Skills for justice - developing skills for safer communities

The Secretary of State has announced his intention that Sector Skills Councils should take on the role of Issuing Authority for Apprenticeship Frameworks in England that fall within their sector footprint.

Skills for Justice is assuming this role from 6th April 2011, and will be issuing Apprenticeship Frameworks for the Justice, Community Safety and Legal Services sectors and for the Maritime sector, Central Government and the Armed Forces. Frameworks can only be issued if they are compliant with the new specifications for the country in which they will be used, as this is a statutory requirement of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act, and if they have been developed in accordance with the quality assurance processes agreed with the Alliance of SSCs. From April 2011 only frameworks compliant with the specification will be eligible for public funding.

Skills for Justice expects to issue six frameworks at the beginning of April, three at Advanced Level (L3) - Emergency Fire Service Operations; Policing(Defence Policing Pathway); Custodial Care - and three at Intermediate Level(L2) -Court, Tribunal and Prosecution Administration; Maritime Occupations, and HM Forces.

For more information on apprenticeship frameworks for England and Wales, please follow the links below:

http://www.apprenticeshipframeworksonline.semta.org.uk 

What does this mean for employers?

Skills for Justice's role as an Issuing Authority is completely separate from our role in framework development. If you have been working with our developers to pull together a framework for your sector in England, following all our internal quality assurance processes, the framework will still need to by issued through a separate process.

Anyone interested in developing a framework for England will have to apply to the Issuing Authority for a log-in to the online development tool 'Apprenticeship Frameworks Online' and the log in can only be given if the proposed framework does not duplicate one already in existence, and meets a clear employer need. This means that you can use a new framework, confident that it is appropriate to your needs and that it will offer high quality, challenging skills development to your workforce.

What does this mean for training providers?

Only apprenticeship frameworks that are compliant with the new act will be eligible for public funding for starts after April 2011. The new frameworks include detailed and helpful information for training providers and employers to ensure that apprentices are challenged to achieve the highest possible standards, and to help employers and providers to work closely together to improve skills within the workforce.

What does this mean for framework developers?

If you want to develop an apprenticeship framework for England you will need to visit the Apprenticeship Frameworks Online website for information about the new requirements, and apply to the appropriate Issuing Authority for a log-in. You will need to demonstrate that your framework does not duplicate an existing framework, and that the competence-based qualification is not already part of an apprenticeship framework before you can receive a log-in. You should also be able to demonstrate the need for a new framework and the level of employer support.

If the Issuing Authority is able to give you a log-in they will also send you guidance materials and offer to put you in contact with experienced framework developers who can help your work. Even if you are issued a log-in, your final framework cannot be issued unless it complies with new legislation and you can demonstrate that you have followed the agreed quality assurance process in drawing the framework together.

Frameworks issued through the Apprenticeship Frameworks on-line portal are not automatically eligible for public funding. The Framework developer must obtain the necessary funding paperwork from the Skills Funding Agency and fill in and submit the forms supplied before submitting the Framework for issue. For further details please e-mail apprenticeshipactivityreview@skillsfundingagency.bis.gov.uk