Five takeaways from AELP National Conference 2023Following another AELP National Conference, AELP’s Director of Policy, Simon Ashworth, takes us through his five takeaways from the event – including thoughts around apprenticeship levy reform, the exceptional funding band review and the need for a united skills sector as we approach the next General Election.This year’s AELP National Conference was another massive success with an agenda packed full of engaging speakers and panellists – as well as interactive workshops across a wide range of topics. With the dust settling on another successful AELP National Conference, I want to reflect on what we learnt across the two days.CAUTION IS REQUIRED OVER APPRENTICESHIP LEVY REFORMAELP National Conference kicked off with our chair Nichola Hay MBE announcing a shift in AELP’s Apprenticeship Levy position during her keynote speech on Monday morning.After listening to feedback from members, AELP is calling for the cautious introduction of flexibility in the levy, while ensuring apprenticeships remain its primary focus. This flexibility would allow a small portion of the programme budget to be used on quality non-apprenticeship skills provision. However, Nicki was clear that flexibility should only be introduced if it is coupled with a ring-fenced SME apprenticeship budget. This would protect the 98% of employers that do not pay the apprenticeship levy.Nicki also highlighted the growing divide between the level of money paid through the levy by employers and the Department for Education’s (DfE) apprenticeship programme budget. Ultimately employers are being short-changed with funding that should be used to support wider and deeper funding band increases, and targeted employer incentives aimed at non-levy paying employers and young people specifically.WE FINALLY HAVE THE OUTCOME OF THE EXCEPTIONAL FUNDING BANDS REVIEWWe were pleased to hear the Skills Minister, Rt Hon Robert Halfon MP, announce the long-awaited conclusion to the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education’s (IfATE) exceptional funding bands review on the Monday morning of conference. The review, announced in November 2022, at AELP Autumn Conference, was a long time coming, and much needed by the sector. Funding band uplifts were announced for 10 apprenticeship standards, with larger than expected uplifts for Adult Care Worker and Heavy Vehicle Service and Maintenance Technician standards. The Minster announced that funding for the level 2 Adult Care Worker and level 3 Lead Adult Care Worker apprenticeship will both increase from £3,000 to £4,000, while funding for the Heavy Vehicle Service and Maintenance apprenticeship will also increase by a third from £15,000 to £20,000.Although the outcome of this review was welcomed by many at conference, there clearly remains frustration in the sector at how long the review took. It has taken far, far too long to get an outcome to a process where the aim was to see a speedy decision taken. It should also be noted that, despite this step forward, we still have nearly 50% of the original standards in the exceptional review deferred by employers to a wider and more drawn-out review. We need a much more responsive approach to reviewing standards and a funding model that properly factors in all eligible delivery costs.THERE ARE CHANGES TO COME AT OFSTED, BUT HOPEFULLY NOT TO THE INSPECTION FRAMEWORKAs we reach the end of HM Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman’s term of office, Ofsted are in listening mode. It was interesting to hear Amanda give an honest overview of her time in post, detailing some of the challenges faced by Ofsted, especially in recent years as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Given Amanda will be retiring later this year, I’d like to thank her for all her work in engaging closely with AELP and our members. What I will say is that I hope her successor doesn’t do what so many Chief Inspectors have done, and seek to make wholesale changes to the inspection framewor...