Annex J - Specification: Level 1
Level 1 provision plays an important role for those individuals who need to develop skills and knowledge required to find work, this can be defined as either personal learning to support motivation, essential skills for work readiness and vocationally specific occupationally related training.
Too often we are seeing level 1 provision focused on employability-based training where the course value varies from £257 to £2,300, often this course delivery is generic and is the only episode of learning undertaken by the resident. As a consequence, reported progression rates are exceptionally poor into either further learning and/or work.
Whilst we understand the role of employability training to secure employment, we don’t accept that individuals require proof of employability through a generic qualification at level 1.
There are a range of resources available free from the National Careers Services which is duplicated through courses funded through AEB under the umbrella of employability.
Therefore, our focus is to ensure that what we fund at level 1 outside of the English, maths, ESOL and Digital Skills is occupationally specific.
The Offer
Our intent is to fund an adult offer that enable residents to develop skills and knowledge to move on into further learning or work. Level 1 provision should provide that bridge to develop further learning at level 2 or secure employment through occupationally related training either through sector-based work academy provision or pre-employment training.
We expect to see most level 1 provision aligned to sector-based work academy provision of pre- employment training to support individuals into work. In supporting individuals in making these choices we also anticipate seeing occupationally specific vocational training.
We accept that employability training does have a part to play in work readiness. We will enable providers to develop a non-regulated employability offer through one episode of learning aligned to an occupationally specific sector-based work academy or pre-employment training programme, this will be capped to a maximum of £150.
Providers should also ensure that services offered to residents by either the Department for Work & Pensions e.g. work coaches and National Careers Services are not duplicated through delivery.
We do not expect to see employed workers undertaking occupational vocational training at level 1.
Role of providers
We see community learning providers playing an exclusive role in putting in place provision to support personal development. We also see community learning providing vocational tasters to support individuals into work.
Where community learning providers have formula funded delivery, we also expect to see occupationally related training either through sector-based work academy provision or pre- employment training to support residents into work.
To support individuals into work, we also expect to see our colleges and ITP’s developing occupationally related training either through sector-based work academy provision or pre- employment training.
Courses
The courses that we will invest in for level 1 provision can be found here. Courses highlighted in orange are construction based which we expect to transfer into construction gateway provision.