It was announced today that Mark Dawe, chief executive of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP), will be leaving AELP in mid-August to take up a new role within the skills sector. Current chief operating officer, Jane Hickie, has been promoted to become AELP’s managing director as part of a new structure which the AELP Board has put in place to address the challenges that Covid-19 has presented. Her appointment recognises the crucial part that she has played in AELP’s

The Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) has called on the Department for Education to intervene and ensure that the country’s apprenticeship training provider infrastructure remains in place as part of the post-pandemic recovery plan. This follows the Prime Minister’s statement to the Commons Liaison Committee yesterday that he would “look at the idea” of giving young people aged 16 to 25 an ‘apprenticeship guarantee’. The proposal was put to him by the Education select c

Britain’s response to the growth in pandemic-related unemployment requires a cross-departmental approach within government, according a new set of proposals published by the Association of Employment and Learning Providers. The solution must start with identifying job opportunities and upskilling requirements as the core driver, not a generic skills or Work Programme with different government departments doing their own thing. This requires sophistication and close engagement with employers

Guest blog from AELP board member, Debbie Gardiner MBE

Covid-19 update: Flexibilities announced for traineeships The DfE has announced new flexibilities to help maintain traineeship provision during the pandemic. On its published flexibilities request list, AELP had pointed out that due to Covid-19, there are scenarios where are trainees are stuck on programme without a work placement and trainees wanting to start their traineeships, but lacking work placement opportunities. We said that flexibility was required – for example, trainees could