COVID-19: guidance for apprentices

Please see the Government update below.

These are difficult times for employers, apprentices and providers of apprenticeship training and assessment. As part of the cross-government efforts to respond to the impact of COVID-19, the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) is implementing new measures, until further notice, to make it easier for apprenticeships to continue and complete in a different way if they need to, or to break and resume an apprenticeship later when that becomes possible.

This document sets out guidance and some temporary flexibilities that the government are introducing to the programme during the pandemic, and provides answers to questions related to these changes and other common questions. Our information should be read alongside government’s COVID-19 guidance and support for businesses.

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IFATE) has also published new guidance on the delivery of assessment.

This document includes information on:

• delivering apprenticeships flexibly to those working at home
• furloughed employees continuing apprenticeship training and end-point assessment, or starting an apprenticeship
• applying the policy on breaks in learning
• delays to end-point assessment (EPA)
• alternative arrangements and flexibilities for EPA, external quality assurance, and certification
• funding audits and evidence

Specifically, the government is:

• confirming flexibilities to allow furloughed apprentices to continue their training, and to take their end-point assessment, and to all existing furloughed employees to start a new apprenticeship, as long as it does not provide services to, or generate revenue for, their employer
• 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. This is in order to support employers, providers and end-point assessment organisation (EPAOs) to maintain progress and achievement for apprentices
• 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 4 weeks
• clarification on how to record breaks in learning in March 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
• confirming that, where apprentices are made redundant and are ready to go through gateway, providers and EPAOs are able to make the necessary assessment arrangements to support these apprentices

This guidance and these measures start immediately and apply until further notice.

Read more here.