1. Further Education and Sixth Form Colleges Seminar Meeting the 3 million Apprenticeship targets by 2020 16 April 2016 London

2. Governments 3 million apprenticeships target by 2020 New or existing employees Paid for by a new Employer Apprenticeship levy: - £3million income & over 250 employees - 0.5% of PAYE Bill payment (£15,000 allowance) - 2% employers = 10,000: 9,000 private - 1,000 public authorities (Ed, LG, Health, Police, Government Departments and Agencies) -All public sector paying in will have legal duty to set apprenticeship targets -Levy will raise £2bn - £2.5bn by 2019 - 2020

3. Governments 3 million apprenticeships target by 2020 Digital Apprenticeship Service (DAS) account: The DAS will also enable employers to: - select an apprenticeship training course - choose the training provider or providers they want to deliver the training - post apprenticeship vacancies Legal Definition of the term ‘apprenticeship’ to raise standards & new ‘Youth Obligation 16 – 18’ and Degree apprenticeships Will be a cap on the amount that can be spent on each apprentice New Institute of Apprenticeship will monitor progress Start in April 2017 - 1 year to prepare

4. UNISONs key response Introduction of public services paying into a new apprenticeship employer levy scheme which does not come at the expense of reducing funding for existing staff skill budgets in the public sector and wider Further Education services Inclusion of new mandatory public sector apprenticeships targets which is likely to encourage a low level ‘target led’ rather than ‘quality led’ high level apprenticeship programme in the public sector and may encourage some employers to displace existing staff with apprentices to meet their targets and efficiency savings Need to include equality, pay and conditions and qualifications information in the annual reporting to parliament on the new apprenticeship targets

5. UNISONs key response To offset apprenticeship funding pressures at a time of public sector cuts UNISON has argued that the funds raised from the public sector levy should be ring – fenced – to get more out than paid in The scheme should allow for apprenticeships to have a ‘price/quality ratio weighting’ so that the counting of public sector apprenticeship targets has a weighting proportionate to the cost and qualification level of the apprenticeship. In this way higher level apprenticeships would be counted as more than one low level apprenticeship target This would enable public sector employers to fund higher level apprenticeships for existing employees wishing to progress in their career or offer new higher entry level apprenticeships to meet staff skill shortages, alongside lower level new apprenticeships. This would offset the pressure or financial incentives to displace existing staff jobs or offer only low level entry apprenticeships

6. UNISONs key response Encouragement of employers to directly employ apprentices with an employment contract, which offers better benefits to apprentices, rather than using Apprenticeship Training Agencies Provision of information to apprentices about the role and access to trade unions by the employer Inclusion of trade unions on the new Institute of Apprenticeships which has responsibility for overseeing the new 3 million apprenticeships Practical reforms such as improving careers guidance, amending recruitment practices and providing further childcare support for parents that are undertaking apprenticeships

7. FE changes in delivering apprenticeships – issues to consider Funding going to Apprenticeships as priority target not Adult Education – 14% budget cut Area reviews – efficiency,streamlining and devolving the new merged Adult Education budget (AEB) budgets locally Will the Employer led trailblazers area reviews result in stronger super colleges/more competition and rave to bottom? What are the roles of LEPs in the new regime?

8. FE changes in delivering apprenticeships – issues to consider Diversity of paying for apprenticeships How will the new employer levy change funding? Will the SFA still provide their £1.5 billion alongside the levy? End of block grants? How will new more loans for 19 – 23 years change funding? More Traineeships for Youth Obligation targets Will School Academies owned and run by conglomerates of the same who may well enter the SFA funding arena as they widen their offer and seek funding from multiple streams How will colleges themselves meet the new employer levy and recruit apprentices – what are staffing issues? What should Feedback to BIS minister from UNISON say?