Key Facts

• Clause 21 focuses on independent training providers (ITPs) which may operate with less built-in protection compared to other further education providers.
• The clause aims to ensure commonality and consistency across funding streams to mitigate provider failure risks.
• Consultation will be conducted before the first regulations establishing the list are made.
• Clause 23 provides definitions for key terms in relation to funding arrangements with post-16 educational training providers.
• Clause 24 ensures that regulations for creating or altering the list are subject to the affirmative procedure, requiring approval by both Houses prior to becoming law.
• The Employment and Training Act 1973 may need amendment to signpost prohibitions on financial assistance powers.
• Amendment 54 aims to allow those earning below the Living Wage to take another Level 3 qualification.
• New clause 7 would permit additional Level 3 qualifications in cases of local need or skills shortages identified by Employer Representative Bodies.
• More than 9 million jobs are excluded from the current lifetime skills guarantee, many in sectors with significant vacancies and skill shortages.
• The hatting industry made Denton famous but has mostly died out.
• Constituencies like Denton have had to diversify and the workforce has had to retrain over the past 50 or 60 years due to changes in industries.
• Amendments aim to offer a genuine lifetime skills guarantee for individuals by allowing them to retrain for level 3 qualifications based on current local skill needs.
• Amendments 53 and 54 seek to expand access to lifetime learning entitlement (LLE) for level 3 qualifications.
• The pilot program will enable adults earning below the national living wage or who are unemployed to undertake free level 3 qualifications from April next year.
• Gordon Marsden previously pushed for a lifetime learning entitlement, which is now being addressed in the Bill.
• In April, the Government launched the free courses for jobs offer under the lifetime skills guarantee.
• Adults in England can take their first level 3 qualification for free regardless of age.
• The spending review provides a fixed quantum for adult skills funding until the end of the three-year period.
• Funding will be £2.7 billion by 2024-25 for apprenticeships.
• In 2020-21, level 2 and level 3 starts made up 69% of total apprenticeship starts.
• Clause 25 of the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill addresses apprenticeship funding concerns.
• Clause 26 proposes extending intervention powers for further education institutions to address failures in meeting local needs.
• The Independent Commission on the College of the Future noted the complexity of the current intervention regime.
• Amendment 61 proposes a review of the impact of FE institution closures on learning opportunities before an application for an education administration order.
• An education administrator has a special objective to prioritise learners' interests over creditors in case of insolvency.
• Only two further education colleges have been placed into education administration since 2017.
• Clause 27 aims to clarify ambiguities regarding the use of company voluntary arrangements by further education bodies.
• Clause 28 amends schedules 2, 3, and 4 to ensure that secured assets can be transferred only with creditor consent or a court order.
• Barclays supports the proposed changes as they provide clarity and improve sector risk profiles.
• Clause 29 defines 'relevant service' and other key expressions.
• Clause 30 criminalises providing or arranging for essay mill services.
• Successful prosecutions will rely on proving that a cheating service was provided to the student.
• Amendment 61 aims to clarify the Government’s position on the tariff for offences related to advertising essay mills.
• Ireland imposes a fine of up to €100,000 per offence and/or a prison sentence for similar offences.
• The proposed amendment seeks to establish a minimum penalty of £5,000 for the offence of advertising a cheating service.
• Clause 34 allows designation of 16-to-19 academies with religious character.
• Clause 35 streamlines the process for designating institutions exiting insolvency within FE sector.
• Clause 36 corrects a legislative error affecting TEF awards and fee limits.
• Clause 37 sets out the territorial extent of the provisions.
• Clause 38 outlines when provisions in the Bill will come into force.
• Legislative consent motions are not required for Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales.
• Clause 14 would require three provider encounters per pupil in each of the first, second, and third key phases.
• New clause removes specific requirements for university technical college access to pupils.
• The new clause aims to strengthen existing provider access legislation.
• The new clause includes the power for the Secretary of State to set out further details about the number and type of providers that pupils should meet.
• Secondary legislation will provide flexibility for the quality assurance of these interactions.
• The Minister aims to ensure broad and balanced information about all technical education options is available to every pupil.
• New clause proposes making Sharia-compliant lifelong learning loans available.
• Section 86 of HERA enables Secretary of State to make alternative payments compatible with Islamic finance principles.
• Clause 15 already provides for such alternative payments under lifetime loan entitlement.
• All learners aged 16 to 19 who lack a level 2 qualification in English and maths must continue studying these subjects.
• Apprenticeships require an exit requirement in English and maths to complete the programme.
• The Government is rolling out Multiply, a new £559 million programme for adult numeracy starting next year.
• In 2020, 68% of 19-year-olds held grade 4 or above in both English and maths GCSE, an increase from 2013-14.
• The discussion involves concluding remarks for the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill Committee.
• Colleagues from both sides acknowledge each other's contributions during the debate.
• Special appreciation is given to the Clerks and Hansard staff for their diligent work.
• Sandwell College raised concerns about Level 3 (T level) qualification reform.
• The defunding of BTECs has been highlighted as an issue by Sandwell College.
• Feedback and suggested improvements for qualifications, T Levels, and work placements have been submitted.
• Mencap, Chegg Inc., Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation (YPO), Community trade union, and The Tutors' Association are among the organisations providing feedback.