to reflect performance.
Principles • Maximum flexibility for providers to respond to customer needs (not just qualifications) • Minimise processes and costs of drawing down public funding • Single route for adult funding to minimise transaction costs • Streamline funding system to focus on quality outcomes • Remove regulatory constraints to innovation by providers • Overhaul complex performance management system
Key Issues for Consultation • Single post-19 budget including PfU (ex. ASL, ESF, OLAS) • Move away from input/cost driven to output/credit driven funding formula • Retaining elements of existing formula, e.g. SLN, PF • Premium funding for priority learners, e.g. unemployed, 18-24 NEETs • Differential fee assumptions to reflect popularity of programme, size of employer, needs of learner • More co-investment or fees in cash terms