Quickly removing funding from providers “who bring the sector into disrepute” is in the interests of the whole FE sector, the chief executive of the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) has insisted.

Eileen Milner told the Association of Employment and Learning Providers’ (AELP) National Conference in London that it was her job to “assess and address any risks that might have an adverse impact on the sustainability and quality of education and skills” through the provider market oversight function.

Milner said: “I’m a realist and I know there are always going to be issues and concerns. But the earlier we can detect these the greater chance we have to resolve them in straight forward way that has the least impact in the operational context.”

‘High bar’ for entry

Ms Milner added: “There are always going to be instances where we are going to have to investigate and come in rather more heavily by way of intervention. Because ultimately it is our responsibility to make sure that the money we disperse is being used properly and used to provide high-quality education and training.

“It is in all of our interests that where there are incidences where we see this being compromised that we should be able to act quickly and remove practices and providers from the sector who are bringing it into disrepute. Thankfully these are rare occasions, but I think we should all agree that this is a good thing.”

Milner added that the register of apprenticeship training providers (RoATP) has a “high bar” for entry which was important for ensuring quality. Milner said the ESFA has already removed providers who are not providing quality just over a year since the register was introduced.

Teething troubles

In July 2017, Tes revealed that a training provider was approved to deliver apprenticeships by the ESFA, despite being the subject of an ongoing fraud investigation by police. A total of 12 individuals with links to UKRS Training, which delivers training for the railway industry, were arrested by British Transport Police, 10 of whom on suspicion of “supplying articles to commit fraud”. 

After Tes provided this information to the Department for Education, UKRS Training was removed from the register.

Earlier, apprenticeships and skills minister Anne Milton told the AELP conference the government would stick with its commitment to 20 per cent off-the-job training in apprenticeships.