ESFA Update further education: 2 November 2022
Published 2 November 2022
Applies to England
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/esfa-update-2-november-2022/esfa-update-further-education-2-november-2022
1. Action: FE providers needed for research on improving the further education (FE) workforce data collection
Can you help us to improve the Further Education (FE) workforce data collection?
This year the collection is mandatory for the first time, and we need a range of FE providers to share their experiences of it, so that we can understand how we can make the process better for you.
Book a confidential online research interview with a user researcher. These will run for around an hour on Microsoft Teams from 21 November to 8 December 2022. To receive further information and book your interview, you can email the researcher with your availability and preferred times.
Do consider getting involved. The information you provide will help us to ensure that we understand your needs, and to design improvements that meet them.
2. Information: latest update on the provider data self-assessment toolkit (PDSAT)
Pre-registration for PDSAT online opened for providers on the 26 October. Depending on the volume of pre-registrations we may need to prioritise registrations for those providers who have R04 obligations. Providers can pre-register by completing this form.
We are also opening a pre-registration phase for non-providers who can now also pre-register by completing this form.
Non-providers should select whether they would like an individual or organisational level account, i.e., it would be appropriate for an audit firm to select organisational level and have super-user ability to add multiple users whereas it may be more appropriate for an independent consultant to select an individual level account. Where you are selecting ‘organisational level’ it would be appropriate for only one user from your organisation to pre-register.
There is a requirement that non-providers include the UKPRN of a supporting provider with whom they work as part of this pre-registration phase. Any registrant that would like ESFA to act as a sponsor should record 99999999 in the UKPRN field.
All pre-registrations will be reviewed by ESFA. Registrants will receive notifications of acceptance or rejection once ESFA have reviewed, post the closure of the pre-registration phase on 11 November 2022.
Anyone that does not pre-register, or who is rejected at the pre-registration stage will still be able to register a request for their own login at any time once PDSAT online goes live.
The first release of PDSAT online will contain the facility to import ILR data, either in XML format or using data processed through the funding information system (FIS), and output reports for further review.
3. Information: 2021 to 2022 final reconciliation statements
Thank you for submitting your 2021 to 2022 final funding claim.
Following on from this, your reconciliation statements will be available for you to view on the Manage your education skills and funding service by the end of November 2022. This will set out the final position for the 2021 to 2022 funding year and will inform the funding that you will be required to repay (if applicable) or over delivery that we will fund.
Final reconciliation statements are published following submission of a final funding claim and calculated in line with the funding rules for the following funding streams:
- grant funded - ESFA funded adult education budget (AEB) (adult skills, community learning, 19 to 24 traineeships and national skills fund Level 3 adult offer)
- grant funded - advanced learner loans bursary (ALLB)
If you are required to repay funds back to us, we will schedule those repayments from December 2022 in discussion with you.
If you have any queries, please use ESFA help centre to contact us.
4. Information: Condition Improvement Fund 2023 to 2024 application round open
The Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) 2023 to 2024 application round opened to eligible schools and sixth-form colleges on Thursday 13 October. Schools and sixth-form colleges have until midday on Wednesday 7 December to submit their applications.
You can read about the eligibility criteria and how to apply on the Condition Improvement Fund page.
5. Information: apply to become a Skills Bootcamp provider
In November we will be launching a Dynamic Purchasing System to support the procurement of future Skills Bootcamp provider. The first competition will be for Skills Bootcamps in digital skills in early 2023.
Skills Bootcamps:
- Change lives: funding enables providers to offer adults the opportunity of free sector-specific training and a guaranteed job interview
- Meet employer’s needs: use the flexibility available to design the end-to-end process - including the course curriculum and participant recruitment - with the needs of employers in mind
- Significant funding available: provision will be scaling up from 2022 to 2025
Find out more on GOV.UK. You can also join a webinar on Monday 14 November, details are available on GOV.UK.
6. Information: qualifications that overlap with waves 1 and 2 T Levels (excluding Health and Science)
The Post-16 Qualifications Review has reached the next phase of its ambitious technical education reforms to streamline and strengthen the post-16 qualifications offer.
On 14 October, the Department for Education published the final list of qualifications overlapping with waves 1 and 2 T Levels (excluding Health and Science). These qualifications will have funding approval withdrawn for new starts on the 16 to 19 study programme offer from 1 August 2024.
This list does not include qualifications that overlap with T Levels in the health and science route, as the outline content of these T Levels is being reviewed by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. Once the review has concluded, expected later this year, we will then confirm the final list of qualifications that overlap with these T Levels. Qualifications overlapping with these T Levels will also have funding approval removed in 2024.
If you have any queries, please email: post16.level3andbelowreview@education.gov.uk.