Functional Skills Funding Update (November 2023)
The funding uplift for functional skills – announced in the Prime Minister’s speech at the Conservative party conference – will take effect from January 2024, the government has confirmed.
This will result in a 54% increase in funding for new apprentices who need to achieve their English and maths functional skills (applicable to new starters only). The changes were confirmed by the government’s director for apprenticeships, Kate Ridley-Moy, in a speech to the Association of Employment and Learning Providers’ conference.
To read more, click here.
Update to apprenticeship funding rules (England)
The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) has released an update to the apprenticeship funding rules. Key points include:
- Administrative changes to reflect new rules for Flexi-job Apprenticeship Agencies, the new Apprenticeship Providers and Assessment Register (APAR) and the changes to End Point Assessment selection
- Eligibility changes around pooled PAYE schemes and funding for contractors
- Changes for 16-18-year-olds who do not have any prior learning
- Clarification on when a training plan would require new signatures
You can find out more about the changes here