Apprenticeships Commissioning Programme Wales Framework Agreement

Concepts

• essential skills wales and employment rights and responsibilities
• cardiff
• education and training
• foundation apprenticeship
• higher apprenticeship framework
• maximum term of the framework
• wales
• purpose of the apprenticeships commissioning programme
• apprenticeships
• vocational apprenticeship programme

Location

Cardiff

Description

The purpose of the Apprenticeships Commissioning Programme (“ACP”) is to support people in Wales through high quality learning, in order to provide employers with the relevant skilled people to meet the current and future needs of the Welsh economy. Apprenticeships offer employed learners the opportunity to pursue a Foundation Apprenticeship, Apprenticeship, or Higher Apprenticeship framework. Degree Apprenticeships are excluded from this procurement. Each framework specifies the learning activities, including, qualifications covering occupational competencies, the relevant technical knowledge, Essential Skills Wales and Employment Rights and Responsibilities (ERR). The Client is committed to aligning the ACP to the needs of the Welsh economy as outlined in its policy and action plan published in February 2017 - Aligning the Apprenticeship model to the needs of the Welsh economy 2017. The focus is on aligning and raising the level of the skills market designed to meet employer needs with a system that is responsive to industry changes, particularly in the sectors that drive growth and prosperity. The policy reflects the step change towards higher level technical and professional skills, promoting efficiency and portability within our priority sectors. The Welsh Government is of the view that the option to extend the framework beyond four years is likely to be desirable. Individual participants may be on a vocational Apprenticeship programme for up to four years. In the event the maximum term of the framework mirrors the maximum duration of a vocational Apprenticeship programme, this is likely to result in many apprentices having their learning disrupted as they may be obliged to transfer from an unsuccessful legacy provider to a successful bidder when a future replacement framework is procured.

Ammendments to Previous Notice

Award Detail

CPV Codes

• 80000000 - Education and training services
• 80500000 - Training services

Indicators

• Contract modified due to additional needs.

Legal Justification

Noting the limited duration and value of the AEIS, ACP providers are best placed to deliver the Scheme for technical reasons given the relevant systems and information on employers and apprentices they have in place, to ensure the efficacy of the scheme. Appointing alternative providers would result in an unnecessary duplication of costs including (1) setting up separate EIS administration systems, such as, data sharing agreements with the ACP providers to obtain details of the relevant employers and apprentices; and (2) significant liaison with the ACP providers to confirm details pertinent to each apprentice including confirming each learner has started their apprenticeship, and that the apprentice is employed within 14 weeks from start of their apprenticeship to ensure the AEIS payments are paid in a timely manner. The payment to the provider of GBP 100 per apprentice would not be satisfactory recompense to warrant establishing a separate framework of providers for the AEIS.

Other Information

(WA Ref:115764)