To ask the Minister for the Economy to confirm (i) when students in further education can expect to return to full-time teaching; and (ii) for her assessment of the disadvantage faced by further education students unable to work from home and sixth-form students in schools who also take courses in further education colleges.

(i)Further Education (FE) colleges have continued to provide full time teaching throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, albeit mainly via online delivery during periods of additional restrictions. The full return to face-to-face learning at the FE colleges will be subject to the phases set out in the Executive’s ‘Pathway out of Restrictions’ which was published on 2 March 2021. The Pathway has provided the approach that will be taken as we move forward over the next few months and the FE sector must comply with this.

As previously advised in AQW 171933-/17-22, at the Executive meeting on 15 April it was agreed that those learners who are training in close contact subjects could return to on-site training at FE premises from Friday 23 April 2021 (to coincide with the lifting of restrictions in the sectors).

The second phase of the ‘Pathway out of Restrictions’ will see a partial return to practical face-to-face learning for FE learners, apprentices and Training for Success (TfS) participants in FE colleges and non-statutory contractors (NSCs). This will enable those learners to undertake skills training and associated assessment activities to enable them to successfully complete their programme. At its meeting on 22 April, the Executive agreed that a move to phase two could commence once lateral flow testing arrangements are in place, and this is being progressed as a matter of urgency.

There will be no change to FE delivery in the third phase, but by the end of phase four increased face-to-face teaching will be permitted for FE learners and apprentices. The pathway stipulates that a full return to on-site learning will not take place until the end of stage 5, and a date for that will be determined in due course and in line with public health advice. However, this will be kept under review along with medical and scientific advice about Covid-19 transmission rates, and the process will be expedited if circumstances permit.

(ii) As advised above, those learners who are studying “close contact” subjects and are unable to complete work at home due to the practical nature of the course, are now able to return to on-site provision, in line with the lifting of operating restrictions in the wider sector. This will allow them to undertake the necessary skills training and associated assessment activities to enable them to successfully complete their programme and progress to employment or further education or training.

Ensuring FE students can access online learning from home during the Covid-19 pandemic has been a key priority and digital hardship funding, in terms of the one-off £60 cash payment for mobile data, is only one of the measures my Department has adopted in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The digital hardship fund secured the provision of 500 additional iPads/devices to facilitate online learning for students and prior to that, there had been an additional £4.8 million funding provided to further education colleges for IT equipment that allowed continued access from home for both college staff and students.

During periods of additional Covid-19 restrictions, a small number of FE students who do not have reliable broadband have been allowed to utilise college libraries to access internet facilities.

FE colleges play a significant role in supporting local schools in the delivery of vocational qualifications at both Key Stage 4 and post GCSE. I have agreed that school pupils, studying at colleges under the Entitlement Framework could return to on-site learning from the week commencing 19 April 2021. This specifically relates to school pupils who are undertaking practical courses including Occupational Studies or other courses with a practical element where assessments or activities, to enable the award of a Centre Determined Grade, need to be carried out.