Introduction by the Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education
Introduction by the Rt Hon Robert Halfon MP.
Independent training providers are one of the four pillars of our learning and skills delivery alongside schools, colleges and higher education institutions. With around a thousand providers funded by the department and ESFA, supporting over 300,000 learners, they give young people and employees the skills they need to build their careers, the skills employers need to compete and expand, and the skills our country needs to drive economic growth. There are many brilliant providers, and I know the great work that they do.
Independent training providers deliver a wide range of support, from bootcamps lasting a few weeks, through to apprenticeships that can take several years. They remain a core part of building an apprenticeships and skills nation. Learners benefit from the continuity of support offered by their provider through their training so it is important that learners can be confident at the start of their learning that they will be able to complete it with the same provider. Achieving this requires providers who are stable, well run and well governed.
This financial handbook has been developed in partnership with independent training providers and sector representatives to support providers to maintain sound financial management and governance.
Diversity is a key strength of the sector, enabling very small to very large providers to deliver a wide range of learning and skills, customising their delivery to the needs of learners and employers. The handbook reflects the sector’s diversity by sharing best practice and tailoring our expectations of providers based on the size of providers’ business with the department.
I hope that chief executives, finance leaders and non-executive directors from across the independent training sector find this handbook a valuable resource, providing a stable platform for learners and employers to succeed. With the sector being well represented by the Association of Employment and Learning Providers, it will continue to succeed.
Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education