In response to the Coronavirus pandemic, the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) has submitted to the DfE and Treasury a list of major actions and other flexibilities which they think need to be taken to safeguard apprenticeship and skills provision during the pandemic. The three most important measures needed without any further delay are:
- Guaranteed programme income across all funding streams for all provider types (grant or contracted) until the crisis is over.
- Removal of all observations for the end point assessment (EPA) of apprentices and replace EPAs with employer/provider assessment and professional discussion.
- Apply the same treatment to Functional Skills as is being applied to GCSEs and A levels, i.e. it should be left to the tutor as to when the learner has achieved competency.
Their specific thoughts around the actions required by the DfE to ensure the survival of the End Point Assessment system during the COVID-19 crisis can be read here. They are recommending a range of flexibilities and adjustments to help during this time, whilst still maintaining the integrity of the overarching EPA.