Commitment Statements and the UVAC Commitment Statement Template September 2017 Rebecca Rhodes, Senior Associate, UVAC r.rhodes@bolton.ac.uk

Agenda Commitment Statement Rules Use and Common Issues Commitment Statement Template

At its most basic You have to have one ..! (211.7) signed and dated by apprentice & employer Sits alongside the employer contract significant status Key Element of the Evidence Pack – make sure dates match ILR Ready at the start, and for the entire length of, the apprenticeship Employer, Apprentice and Provider must all hold accurate and up to date signed copies, updated and redistributed as needed. Updated to include EPAO / Subcontractor details as soon as they have been confirmed. Includes provider’s process for resolving any queries or complaints and the escalation process to the ESFA through the apprenticeship helpline Provides a short summary (a ‘routemap’) of content, timing and delivery arrangements

Funding Rules Content Required: 1. APPRENTICESHIP CONTENT - Planned content and schedule for eligible training, start and end-dates and (where applicable) end-point assessment, and key milestones for mandatory or other qualification achievements 2. SUPPORT FOR THE APPRENTICE - what is expected and offered by the employer, main provider (and any delivery subcontractors) and the apprentice to achieve the apprenticeship 3. FUNDING - details on which elements are eligible for funding from the employer’s digital account or government-employer co-investment and necessary to meet any end-point assessment, those which are extra and not eligible for co-investment but will be fully funded by the employer, and those fully funded by the ESFA including English and maths

Funding Rules Content Required: 4. DELIVERY ORGANISATIONS - a list of all organisations delivering the training including English and maths and the apprentice assessment organisation (where applicable) 5. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES - for the employer, provider and apprentice and arrangements for how the three parties will work together; including contact details the expected commitment from each party to ensure the smooth running and day-to-day delivery of the apprenticeship, including, e.g. • for an apprentice, attendance and study time • for an employer, commitment to wages and time off to study in the working day • for a provider, support and guidance available and how to access

Emerging Complexities Employers with multiple providers Employers wanting customised versions Employers wanting consistent versions Lack of clarity about ownership (provider vs employer) Who is it for ? What is its purpose ? Lack of clarity about Ofsted, QAA and evidence packs Duplication of the Individual Learning Plan GDPA https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-data-protection/privacy-notices-transparency-and-control/what-should-you-include-in-your-privacy-notice#consent

Current Use and Common Issues Failing to include the complaint escalation to ESFA Turning it into the contract for services Too brief to add any value Micro-font ! Too many hyper-links to be useable on its own Not including the content ‘map’ for the apprenticeship Imbalance in responsibilities between provider, employer apprentice Focussed on the provider as a ‘provider document’ Refusing to make adjustments for employers Using ESFA ‘rules’ as an excuse not to change No employer signature

Commitment statement template AOC AELP Your Own Company’s Own The New Structure Employers pay Apprenticeship Levy to Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) FE colleges become “Providers” of education services to Employers ESFA pays Providers out of Levy funds Employers enter into a Contract for Services with Providers

UVAC commitment statement template USE: Update with EPAO etc if not ready at the start Use in tri-partite reviews: progress against the 20% Assess impact & achievements Check responsibilities are being met Reiterate ongoing support Action Plan and to review queries and issues Evaluation and impact review PURPOSE : A single guide for the apprentice & line manager For the tri-partite review For employer impact review Demonstrate compliance Applies to Levy and Non-Levy Covers all the requirements set out in the Funding Rules Working document –expectation of change Cannibalise as needed

Template Structure SECTION 1 – core information 1.1. Signatories 1.2. The Apprenticeship covered by this Commitment Statement 1.3. Apprenticeship Review Schedule & Attendees 1.4. Further Support and Guidance SECTION 2. Roles and Responsibilities SECTON 3. Funding Summary DOCUMENT CONTROL SECTION 4. Apprenticeship Summary - See also Annex A 4.1. Employer Impact / Outcomes 4.2. Initial Assessment Outcomes 4.3. Additional Learning Support 4.4. English and Maths ANNEX A - map

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Annex A

Questions & Further Information Template : UVAC-CS-template-V30917 Template Guidance : UVAC-CS-guidance-V10917 Funding Rules : Queries and Questions to : r.rhodes@bolton.ac.uk