United Kingdom Continued Tender

Continuing the Adult Education Budget AEB low-wage trial which started in 2018 to 2019The Adult Education Budget AEB low-wage trial which started in 2018 to 2019 will continue in 2019 to 2020 enabling providers in receipt of ESFA funded AEB to fully fund learners who are employed and in receipt of a low wage and cannot contribute towards the cost of co-funding fees. The low-wage threshold has been increased to 16009.50.The trial will help to increase AEB participation and lift social mobility barriers to learning for those who would not otherwise engage due to course fees being unaffordable. It will also support those that are in low paid employment and are wanting to further progress in work and in their chosen career.The current AEB fee remission rules focus on providing full funding for eligible unemployed adults young people aged 19 to 23 with skills below level 2 and adults aged 19 and over without English and maths up to level 2. Currently individuals who do not fall into one of these categories may have to contribute 50 towards the cost of their learning commonly known as co-funding.The 2019 to 2020 eligibility requirements for learners to receive full funding during the trial arethose that are eligible for co-funding for provision up to and including level 2 andearn less than 16009.50 annual gross salaryTo confirm learner eligibility providers musthave seen evidence of the learners gross annual wages in these circumstances for example this could be a wage slip or Universal Credit statement within 3 months of the learners learning start date or a current employment contract which states gross monthlyannual wagesenter the ILR monitoring code 363 for every eligible learner they fully fund through this trial this is imperative as we will use data collected to inform future adult funding policy developmentIn the 2019 to 2020 funding year adult education functions are being devolved to a number of specified Mayoral Combined Authorities MCAs and the Greater London Authority GLA. As a result the extension of the trial only applies to individuals resident in areas of England outside of the MCAsGLA areas undertaking ESFA funded AEB learning. The MCAsGLA will publish their own funding rules that will apply to providers in receipt of devolved AEB funding.