1 / 36

Welcome

Education Maintenance Allowance Extension to E2E and PLP Learners Presented by Greg Burke/Trevor Fellowes January/February 2006. Welcome. Speakers. Trevor Fellowes, Director of Learner Support, LSC Greg Burke, Head of EMA Unit, LSC Jeff Learman, Assessment and Payment Body.

ozzie
Download Presentation

Welcome

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Education Maintenance Allowance Extension to E2E and PLP Learners Presented by Greg Burke/Trevor Fellowes January/February 2006 Welcome

  2. Speakers • Trevor Fellowes, Director of Learner Support, LSC • Greg Burke, Head of EMA Unit, LSC • Jeff Learman, Assessment and Payment Body

  3. EMA: Background, Basics and Context 01

  4. Where does EMA fit in? • Supports Government aims to improve skills and promote social inclusion • Supports Government targets: • improve Apprenticeship Framework completions by 75 per cent by 2008 • boost number of 16-19 year olds ‘staying on’ in education • reduce number of young people that are NEET • ‘Level 2 at 19’ Public Service Agreement (PSA); and • Increase progression to Higher Education • EMA means that money is not a barrier to learning and progression

  5. Helping disadvantaged young people • LSC now jointly responsible for reducing size of NEET group by 2 per cent points by 2010 • EMA offers financial support to those that need it most - young people from low income households • In the pilots EMA increased participation of those NEET by 2.4 per cent • Learners are staying on who might otherwise have dropped out

  6. And……. EMA will help boost participation and is a tool to help you meet your targets

  7. The story so far • EMA was piloted across 56 areas; 132,000 young people participated • Participation increased by 5.9 per cent; projected national impact, 4 per cent • 297,000 people got EMA in Year 1 • Anecdotal evidence suggests EMA is having a positive impact on attainment/achievement – priority is to quantify

  8. What is EMA? • Payment to encourage young people from low income families to stay in post-16 learning • Income assessed payment of £10, £20 or £30 per week for households with income up to £30,810 pa • ‘Something for something’ agreement, with payments to reward attendance • Periodic bonuses for achieving positive results

  9. Who is eligible? • 16-19 year olds from households with income up to £30,810 (tax year 2005-06) • In full-time education in school or FE college, or (from April) LSC-funded E2E or PLP; and • Satisfy EMA residency criteria

  10. About the Extension 02

  11. Why extend EMA? • To address hardship. Treasury’s 16-19 Financial Review recommended extension across age group • To increase participation and UK competitiveness. Participation is low amongst young people from poorer households • To create a level playing field of financial support across schools/colleges and E2E/PLP provision and between education and training • Help learners choose the most appropriate form of learning

  12. Why extend EMA? • Ensure learners’ families get additional benefits, for example, Child Tax Credit, Child Benefit • Maximum weekly value of complete support package to £90 versus £40 under Minimum Training Allowance (MTA) • As with current EMA, young people from better off households will not get EMA but will now attract Child Tax Credit and Child Benefit • Individual learners on Income Support will receive up to £74.50 per week

  13. What does this mean for young people? • Minimum Training Allowance (MTA) will cease for new starters on 9 April 2006 • From 10 April 2006, starters on LSC-funded E2E or PLP with learning providers can apply for EMA • Learners starting before 10 April will receive MTA until end of course or December 2006, whichever is earlier • Payments will be income assessed; maximum payment £30 per week

  14. What does this mean for young people? • Young people must have or must open a bank account • One application covers Education and Training and valid for a year • Travel continues to be funded as part of work-based learning budget • Currently trying to secure funds for other hardship for 2006/07

  15. What does this mean for you? • Young people will seek information, advice and support from a range of partners • All will need anunderstanding of criteria and application process for EMA • Some will need extra support, particularly with household documentation • Important that young people who are independent seek Income Support (and otherwise engage with Agencies)

  16. Marketing EMA • TV advertising • three waves in February/March, May/June and August • Leaflets and posters will be available to support TV advertising • National PR (from January) • EMA ambassadors • tabloid-friendly news and feature stories • Ongoing programme of internal, partner and stakeholder communications including potential future events

  17. How will it work? • Application • Notice of Entitlement (NoE) sent to young person • Young person uses NoE to enrol with provider • No payment until NoE ‘cashed in’ • Provider makes payment decision • APB makes payment directly into young person’s bank account

  18. Bonuses • Flexible approach to PLP/E2E bonuses for learners • 4 bonuses: • 1 x £25 for agreeing learning agreement, • 2 x £25 for achieving learning goals, • 1 x £50 for E2E who progress to Apprenticeship, FE or a job; or • 1 x £50 for PLP who progress to employer-led Apprenticeships • Learners are rewarded with bonuses for continued commitment and development

  19. Key themes 03

  20. Application process • Learning providers will support learners • Connexions and partners working with young people should also help raise awareness and offer support • Recognise the importance of working with schools and parents to ensure smooth application process – plans being developed • This afternoon’s workshop is designed to help face-to-face staff with process

  21. Bank accounts • Encourage people to set up bank account before their course begins to give them a head start • Research shows approximately two-thirds of current E2E/PLP learners already have a bank account • Work with your local partnership and bank managers to help those with difficulties

  22. Countdown to April 2006 04

  23. What do you need to do? • Assess how closely your organisation needs to be involved with EMA • Visit www.direct.gov.uk/ema for tools that will help • Frontline staff should familiarise themselves with EMA application form and process • Pass on information from today to your colleagues • Contact your local EMA Coordinator/local LSC

  24. Support and help • Email the EMA team at emaextension@lsc.gov.ukor contact the EMA coordinator at your local LSC • Latest issue of EMA Extension Update can be downloaded from the Reading Room at www.lsc.gov.uk • Visit www.directgov.uk/ema for more information • Practitioner’s Aide Memoir draft in delegate packs. We would welcome your views (see evaluation sheet) • APB helplines: • Young person/parent helpline: 080 810 16219 • Partner enquiries: 0800 056 2811

  25. LSC-P-NAT-060053

  26. The Assessment and Payment Body (APB) 01

  27. Overview of roleKey delivery partner of LSC; “nuts and bolts” • Provide application packs to young people (other routes also available) • Receive and assess completed forms • Manage the on-line payment website (EMASYS) • Train providers in use of EMASYS • Provide helpline support to young people and to learning providers and partners

  28. Scale of operation • Operating out of 2 business centres: Coventry and Darlington • At peak periods: - 24 hour, 3 shifts - 500 staff • Five-day typical turnaround on a complete and correct form

  29. Story so far • 297,000 successful applications processed in Year 1 (2004/05) • 8.3 million “yes” payments processed in 2004/05 • Over 1 million calls handled by helplines in 2004/05 • 434,475 Notices of Entitlement (NoEs) issued so far in Year 2 (2005/06)

  30. Application and Assessment 02

  31. YP & parents/carers send form Pre-assessment All evidence enclosed? NO, form returned YES Scan and assessment Age / income eligible? NO, app. rejected YES EMA number created NoE and EMA Contract issued to YP Provider uses Contract to input EMA number to EMASYS

  32. Application Form Income and bank account evidence Income: • Tax Credit Award Notice • P60 • SA302 (self employment) • Benefit Statement (part C of the form) Bank account: • Official bank letter (eg. Confirmation of account opening) • Statement • Completed bank pro forma from Guidance notes

  33. Application Form Turnaround • Good take–up, despite income assessment requirement • Improved correctness rate during Year 1 • Where forms need to be returned… • Income proofs not supplied • Invalid income proofs • Invalid bank details • Missing mandatory fields • Form not signed

  34. Supporting young people • Customer focused assessment process • errors with forms • incomplete evidence • picking up a phone, rather than relying on letters • Young person and parent/carer helpline • trained in working with NEET young people Currently in development: • Application process support pack - to inform partners supporting young people and their parents / carers and help reduce incorrect / incomplete forms

  35. How you can help us • Encourage young people to apply • Help them understand the process • Engage parents / carers to support • Provide specific support with application form and supporting income proofs • Offer to check completed forms • Support young people in contacting the helpline

  36. LSC-P-NAT-060053

More Related