Twin Employment and Training (TET) is seeking Expressions of Interest (EOI) from potential supply chain partners for the DWP Provision of Employment and Health Related Services (CAEHRS) from 2020 to 2025.

CAEHRS is designed to support the provision of Employment and Health related programmes and will be available for use across government and other public sector contracting authorities, all of which are identified in the contract notice.

With the changes in economic conditions triggered by the impact of COVID-19 this is likely to become a key area of strategic focus for all these organisations over the short and potentially medium term.

Alongside a strong track record of local service integration, potential partners must be able to demonstrate an innovative approach to the Lots that they seek to deliver to, as well as high performing provision with specialist cohorts in the following lots:

• Central England (Lot 1)
• North East England (Lot 2)
• North West England (Lot 3)
• Southern England (Lot 4)
• London & Home Counties (Lot 5)
• Wales (Lot 6)
• Scotland (Lot 7)

Key areas of support and delivery

• Employability
• Criminal Justice and Offender Related Services
• Health and Wellbeing Related Services
• Education and Skills
• Careers and Advice Services
• Enterprise and Business Support
• Youth
• Housing
• Addictions
• Labour Market Intelligence and Employment Related Data Services

Customer groups include:

BME groups/ Ex-military personnel/ Ex-offenders/ Faith based/ Gangs/ Graduates/ Homeless people/ Lone parents/ Male offenders/ Over 25s/ Over 50s/ People who are drug or alcohol misusers/ People who are hearing impaired/ People who are visually impaired/ People with autism/ People with learning difficulties/ People with mental health needs/ People with other physical health conditions/ Professionals/ executives/ Refugees/ asylum seekers/ Whole families/ Young people (NEET)/ Travellers.

Special Note:As part of our commitment to local communities we are particularly interested in hearing from you if you are from the voluntary, CIC or charity sector.

Interested?
If these DWP programmes are of interest to your organisation, please complete our short EOI form and return to businessdevelopment@twinuk.com by mid-night 14th July.

EOI’s received after this time will not be accepted, please include the name of your organisation in the file name when returning your EOI.

If you have any difficulties completing this EOI or have any other questions please contact us here, businessdevelopment@twinuk.com

In this edition of Business Update, our round-up of business-critical news and information from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA):

1. Chancellor summer economic update
2. The forgotten 50%: Why further education is vital to economic recovery

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To access support, you can search for apprenticeships on GOV.UK or call 08000 150 600. To find out more about how employers are using apprenticeships to benefit their business, visit our Hire an Apprentice page and our YouTube channel.

1. Chancellor summer economic update

Yesterday (Wednesday 8 July) Chancellor Rishi Sunak gave a speech to introduce the Plan for Jobs, the Government’s second phase in the economic response to coronavirus.

A total of £1.6 billion will be invested in scaling up apprenticeships, traineeships and employment support schemes to help people looking for a job. Young people, amongst the worst hit by the crisis, will benefit from this. Investment includes:

1.1 Apprenticeships

A new payment of £2,000 to employers in England for each new apprentice they hire aged under 25, and a £1,500 payment for each new apprentice they hire aged 25 and over, from 1st August 2020 to 31st January 2021.

These payments will be in addition to the existing £1,000 payment for new 16-18 year-old apprentices, and those aged under 25 with an education, health and care plan (EHC).

1.2 Traineeships

An additional £111 million this year for traineeships in England, enough to triple participation in traineeships. The government will fund employers who provide trainees with work experience at a rate of £1,000 per trainee and expand eligibility for traineeships to those with Level 3 qualifications and below.

1.3 National Careers Service

An additional £32 million funding over the next two years for the National Careers Service so that 269,000 more people in England can receive personalised advice on training and work.

1.4 Job retention

A Job Retention Bonus – a one-off payment of £1,000 to UK employers for every furloughed employee who remains continuously employed through to the end of January 2021.

Construction talent A Construction Talent Retention Scheme to support the redeployment of workers at risk of redundancy and help retain construction skills.

Other announcements include:

• £101 million for the 2020-21 academic year to give all 18-19 year olds in England the opportunity to study Level 2 and 3 courses when there are not employment opportunities available to them.
• building on the £1.5 billion commitment for FE capital funding made at Budget 2020, the government will bring forward £200 million to 2020-21 to support colleges to carry out urgent and essential maintenance projects.
• additional funding of £560 million for schools in England to improve the condition of their buildings and estates in 2020 to 2021.
• a school rebuilding programme of over £1 billion to fund the first 50 projects of a new, ten-year programme in England. (These projects will be confirmed in the autumn, and further detail on future waves will be announced at the Comprehensive Spending Review. Construction on the first sites will begin in September 2021.)

Read the Chancellor’s ‘A plan for jobs’ speech in full

Supporting and related documents can be downloaded on GOV.UK.

There will be a third phase that will focus on rebuilding, with a Budget and Spending Review to be held in the autumn.

We are finalising details with the Treasury and more detailed guidance for providers and employers is due in the first half of next week (week commencing Monday 13 July). We appreciate everything employers, providers and the sector is doing at this time.

2. The forgotten 50% – why FE is vital to economic recovery

Today, Thursday 9 July, Secretary of State for Education Gavin Williamson, shared a virtual speech ‘The forgotten 50%: Why further education is vital to economic recovery’.

In his address, SoS Williamson sets out the need for a fundamental reform and rebalancing toward further and technical education vital if our country is to recover after coronavirus and grow economically.

He confirmed that, this autumn, there will be a White Paper published ‘to turbo-charge our further and technical education system, and level up skills and opportunities’, with FE, apprenticeships and university to be seen as all equally valid routes to productive employment.

Watch the speech on YouTube:

Latest information and actions from the Education and Skills Funding Agency for academies, schools, colleges, local authorities and further education providers.

Documents

ESFA Update further education: 8 July 2020

ESFA Update academies: 8 July 2020

ESFA Update local authorities: 8 July 2020

Details

Items for further education

Items for academies

Items for local authorities

Published 8 July 2020

Roundup of recent DWP announcements 

A new package of support to help employers and FE providers deliver high-quality industry placements which are at the heart of pioneering new T Level qualifications have been announced (Friday 3 July) by Gillian Keegan, Minister for Skills and Apprenticeships.

T Levels – high-quality technical alternatives equivalent to three A Levels – have been created in collaboration with industry experts so students gain the skills they need to succeed in the workplace and so businesses can access the workforce they need to thrive.

A unique part of a T Level will be the completion of a high-quality industry placement – of at least 315 hours, or approximately 45 days – where students will build the knowledge and skills and develop the confidence they need in a workplace environment.

Two new reports published today highlight that providers have found that the government’s Capacity and Delivery Fund (CDF) has made a really positive impact, giving them the opportunity to recruit staff to start preparing for the delivery of T Level industry placements, establish the right infrastructure and procedures within their organisations and to build strong relationships with local employers. Employers also reported that they appreciated the flexibility of the different placement models published last year which made it easier for them to host learners on placements.

The package of support announced today will build on this, helping to make sure employers and FE providers can offer really high quality placements when they start delivering T Levels. It includes:

• New guidance setting out the key roles and responsibilities for providers and employers, and a new guide for students to help them prepare for their placement, with hands on support and advice so everyone can get the best experience possible.
• Additional delivery models for employers and providers including new models for the way industry placements can be delivered in the Construction and Engineering & Manufacturing routes, to reflect modern practices, and allowing Capacity and Delivery Fund placements to be delivered over two academic years, to bring them in line with T Levels, with a reduced delivery target of 25% for the 2020/21 academic year, to reflect the impact of the coronavirus on employers.
• In recognition of the impact of coronavirus on employers, the government will extend the Employer Support Fund pilot, launched in September 2019, to offer financial support to employers in selected regions where funding is a barrier to them hosting high-quality industry placements. The Employer Support Package, a suite of online guidance, case studies and workshops to help employers to host high-quality industry placements, will also continue: and
• The government will also procure an organisation with the appropriate expertise to support 2020, 2021 and 2022 providers to help them deliver high-quality placements in line with the delivery guidance.

Gillian Keegan, Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills said:

Industry placements will give young people invaluable first-hand experience of the workplace that they wouldn’t be able to get elsewhere, that is what makes T Levels unique and why they are at the centre of our ambitious plans to transform technical education.

These placements will not only boost student’s confidence and knowledge but will also provide employers with a pipeline of skilled workers for the future, something that will be more important than ever as we recover from coronavirus.

With this new package we are supporting businesses and providers so they are able to give students access to the best possible experiences and ensure all placements are high-quality from the start, so we can set up the next generation for success.

The first three T Levels in Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction, Digital Production, Design and Development and Education and Childcare will be taught from September 2020 with more rolled out gradually between 2021 and 2023. The new qualifications will play a key part in rebuilding the economy after the coronavirus outbreak, boosting access to high-quality technical education for thousands of young people so they can progress to the next level, whether that is getting a job, going on to further study or an apprenticeship.

The government is investing significantly in technical education and training including T Levels. Last year the Chancellor announced an additional £400 million boost for 16 to 19 education in 2020-21, including funding to support the first T Level providers to deliver high-quality courses. A further £133 million will also be invested to ensure students have access to industry standard equipment and high-quality facilities.

Bruce Boughton, People Development Manager, Lovell Partnerships said:

With the ongoing skills shortages in both the construction trades and professions, industry placements give us a chance to see and work with young people as a shortcut in the recruitment process. Having spent nearly three months working with us, they are already part of the team and understand the company and how we work.

Cian Short, Group Apprentice Manager, Bakkavor said:

T Levels have the potential to greatly improve technical education in the UK. With more focus being placed on ‘on the job’ experience through the industry placements, employers will be receiving students who are far better prepared, either to go straight into a role or to join a Higher or Degree Apprenticeship.

For more information on T Levels and industry placements, visit https://www.tlevels.gov.uk/employers

Youth unemployment could top one million by the end of the year – highlighting the scale of the jobs crisis facing an entire generation of young people, a new report warns.

The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) think tank estimated that an extra 620,000 people aged between 18 and 24 will be jobless by the end of the year, on top of the 410,000 already unemployed.

This will be the highest number of young people unemployed on record, surpassing the levels seen in the 2008-9 and 1990s recessions, said the report.

This level of youth unemployment should be a major cause for concern, according to the IPPR, as being out of work at an early age can cause serious “scarring effects” on people’s life chances including lower wages, increased risk of further unemployment and worse health into later life.

A £3bn government intervention was needed to ensure everyone under the age of 25 is in education, training, apprenticeship or a job, said the report.

Harry Quilter-Pinner, IPPR senior research fellow, said: “We face an unemployment crisis in the UK. Our analysis suggests youth unemployment could more than double by the end of the year. This would be a huge waste of talent and potential. It doesn’t have to be like this.

“That’s why we are calling on the government to step in to guarantee all young people either a funded place in education, an apprenticeship or a job.

“This will require the state to support businesses to take on young people, just as it has supported them to retain adults through the furlough scheme.”

A government spokesperson said: “We are doing everything we can to protect our economy and ensure there are options for young people, with the Opportunity Guarantee announced earlier this week ensuring every young person has a chance of an apprenticeship or in-work placement.

“Alongside our package of support for business, our nationwide network of Work Coaches are already matching jobseekers to new roles as we get Britain back working again. The National Careers Service is also providing help and advice to young people who have been furloughed, made redundant or had their exams cancelled.”

Sections

• All Ofsted
• Schools
• Children’s social care
• Further education and skills
• Early years and childcare

COVID-19 updates
Ofsted: COVID-19 rolling update – This sets out our guidance and information relating to COVID-19 (coronavirus) for schools, early years, children’s social care and further education and skills providers. We are updating it regularly. If you need to see what we’ve added since you last checked it, you can select ‘history‘ on the page and this lists all the updates.

All Ofsted
Ofsted pen portraits of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) – Updated HMI pen portraits for the South East, North West, West Midlands and London.

Schools
New teacher training inspections to focus on the initial teacher education (ITE) curriculum – Ofsted publishes a new ITE framework and handbook bringing ITE inspections in line with the education inspection framework (EIF). The outcome of the recent consultation and an updated equality, diversity and inclusion statement have also been published.
Ofsted wins landmark prosecution case of school that breached conditions – A school, prohibited from admitting more students, was found in breach of its operating conditions and fined at Luton Magistrates’ Court on 27 May.
State-funded school inspections and outcomes: management information – Published management information as at 31 May 2020.

Children’s social care
What Ofsted means by a serious incident – Guidance for social care providers on what we mean by a serious incident and what you need to tell us about. We have also updated the ‘reporting an incident’ paper forms to online forms.
Register as a provider of children’s social care services – Removed the ‘Social care online applications: information for applicants’ document as the guidance is no longer relevant. This follows the release of updated SC1, SC2 and SC3 forms.
Ofsted’s social care blog: Secure children’s homes – helping the most vulnerable children – Ofsted’s Senior Officer for the Secure Estate, Shaun Common, discusses secure children’s homes.

Further education and skills
News story: Ofsted to review students’ and apprentices’ online further education experience – Ofsted is carrying out an exploratory review of the quality of learners’ experiences of online education in further education and skills settings during the COVID-19-affected summer term.
Further education and skills inspections and outcomes as at 29 February 2020 – Data for inspections and outcomes as at 29 February 2020 including data for inspections carried out between 1 September 2019 and 29 February 2020.

Early years and childcare
Childminders: tell Ofsted about adults leaving the home – You must tell Ofsted when anyone aged 16 or over stops living or working in the home where you look after children.
Consented addresses for childminders and domestic childcare – Updated consented addresses for childminders and domestic childcare as at 31 May 2020.
Childcare providers and inspections as at 31 March 2020 – This release includes registered childcare providers and places, inspection outcomes, and joiners and leavers as at 31 March 2020.

Latest information and actions from the Education and Skills Funding Agency for academies, schools, colleges, local authorities and further education providers.

Documents

ESFA Update further education: 1 July 2020

ESFA Update academies: 1 July 2020

ESFA Update local authorities: 1 July 2020

HTML

Details

Items for further education

Items for academies

Items for local authorities

Published 1 July 2020