News

The Commons debated Lords amendments to the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill, which introduces a wide range of measures covering apprenticeships, learning and skills and educational provision.

• Commons Hansard: Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill
• Video and audio: Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill
• Bills before Parliament: Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill
• About Parliament: Passage of a Bill

The key provisions of the Bill:

• provides for a statutory framework for apprenticeships and creates a right to an apprenticeship for suitably qualified 16-18 year olds
• introduces a right for employees to request time away from their duties to undertake training, and places a corresponding duty on employers to consider such requests seriously and to be able to refuse them only for specified business reasons
• dissolves the Learning and Skills Council
• transfers the responsibility for funding education and training for 16-18 year olds to local authorities
• makes provisions with respect to the education of offenders
• creates the Young Person’s Learning Agency, the Skills Funding Agency, a new regulatory body for qualifications (Ofqual), and a new agency to carry out the  non-regulatory functions currently performed by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
• strengthens the accountability of children’s services
• amends intervention powers in respect of schools which are causing concern
• establishes a new parental complaints service
• changes the school inspection arrangements
• creates a new negotiating body for pay and conditions for school support staff
• makes provisions in respect of pupil and student behaviour

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