ASCL’s members are principals, headteachers and senior leaders within schools, sixth form colleges and general FE colleges, and as such have a wealth of experience and expertise in the area of skills building for young people and in adult lifetime learning.

ASCL welcomes the principle of encouraging employers to take a bigger role in apprenticeships training. However, we are concerned that the new more marketised approach inherent within the levy may mean that employers select apprenticeship providers purely on the basis of cost. Whilst cost-effectiveness is of course important it must not mean that new private providers squeeze out colleges who have years of experience (but a higher cost base). Examples of the dangers of this approach can be seen in some of the recent scandals where private providers have gone bankrupt leaving adult students with loan debt and no recourse to continuing their training.

Read the full response here.