Yes, the Government's continued commitment to this policy was outlined in the Digital Strategy launched last week on the 1st of March 2017.

Driving up the rigour and responsiveness of vocational education is a critical part of this Government’s mission to give everyone the education they need to fulfil their potential.

The Department has commissioned an independent evaluation of Round 1 of the Employer Ownership of Skills Pilot, which is being conducted by CFE in collaboration with the university of Sheffield and Qa Research. The overall aim of this evaluation is to provide evidence of the impact of the pilot and an assessment of whether giving employers direct access to public funding has increased or improved their investment in skills, or enabled them to demonstrate more effective ways of improving skills in the workforce than they can currently achieve through mainstream funding. The evaluation will gather evidence from employers, providers, learners and other stakeholders to ensure that we can evaluate the pilot processes; assess the impact and determine whether the pilot achieves value for money.

Information on Round 1 projects in the Employer Ownership pilot is compiled by SFA on a quarterly basis. The next update is due in early November.

Currently, (a) all 36 projects have a signed grant offer letter and (b) 35 of these have received funding.

(c) All 36 projects are operational and will receive funding over a number of years. One project has started to deliver but has not yet made their first claim.

(d) None of the projects have been completed.

That is the sort of delivery you can expect from this Government.

Data on the number of starts and achievements for apprenticeships and other qualifications as part of Round 1 of the Employer Ownership Project will be published in the November 2013 Statistical First Release (SFR). Individuals starting/achieving more than

one apprenticeship or other qualification will appear more than once. The SFR will be published here on 28 November:

http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/Statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current/

The Department, in conjunction with the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, has commissioned an independent evaluation of the impact and value for money for Round 1 of the Employer Ownership of Skills pilot. This is being conducted by CFE in collaboration with the university of Sheffield and Qa Research.

The final impact evaluation report is due in September 2017 with annual reports earmarked as follows:

Summer 2014: baseline report;

Summer 2015: annual progress report;

Summer 2016: annual progress report.

There has been a full programme of communications activity to inform potential learners about the availability of loans, delivered through colleges and training organisations. We took this approach because our research showed that all learners have contact with a college or training organisation in their journey into further education, so this was the most important route to use in giving messages about loans. We have made available to providers a range of learner communication materials and resources that have been well received by colleges and training organisations.

Information about 24+ Advanced Learning Loans is also directly available to learners on GOV.UK, the National Careers Service website and the Money Advice Service website.

The Department felt that to run a direct marketing campaign for a programme that affects such a small proportion of the overall further education sector may lead to confusion for the vast majority who are not eligible for a loan.

The Skills Funding Agency has started the process of 'in year' performance and budget management for 24+ Advanced Learning Loans and has already made adjustments to some loan facilities in light of demand so far. They will continue to do this throughout the year to ensure full and effective use of the loans budget in response to learner demand and choice. Providers can contact the agency at any time to discuss adjustments to their facilities.

The Department is currently working with the Skills Funding Agency to agree the allocations process and timetable for 2014/15.

24+ Advanced Learning Loans can be used to support the same qualifications (at Level 3/4) that are eligible for public funding more widely.

The value, rigour and relevance of qualifications is currently the subject of a major review being led by Nigel Whitehead as part of the Government's drive to make the further education system responsive to the needs of employers and the wider economy.

The 645 ineligible loan applications are 3.9% of overall applications from 1-31 August 2013. Initial analysis undertaken by the Student Loans Company (SLC) shows that around 36% of cases were deemed ineligible for residency or age; a further 35% were where either the provider or course were not approved for loan funding ; around 23% were related to learning duration/course duplication and the remaining 6% were for arrears on a previous loan.

The SLC is drafting further guidance for learning providers to explain the most common reasons for applications being deemed ineligible to help reduce future cases where possible. The Skills Funding Agency will feed this information back to providers.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) funds skills provision for those aged 19 and over through the Adult Skills Budget (ASB), allocated to providers by the Skills Funding Agency. Providers have the flexibility to use their funding to tailor their provision in response to local demand. Therefore the number of traineeship places funded will reflect the number of employers and education and training providers who choose to offer a place, and the number of eligible young people who wish to take one.

The Skills Funding Agency is making available an additional £20 million for providers to support the expansion of traineeships for 19 to 23-year-olds in 2013/14. This money is additional funding to the Adult Skills Budget therefore it will not impact on the funding allocated for apprenticeships.

I regularly meet with the Minister for Employment, Department for Work and Pensions, my hon. Friend the Member for Fareham (Mr Hoban), to discuss the interaction with the skills and benefits systems, and my officials work closely with officials in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on the development and implementation of programmes such as traineeships. We indicated in our initial discussion paper (January 2013) our intention for traineeships to fit with the benefits system. Following this consultation we have designed traineeships to have the flexibility to enable providers to meet the requirements of young people who are claiming benefits. This enables training providers to design traineeships so that young people can continue to receive jobseeker's allowance (JSA) or the new universal credit while taking part in a traineeship, supporting young people to access traineeships.

The benefit rules (including the 16-hour rule) for JSA claimants apply to all provision funded by the Skills Funding Agency, including traineeships. FE providers have experience of designing programmes to fit within these rules. We will be undertaking an evaluation of traineeships during its first year of delivery and will be monitoring the take-up of the programme.

Local JCP have discretion to award training allowances where appropriate to those who would otherwise be eligible to claim JSA.

Young people taking part in traineeships will be undertaking education and training and, where they qualify, will be able to access existing programmes of financial support, including the £180 million Bursary Fund for 16 to 18-year-olds, and Discretionary Learning Support funding for those aged 19 up to 24. This is in addition to being able to claim JSA where applicable.

The Skills Funding Agency's funding rules reflect the principles set out in the Government's Framework for Delivery of traineeships, giving providers the flexibility to design traineeships to meet the needs of employers and young people, including those on JSA.

I regularly meet with the Minister for Employment, Department for Work and Pensions, my hon. Friend the Member for Fareham (Mr Hoban), to discuss the interaction with the skills and benefits systems, and my officials work closely with officials in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on the development and implementation of programmes such as traineeships. We indicated in our initial discussion paper (January 2013) our intention for traineeships to fit with the benefits system. Following this consultation we have designed traineeships to have the flexibility to enable providers to meet the requirements of young people who are claiming benefits. This enables training providers to design traineeships so that young people can continue to receive jobseeker's allowance (JSA) or the new universal credit while taking part in a traineeship, supporting young people to access traineeships.

The benefit rules (including the 16-hour rule) for JSA claimants apply to all provision funded by the Skills Funding Agency, including traineeships. FE providers have experience of designing programmes to fit within these rules. We will be undertaking an evaluation of traineeships during its first year of delivery and will be monitoring the take-up of the programme.

Local JCP have discretion to award training allowances where appropriate to those who would otherwise be eligible to claim JSA.

Young people taking part in traineeships will be undertaking education and training and, where they qualify, will be able to access existing programmes of financial support, including the £180 million Bursary Fund for 16 to 18-year-olds, and Discretionary Learning Support funding for those aged 19 up to 24. This is in addition to being able to claim JSA where applicable.

The Skills Funding Agency's funding rules reflect the principles set out in the Government's Framework for Delivery of traineeships, giving providers the flexibility to design traineeships to meet the needs of employers and young people, including those on JSA.

I regularly meet with the Minister for Employment, Department for Work and Pensions, my hon. Friend the Member for Fareham (Mr Hoban), to discuss the interaction with the skills and benefits systems, and my officials work closely with officials in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on the development and implementation of programmes such as traineeships. We indicated in our initial discussion paper (January 2013) our intention for traineeships to fit with the benefits system. Following this consultation we have designed traineeships to have the flexibility to enable providers to meet the requirements of young people who are claiming benefits. This enables training providers to design traineeships so that young people can continue to receive jobseeker's allowance (JSA) or the new universal credit while taking part in a traineeship, supporting young people to access traineeships.

The benefit rules (including the 16-hour rule) for JSA claimants apply to all provision funded by the Skills Funding Agency, including traineeships. FE providers have experience of designing programmes to fit within these rules. We will be undertaking an evaluation of traineeships during its first year of delivery and will be monitoring the take-up of the programme.

Local JCP have discretion to award training allowances where appropriate to those who would otherwise be eligible to claim JSA.

Young people taking part in traineeships will be undertaking education and training and, where they qualify, will be able to access existing programmes of financial support, including the £180 million Bursary Fund for 16 to 18-year-olds, and Discretionary Learning Support funding for those aged 19 up to 24. This is in addition to being able to claim JSA where applicable.

The Skills Funding Agency's funding rules reflect the principles set out in the Government's Framework for Delivery of traineeships, giving providers the flexibility to design traineeships to meet the needs of employers and young people, including those on JSA.

I regularly meet with the Minister for Employment, Department for Work and Pensions, my hon. Friend the Member for Fareham (Mr Hoban), to discuss the interaction with the skills and benefits systems, and my officials work closely with officials in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on the development and implementation of programmes such as traineeships. We indicated in our initial discussion paper (January 2013) our intention for traineeships to fit with the benefits system. Following this consultation we have designed traineeships to have the flexibility to enable providers to meet the requirements of young people who are claiming benefits. This enables training providers to design traineeships so that young people can continue to receive jobseeker's allowance (JSA) or the new universal credit while taking part in a traineeship, supporting young people to access traineeships.

The benefit rules (including the 16-hour rule) for JSA claimants apply to all provision funded by the Skills Funding Agency, including traineeships. FE providers have experience of designing programmes to fit within these rules. We will be undertaking an evaluation of traineeships during its first year of delivery and will be monitoring the take-up of the programme.

Local JCP have discretion to award training allowances where appropriate to those who would otherwise be eligible to claim JSA.

Young people taking part in traineeships will be undertaking education and training and, where they qualify, will be able to access existing programmes of financial support, including the £180 million Bursary Fund for 16 to 18-year-olds, and Discretionary Learning Support funding for those aged 19 up to 24. This is in addition to being able to claim JSA where applicable.

The Skills Funding Agency's funding rules reflect the principles set out in the Government's Framework for Delivery of traineeships, giving providers the flexibility to design traineeships to meet the needs of employers and young people, including those on JSA.

The Triennial Review of the Industry Training Boards is expected to be completed by the end of March 2014.

Traineeships for 19 to 24-year-olds will be funded from the overall Adult Skills Budget, not from the estimated funding amount within the Adult Skills Budget to support adult apprentices.

It is our intention that traineeships will be a demand-led programme therefore the number of places funded will reflect the number of employers and education and training providers who choose to offer a place and the number of eligible young people who wish to take one.

Traineeships for 19 to 24-year-olds will be funded from the overall Adult Skills Budget, not from the estimated funding amount within the Adult Skills Budget to support adult apprentices.

It is our intention that traineeships will be a demand-led programme therefore the number of places funded will reflect the number of employers and education and training providers who choose to offer a place and the number of eligible young people who wish to take one.

We are considering how to deliver the additional English language provision for jobseekers announced in the Spending Review, with details to be announced in due course. The resource implications for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills will be addressed as the approach is finalised. The implementation of the conditionality package will not impact on existing levels of provision.