Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many level 2 apprentices are unable to progress to level 3 as they are awaiting their assessment as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

We are committed to supporting apprentices at all levels, to safely continue with, and complete, their programmes during the COVID-19 outbreak while maintaining quality.

Provisional figures show that in the first quarter of 2020/21 academic year, 30,100 apprentices achieved their apprenticeships (frameworks and standards) including 11,270 apprentices at level 2. Latest figures show that 39% (13,789) of active level 2 apprentices are currently past their planned apprenticeship end date, compared to 21% (15,833) at the same time last year. There are a number of reasons why an apprentice may still be on their apprenticeship past their planned end date, beyond any disruption caused by COVID-19. For those apprentices who were expected to have completed their apprenticeship but have not done so yet, we do not have data on the reason for the delay.

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education has introduced flexibilities for end point assessment (EPA), including remote assessment where practical, 12 week extensions to the time limit for completion, and relaxation of the order in which elements of the EPA can be taken, in order to mitigate the effects of disruption caused by COVID-19. All assessment flexibilities and discretions put in place due to COVID-19 will be extended until at least 31 August 2021.

We have introduced flexibilities to allow furloughed apprentices to continue their training and undertake end point assessments. We do not collect data on the number of apprentices who have been furloughed as a result of COVID-19.

Apprenticeship standards are designed to ensure the apprentice is occupationally competent at the end of the apprenticeship. While it was previously possible to undertake an apprenticeship framework for the same job at different levels, with standards there is just one level per occupation. This means that upon completion, apprentices are fully equipped with the skills to successfully undertake their job. Apprentices and their employer can choose to progress to an apprenticeship, or further training, at a higher level at a time that is right for them.