Status: Draft

Foundation Learning Tier

What is the Foundation Learning Tier?
As part of its strategy for 14-19 qualifications, the Government has published proposals for a Foundation Learning Tier (FLT) which in its view will provide clear routes in the form of Progression Pathways for young people working below level 2 to achieve combinations of qualifications at Entry level and level 1 that will prepare them fully for level 2 and beyond. The Foundation Learning Tier will be piloted from September 2008 and will be delivered in a phased approach to 2011.

The Government points out that currently, although there are some high-quality qualifications available at lower levels, too many do not have clear progression routes. Gaps in provision mean that some learners cannot access accreditation for their learning and some are following qualifications which are not designed to meet their specific needs. Foundation Diplomas will be part of the answer. But there is also a need to provide a route for those young people who want to access an Apprenticeship but do not meet the entry requirements, and a wider need for better Entry level provision.

The units and qualifications within the Progression Pathways will be drawn from the Qualifications and Credit Framework.  All of the Pathways will lead to credit-based qualifications which will be built up from manageable units – enabling learners to learn in smaller steps where appropriate, building up learning and confidence as they go, and giving them tangible evidence of their achievements. The credits accumulated by learners may
count towards other qualifications or destinations – such as Diplomas or Apprenticeships – that they might want to take in the future.

There will be three Progression Pathways. The Foundation Diploma or GCSE Pathway will support all 14-19 year-olds who are working predominately at Entry level and will also include the potential for level 1 achievement. It is intended to provide progression to the Foundation Diploma or GCSEs.  The Skilled Work Pathway (Apprenticeship) will support 16 to 18 year-olds who are working predominately at level 1, and will also include the potential for level 2 achievement where appropriate. It is mainly intended to provide progression to an Apprenticeship.  The Independent living or supported employment Pathway has been designed for 16 to 25 year-old learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities who wish to move to independent living or supported employment.  The Government also says that it is developing a new ‘Entry to Learning’ programme to re-engage young people who have disengaged from learning.

ALP Policy
Over the last few months ALP members, especially those delivering the Government’s Entry to Employment (E2E) programme, have been reporting widespread concern over the likely impact of the new Foundation Learning Tier on many young people who, having left full time education, are not yet ready, willing or able to join an Apprenticeship programme. Their prime concern has been that funding in future will only be available to those young people following a course that leads to a fully accredited qualification.
 
While this is of course a desirable route for most young people, providers feel that many who are most at risk of joining the NEET group (not in employment, education or training) and who need more personalised support primarily aimed at tackling health, social or other difficulties, will lose out. Of particular concern are those youngsters who are currently helped into a real job through the E2E programme if ‘gaining a job’ becomes no longer accepted as a positive outcome.

ALP is concerned that just as DWP and Jobcentre Plus have acknowledged and accepted that a positive outcome from their programmes of support will often encompass a job and/or training (not simply a job only), the ‘education departments’ (DCSF and DIUS) are more rigidly positioning qualifications as the only acceptable outcome for their clients.

Apprenticeship providers have for many years now persuaded employers to transfer many existing young employees onto a full blown Apprenticeship, demonstrating that a job without a comprehensive apprenticeship training programme can in reality be a critical and successful progression stage for young people. This reality needs to be reflected in future funding pathways if we are to prevent many young people from unnecessarily joining the NEET group.

ALP believes that the FLT should concentrate on the needs of young people, mainly up to the age of 19, but recognising, as we always have, that some groups with often severe difficulties and disadvantages need to be supported at least to 21 and on occasion beyond. The three main priority groups should be:

1. Young people with severe, often multiple, learning difficulties and/or other
disadvantages, including disability.
2. - a. Young people with a single serious problem but with the potential to
reach level 2 and beyond.
      - b. Young people with a single serous disadvantage whose ultimate
potential probably remains below level 2 at least in the medium term.
3. Young people with the probably potential to successfully complete an
Apprenticeship (at level 2 or 3) but still in need of some often short, intensive,
focused support before being ready to be taken on by an employer (or training provider).

Providers are expressing grave concern that the proposed Progression Pathways in the FLT will not meet the needs of these three groups. They believe that too many of the current cohort of E2E learners will fall between the cracks of the proposed qualifications focused pathways and fail to get the level of personalised support currently and successfully available through E2E.

In a submission to the Government, ALP has proposed approaches to assist these groups of young people.  The first group represents the most complex, difficult and expensive group to help.  They will require a continuation of high cost, bespoke, E2E-type packages at one end, through to specialist, often residential training at the other. Immediate movement onto a job will be possible and desirable for some, while others will be looking to acquire some basic qualifications and skills. This group includes an important sub-group that is least well understood by those developing the FLT, but very familiar to providers, suffering significant levels of social barriers. These are the least likely to benefit from the current proposals. This group often need to spend considerable lengths of time overcoming these social barriers or developing strategies to work around them. At this stage they rarely, if ever, need a qualification based solution, which is why the Government must think again.

Links:

ALP's discussion paper on Foundation Learning Tier