Background

1. Background • In September 2007 the Prime Minister announced that a country-wide vacancy matching service will be rolled out. • On the 28 January 2008 government published their strategy for the future of Apprenticeships in England - World-Class Apprenticeships: Unlocking talent, building skills for all, this can be found at: http://www.dius.gov.uk/publications/world_class_apprenticeships.pdf

2. Background • Currently no consistent national system exists to bring together employers with Apprenticeship vacancies and potential apprentices. • Implementation of a matching service identified as a key driver to increase participation rates in Apprenticeships (1 in 5 young people undertaking an apprenticeship each year by 2020).

3. Purpose To provide a single web based location for high quality and dynamic information on Apprenticeships for use by: employers potential apprentices, their parents/guardians learning providers those providing advice

4. Purpose • To match potential apprentices to employers with vacancies • To track candidates’ and employers’ progress through the system and identify where intervention is needed • To record all Apprenticeships and employers offering them More than just a “matching system”

5. Benefits to candidates • A one stop shop for Apprenticeship, provider and employer information www.apprenticeships.org.uk • Access to an interactive candidate home page to save information and receive updates and alerts • Ability to search and apply for local, regional or national Apprenticeship vacancies (important if they are relocating)

6. Benefits to candidates • Extensive choice in the types and availability of vacancies (release one) • Information on trends in types of vacancies available (release 2) • Ability to apply, track and monitor progress of applications in real time • Easy access to additional support if required

7. Benefits to employers • Free recruitment service for Apprenticeships • Database of interested candidates to push vacancies towards • Flexibility of involvement three models: - hold contract and manage vacancy matching activities - hold contract and provider manages vacancy matching activities - provider holds contract and manages vacancy matching activities with employer both having visual progress reports through the system

8. Benefits to employers • National profile of Apprenticeship vacancy opportunities • Employer can receive updates and other relevant Apprenticeship information • Allows links to their own recruitment websites

9. Benefits to Learning Providers • A professional and efficient recruitment and matching service • Free vacancy advertising and matching resource which will help grow the number of learners engaged in Apprenticeships • Additional service to sell to employers • Promote your name and service to a wider audience • Integrated management information and reporting • Support achievement of key targets

10. Role of Learning Providers • Create your own profile for viewing by candidates and employers • Add delivery regions/areas • Add frameworks, levels and success rates • Add and maintain ‘vacancy’ details • Manage applications through to enrolment • Provide feedback where candidates are unsuccessful

11. Update LSC West Midlands • Payment for over-performance in 2007/08 WBL only • Regional Contracting 2008/09 • Demand Led Funding reconciliation of payments • Moving to single contracts 2009/10 • Qualified Provider Framework

12. West Midlands region will pay for over-performance of Work Based Learning in 2007/08 • Period 13 reconciliation of WBL AMPS 2007/08: • LSC will identify the value of earnings over and above the value paid in total for the contract • A Programme Payment Template will be prepared by the Contracts Team • Payment dates, where possible, will be the next available payment run following receipt of authorised templates • Any resulting payments will be reconciled against any recoveries where applicable, as per the normal process • For E2E providers claiming outstanding Progression Payments relating to 2007/08, there is a separate process

13. Move to Regional Contracting across the LSC • For 2008/09 Regional Contracts have been issued • Each Provider will receive one contract with schedules for all funding agreed by local area offices • WM are now moving to ensure that each provider only has one Relationship Manager to discuss all West Midlands provision • Providers will be notified of their “Regional” Relationship Manager early in 2009, until then dialogue should still be with the local office contact

14. Demand Led FundingReconciliation of Payments • The new Demand Led Funding process started with profile payments made for the first quarter (August, September, October) • For period 4 Employer Responsive payments there will be a reconciliation of payments against actual delivery of activity • Providers must upload data by 4th December for period 4 Employer Responsive returns. BACS payments are scheduled for 15th December 2008 • As already notified, ongoing dialogue will be with the provider’s Regional Relationship Manager

15. National Single Contracts with providers 2009/10 • In order to reduce bureaucracy for providers who wish to provide training services to more than 1 region, the LSC is developing a single national contract for 2009/10 • This will provide clarity for providers about their total National Contract with a single national relationship providing a consistent message. Further details will be presented in the New Year. • In 2008/09, 9 providers will have a single national contract for Employer Responsive provision led by one region. • In the WM, we will Lead for JHP and Protocol Skills • Other national contracts are : CITB, Economic Solutions, JTL, Nacro, Rathbone Training, VT Training, YMCA.

16. Qualified Provider Framework (QPF) • QPF will replace the Pre Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) for education and training services • It is a maintained list of all providers for up to 4 years • All existing providers details have been mapped to QPF - with a few additional fields to be completed by providers • If providers wish to be eligible to receive invitations to tender they will need to be pre-qualified on the QPF • Only providers wishing to receive invitations to tender need take action • The QPF is frozen at fixed points in the year to allow the tendering process to begin – the freeze dates will be published • If providers wish to receive invitations to tender in January 2009 they need to have applied to pre-qualify by 10th December – this has been widely advertised

17. Further Information • See the Qualified Provider Framework pages of the website: • http://www.lsc.gov.uk/providers/commissioning/

19. Provider Development – Key Changes for 2009/10 19 November 2008 Welcome

20. Provider Development 01

21. Provider Development • Identifying and Managing Underperformance • Inspection Consultation • Framework for Excellence

22. Identifying and Managing Underperformance 02

23. Drivers for Change to MLP Policy • 2 years of MLP and OCT has rooted out much poor provision • OCT has produced a limited number of new providers of Apprenticeships • Focus to shift to the management and improvement of the existing provider base • The approach needs to reflect multi-year contracting

24. Approach to MLP Policyfor 2009/10 • Proposed MLP success rate threshold increased from 45% to 50% • Continue to analyse provider’s performance at framework level and act at SSA level • A broader approach than in previous years – NTIs and Improvement Indicators

25. Key Changes • Combined framework success rate will be the level at which MLP will be applied (i.e. the aggregated Apprenticeship and Advanced Apprenticeship performance) • Performance at SSA level will then be taken into account and will be the trigger for determining appropriate action • Business Cases/Exemptions

26. Scenario 1 • Where SSA exceeds the minimum proposed level of 50%: • All frameworks within that SSA to be retained • Frameworks below 50% to be addressed by the provider as part of the self-assessment/self-improvement action plan

27. Scenario 2 • Where SSA is above 45% and below 50%: • All frameworks within that SSA to be retained • Frameworks below 50% subject to contractually-binding improvement indicators • LSIS support for frameworks below 50% is mandatory

28. Scenario 3 • Where SSA is below 45%: • All frameworks below 50% withdrawn, and cannot be won back through OCT for the 2009/10 contract year • Frameworks above 50% to be retained

29. Top 9 Providers • Ministerial commitment to reduce administrative burden on largest providers • The need for the LSC to have a ‘whole provider view’ of largest providers • A single conversation will make for a better strategic relationship • Increased flexibility over delivery partners across regions • A pilot roll out of single provider contracting in 2009/10

30. Application of MLP • MLP application will continue to be at local level • Lead provided with a report summarising performance of whole provider • National moderation for the Top 9

31. Train to Gain Provision 04

32. Train to Gain • Indicative minimum level • Will not automatically trigger procurement • The second developmental year will allow us to: • Build a more robust performance history • Conduct dialogues with providers that will identify data/performance issues and identify providers that need LSIS support requirement • Allow providers more time to become familiar with the success rate definition

33. MLP and Procurement 05

34. Qualified Provider Framework • LSC to launch new Qualified Provider Framework • Consists of Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) and National Contracts Register (NCR) • DPS and NCR will hold information on intervention in respect of each provider

35. Qualified Provider Framework continued • Poor performance against MLP will result in right to tender and negotiated growth being removed • Poor performance against MLP in a particular SSA will result in limit or removal of right to tender and growth • Less serious performance issued will result in limited rights to tender and growth

36. Moderation 06

37. WBL Moderation • Avoided more national exceptions. As such, kept to the original exceptions with minor modifications. • A new process. • Business cases for only those frameworks below 50% in SSA below 45% - no need for other business cases. • Regional and national moderation. • National moderation takes place 19/20 January 2009.