My apprenticeship training provider is no longer able to provide training: What do I do next?

Overview

If a training provider you work with has its apprenticeship funding agreements with the Department for Education (DfE) terminated, they may no longer be able to deliver apprenticeship training for your apprentices.

 Where this happens you may need to find an alternative training provider so that your apprentices can continue and complete their apprenticeship.

Contents 

1. How will I find out?
2. Employer responsibility
3. Completion with the current training provider
4. Employer-led transfer

5. DfE exceptional support offer

    

1. How will I find out?

If your training provider’s funding agreement is terminated, DfE will write to notify you at the earliest opportunity. DfE will advise you how the termination affects your apprentices and their apprenticeship and next steps. 

If any of your apprentices are on a break-in learning from their apprenticeship, DfE will write to them directly to explain the situation. The communication will advise them to get in touch with you, their employer, when they are ready to resume their apprenticeship. If they are no longer in employment with you, they should discuss this with their new employer. An apprentice must be employed to be able to continue with their apprenticeship, unless they have been made redundant, in which case they should contact the DfE.

2. Employer responsibility

Apprenticeships are employer-led, and it is your responsibility to decide which training provider you contract with to deliver apprenticeship training to your employee(s). 

Employers are responsible for finding and appointing a suitable alternative apprenticeship training provider, if your current training provider has its apprenticeship funding agreements terminated. Apprentices are not responsible for finding a new training provider.

The following support options are available to you:

3. Completion with the current training provider

Where training providers are still delivering training under a termination notice period, it may be possible that your apprentices could complete all of the mandatory elements of their apprenticeship training. The apprentices would need to be able to reach gateway to completion during the notice period, given to your training provider.

 If so, you may agree with the training provider that existing delivery arrangements can continue. 

Training providers can continue to support apprentices through the apprenticeship assessment after the termination date of their funding agreement has passed, providing the apprentices have completed all their apprenticeship training and have passed through to gateway to completion before the termination date is reached. 

To find out if this option is available to you, please speak to your training provider. 

Note: If your training provider has ceased trading/become insolvent, entered liquidation or administration, or has received an immediate notice of termination they will no longer be able to deliver any training to your apprentices, and you should immediately proceed to identify a suitable alternative apprenticeship training provider. 

Further guidance regarding apprenticeship assessment is available in the Apprenticeship funding rules - GOV.UK.

4. Employer-led transfer

If your training provider is unable to complete the training for your apprentices, it is your responsibility to find and appoint a suitable alternative training provider who can help your apprentice complete their apprenticeship.

 You can search for eligible providers using the Find Apprenticeship Training.

 You must undertake your own due diligence before entering a contractual relationship with the training provider.

 You are responsible for managing your organisations apprenticeship funds in the apprenticeships service. 

Guidance for managing your apprenticeship funding in the apprenticeship service is available on the Get help with the apprenticeship service page on GOV.UK. 

DfE will track which provider your apprentices transfer to using the data training providers submit to us to claim the apprenticeship funding.

5. DfE exceptional support offer

If you have attempted but have been unsuccessful in finding and appointing a suitable alternative apprenticeship training provider and have exhausted your options, you can request exceptional support from DfE in specific scenarios.

Further guidance regarding DfE’s exceptional support offer is available in the ‘Request for exceptional apprenticeship transfer support from DfE’ help article.

Need support?

Please contact the the Apprenticeship Service if you are having issues. 

If you have a specific query about that is not covered by this information or the guidance, please contact us using the Customer Help Portal.