Centre-assessed grading has to be reintroduced for functional skills to allow tens of thousands of apprentices to move on, the Association of Employment and Learning Providers has told apprenticeships and skills minister Gillian Keegan.

In a letter to the minister, AELP’s managing director, Jane Hickie, says that, based on feedback from AELP member providers, as many as 75 per cent of apprentices and adult learners could be affected by the decision to end centre-assessed grading (CAG) on 1 August. This, she says, is equivalent to 45,000 apprentices and 5,000 adult learners.

CAG had been allowed for functional skills as part of the Covid flexibilities package for skills training.

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The ending of CAG, the letter adds, is “putting at a disadvantage apprentices who cannot complete their apprenticeships as they are unable to take their functional skills test and enter end-point assessment”.

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“Traditionally, completion of their apprenticeship provides the apprentice with continuing security of employment, usually promotion and salary increase. With increasing unemployment and competition in the jobs market, any apprentice made redundant without their qualification will be placed in a dreadful position,” Ms Hickie writes.

“We cannot emphasise enough how important this matter is in terms of allowing apprentices to progress and secure their jobs. Therefore I urge you to recommend to Ofqual as soon as possible that centre-assessed grading should be permitted again and the practice should remain in place at least until April 2021.”

In her weekly newsletter last Friday, Ms Hickie said the government “should shift its position on the delivery of adapted functional skills assessments as soon as possible and we should get back to calculated results for FSQs because this is now causing a huge backlog for apprentices waiting for their end-point assessment”. 

She added: “We should be doing what’s right for the learner during this pandemic and being able to complete one’s apprenticeship programme is not just vital for the individual, but also in the wider economic interest.” 

In its latest update to the sector, the Education and Skills Funding Agency said it was "closely monitoring the assessment of functional skills in apprenticeships and the delays caused by Covid-19 restrictions".

It added: "We know that although most training and assessment arrangements have either returned to normal, or are being delivered remotely, or have been adapted to take account of ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, this has not happened in every case.

"We are aware that some learners and providers are being affected by Covid-19 restrictions and as a result providers and apprentices are unable to access functional skills assessments in the workplace. We are working closely with the sector and Ofqual to implement appropriate actions to resolve the issue so that we can facilitate learners to achieve their qualification, and, in time where appropriate their apprenticeship. We will provide further guidance to the sector as soon as possible."