The government’s “exceptional” apprenticeships funding uplifts review has finally been launched – but it is being limited to 20 apprenticeships.
In November the Education and Skills Funding Agency announced plans to quickly increase funding bands in the hardest hit sectors to recognise the impact of soaring inflation on training delivery, with ambitions of unveiling details of the process at the end of that month.
At the time, top skills civil servants said there would not be a blanket rise across the board, but suggested employers and trailblazers would be able to apply for a temporary increase for all apprenticeships where they could demonstrate that costs had significantly increased.
Today, the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education has announced this “exceptional funding band review” will only apply to 20 “high-volume apprenticeships in skills shortage occupations and priority sectors”. Evidence will be needed by “early” March the new funding bands will be implemented by May 1.
