AELP: Training providers pleased with government move towards giving employers ‘purchasing power’

AELP has put forward the concept of giving purchasing power to employers because with purchasing power comes employer choice

The government has today confirmed that the apprenticeship funding consultation (The Future of Apprenticeships in England: Funding Reform Technical Consultation, March 2014), shows strong evidence that employers do not support the methodology of funding employers directly. 

The Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) has been consistent in its responses to government policy announcements that employers want to be more engaged in the management and delivery of their apprenticeship programmes but they do not want to be tied up in the administration and funding of the programme. 

AELP is pleased that the government has moved away from the concept of direct funding to giving employers ‘purchasing power’. AELP has put forward the concept of giving purchasing power to employers because with purchasing power comes employer choice.

The trade organisation says it’s pleased that this government has heard the voice of employers, especially smaller employers and will now focus on the development of the new standards through the Trailblazer programme. Many employers have been involved in this process but AELP says there is a need to ensure the trailblazer process is coordinated so that there is a move towards a coherent set of standards covering all sectors of the economy. 

AELP CEO Stewart Segal said: “It is good news that the government has heard the voice of employers through this consultation. We have been saying for some time that employers want to have the purchasing power in the programme and in fact they already do have that power. 

“Most of the employers our members work with do not want to take on the administration and management of the government contributions and they will want to continue to work with the providers of their choice.  AELP has put forward a number of recommendations that would reinforce the concept of employer choice and this will encourage even more employers to get involved in Apprenticeships.  We are already working with BIS, EFA and SFA to develop a model that will encourage more employers to become engaged and this has to mean a collaborative approach to standards development and simplification of the current funding model.”

 

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