Apprentice Workforce Development

The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) is an executive agency sponsored by the Department for Education. The ESFA is running three market engagement events to explore commercial options to design and deliver a new Apprenticeships Workforce Development (AWD) package. This package, announced in the January 2021 White paper, ‘Skills for Jobs: Lifelong Learning for Opportunity and Growth’ will support the professional development of training providers and employers delivering apprenticeships. The current AWD package (see: https://pdp.etfoundation.co.uk) is managed by one national supplier who sub-contracts certain elements.

The ESFA is also keen to ensure that providers and employers are well-equipped to meet the needs of apprentices with learning difficulties and disabled apprentices from application to end point assessment and is inviting organisations with expertise in this area to join the events.

The events will take place via Microsoft Teams and through these events we hope to gauge interest and to gather feedback to assist our procurement approach:

Event 1: 11am-12pm on Tuesday 10 August 2021

Event 2: 12-1pm on Wednesday 18 August 2021

If you wish to attend, please email eve.oakley@education.gov.uk with your preferred event date, the name of your organisation, and the names and email addresses of your proposed attendees. Please title the email 'AWD Market Engagement Event'. We will then send you a calendar invitation with joining instructions for the event.