Million Plus

Alan Palmer, Head of Policy and Research at MillionPlus, is quoted in the latest FE Week, in an article about degree apprenticeships, specifically the Education and Skills Funding Agency announcement in April that it would pause the procurement process for providers delivering apprenticeships to smaller non-levy paying employers, and would extend existing contracts instead.

He told FE Week that the procurement pause “puts at risk” the commitment made in November 2016 to develop new provision to support up to 5,200 new degree apprenticeships from this autumn.

He said that modern universities had “been at the forefront of developing degree apprenticeships” and the procurement pause would “impact on the ability of universities to play a full part” in government skills policy.

“This demonstrates the importance for the ESFA to better understand the needs of universities, and ensure that the system of apprenticeships works for all providers,” he said.

Read the article in full here.