Concerns around public transport, access to PPE and residential accommodation need to be addressed if more apprentices are to return to their training safely, the Association of Employment and Learning Providers has said.

The organisation’s comments come as the government has provided new guidance on which apprentices should be provided with face-to-face support from 15 June, when further education and skills providers are due to begin to reopen for more learners.

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Starting transition

“There is a growing appetite among training providers to start a transition back,” Mark Dawe, AELP chief executive, said. “With apprenticeships, we now have a lockdown exit strategy about returning with a more blended approach, whereas other funded programmes - for example, AEB classroom provision - still lack a clear timeline to what their transition might look like, which is causing some uncertainty.

“The latest apprenticeship guidance gives a helpful steer on where providers might look to prioritise which apprentices they start to bring back in for face-to-face training. Nevertheless, providers are still raising important matters such as public transport, access to PPE and residential accommodation, which the government needs to resolve.”

Yesterday’s government guidance for apprentices, employers, training providers, end-point assessment organisations and external assurance providers about changes to apprenticeships due to coronavirus states that in line with the prime minister’s announcement on 24 May, further education settings “should plan on the basis that, subject to the government’s five tests being met, from the week commencing 15 June, they can broaden the number of 16-19 learners attending onsite delivery, in line with the guidance on wider opening from 15 June 2020 and guidance for further education providers”. This, the guidance states, includes apprenticeship training taking place in any educational setting, including training centres within employer-providers.

“From the week commencing 15 June, providers should offer some face-to-face contact for 16- to 19-year-old apprentices where possible and practical, as part of a combined approach in which remote training remains the predominant form of training. To help reduce the coronavirus transmission risk, the FE guidance asks that the number of FE learners attending at any one time is limited to a quarter of those on the first year of a two-year 16-19 study programme. Apprenticeship training taking place in educational settings should also be prioritised for 16-19 apprentices.”

Providers may decide to offer face-to-face training to certain groups of 16-19 apprentices - for example, those who are on the first year of an apprenticeship, those who require face-to-face training to help them complete their apprenticeship or apprentices with an upcoming key assessment date and who would therefore particularly benefit from face-to-face training, says the government.

It adds: “Although we support that main face-to-face contact is prioritised for 16-19 apprentices, there may be some apprenticeships that include apprentices within a classroom-based training environment that are over 19. Providers can choose to allow apprentices who are over 19 to attend, but should continue to prioritise 16-19 apprentices. If older apprentices attend onsite delivery, the maximum number of 16- to 19-year-olds attending onsite at any one time must be reduced to ensure the setting remains within the overall limit.”