SFA Funding 2014-2015

• Details from BIS publication ‘Skills Funding Statement 2013-2016

• Headlines Adult Skills Budget cut from £2.4b 2013-14 to £2.25b 2014-15 8.5% cut Cut from £2.25b to £2b 2014-15 11% cut

MeanwhileEmployer Ownership 59.5% increase 2014-1524+ Loans 208% increase 2014-15

SFA Funding 2014-2015

Priorities and direction of travel

• Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) increasingly important with Strategic Economic Growth Plans. Colleges will have to work to these

• Providers being encouraged to be less reliant on govt funding and more responsive to local employers and local markets

• English and Maths requirement for 16-18, apprenticeships and Traineeships. Learners have to be enrolled on level higher than the one they are initially assessed at.

• Increased conditionality from DWP. Claimants to be screen and then those ‘with poor spoken English’ referred for initial assessment by providers. £30m additional funds for ESOL 2014-14 and £45m 2015-16. Goes to those providers with more than 500 ESOL starts 2013-14

SFA Funding 2014-2015

Priorities and direction of travel (contd)

• Community Learning not cut So still £210m

• New performance measures. 3 core measures

Destination either further learning or employment Progression in learning Earnings change

SFA Funding 2014-2015

New Funding methodology from Sept 2013

• Based on Qualification and Credit Framework credits then linked to guided learning hours

• Certain qualifications have fixed learning band and consequently guided learning hours

• 2 ESOL qualifications: ESOL certificate - 101-196 glh and ESOL Award Speaking and listening – 37-100 glh

• Funding rates (what is actual cash price) Award £336 per student. Certificate £724 per student

• But last year told by SFA Director of Funding at House of Commons meeting autumn 2013 that there would be no change for ESOL for 2 years. So we should have a year of no change.