Modern Apprenticeship Funding Explained

However, funding for the Modern Apprenticeship training is paid out in instalments and that all depends on progress being made by trainees.

Ahead of any progress being made, Craft Skills Scotland (CSS) is contractually obliged to register each trainee with the Awarding Body and the Modern Apprenticeship Body. Total cost of this is £130.

In addition, Craft Skills Scotland outlay the cost of travel and of the Assessor's time until such times as the first unit in the qualification has been completed with the trainee – no matter how many visits this takes.

No further payments are received until the trainee has achieved the next payment point which is normally one or two further units of the qualification depending on which qualification is used.

There are a total of 4 to 8 payment points in these Modern Apprenticeships depending on training route, then a final payment made when the whole of the qualification is achieved. This payment on completion accounts for more than 25% of the income available to CSS.

Where trainees leave with no progress having been made or visits are cancelled after the assessor has travelled, Craft Skills Scotland makes a loss, having outlaid the cost of registrations and the assessor's time and travel costs.

Craft Skills Scotland's achievement rates are also 'measured' by Skills Development Scotland and this directly affects their contracts to deliver the Modern Apprenticeship. They are contractually obliged to make and report progress at regular intervals and where this does not happen, financial penalties from Skills Development Scotland can be incurred which further depletes the training budget.

We hope that this information will help put into perspective the importance of your support in allowing CSS Assessor's access to your trainees and in encouraging trainees to complete work ahead of assessor visits. It is important that assessor visits result in achievements being recorded. Going forward with tighter funding, inefficiencies could lead to charges for visits.

If you would like to have any further information or you have any comments, please do feel free to call Claire Simpson on 01738 637785