FAQ: Apprenticeships
FAQ: When will reports be published?
Answer: ER success reports are published to the following schedule:
Period 6:
Freeze: 10th Feb 2010
Publication: 18th Feb 2010
Period 9:
Freeze: 13th May 2010
Publication: 21st May 2010
Period 12:
Freeze: 11th August 2010
Publication: 20th August 2010
Period 15:
Freeze: 25th November 2010
Publication: 3rd December 2010
FAQ: I cannot open my zip file
Answer: Providers who encounter this problem should ask their IT team for advice as they will need to have an appropriate zip tool installed for them to be able to open the file. The Data Service can provide a link to free software: http://www.winzip.com/trialpay.htm
FAQ: Which of my submitted ILR files have you used to produce this report?
Answer: There is a footer on each page of the report that shows details of the last submitted ILR file that has been used
FAQ: Why do I not have either a QSR or a MLP report?
Answer: This is usually because there are no leavers to report on in the current year, or in any of the three previous years.
FAQ: Why have the ‘timely’ success rate criteria been changed?
Answer: In the case of Apprenticeships the “timely” success rate now measures learners who achieved by no later than 90 days after their planned end date, rather than 31 days as in previous years. This harmonises the method used in the Train To Gain provision.
FAQ: What is a ‘hybrid year’?
Answer: The hybrid end year is the later of either the actual learning end year or the planned learning end year.
FAQ: Why do I have a section for a local authority on MLP but not on QSR?
Answer: This is probably because there were fewer than 20 learners in 2008/09 which is the threshold for QSR and more than 10 learners which is the threshold for MLP
FAQ: My historical success rates for previous years (2007/8, 2006/7 etc) are being reported under a different Unique Identifier from the figures in the Period 6 report – has my data been changed?
Answer: No. In Period 9 we have applied a fix to reflect mergers that took place between Learner Responsive providers in 2008/09 and which had already been applied to the LR QSR reports. If you are one of these providers, your success rates are now reported under the new UPIN and name of the post-merger institution, reflecting the position as at the start of this academic year (1st August 2009).
BACKGROUND
This change reflects mergers between FE colleges that also provide Apprenticeship provision, and that took place before 1st August 2009 and harmonises the approach with that of LR reporting. If you are an FE institution that has merged after 1st August 2009, your LR and ER QSRs will be updated to reflect this change when the Period 6 2010/11 ER QSRs and the 2010/11 LR QSRs are produced.
FAQ: My organisation has merged with / been taken over by another organisation recently. Where and how are success rates for the new / old organisation reported?
Answer: In Period 9 we have applied a fix to reflect mergers that took place between Learner Responsive providers in 2008/09 and which had already been applied to the LR QSR reports. If you are one of these providers, your success rates are now reported under the new UPIN and name of the post-merger institution, reflecting the position as at the start of this academic year (1st August 2009).
This change reflects mergers between FE colleges that also provide Apprenticeship provision, and that took place before 1st August 2009 and harmonises the approach with that of LR reporting. If you are an FE institution that has merged since 1st August 2009, your LR and ER QSRs will be updated to reflect this change when the Period 6 2010/11 ER QSRs and the 2010/11 LR QSRs are produced.
FAQ: My historical success rates for previous years (2007/8, 2006/7 etc) have changed from the figures in last year’s report – has my data been changed?
Answer: Overall success rates should be the same. Timely success rates may have varied due to the change from a 31-day to a 90-day definition of timeliness.
To view historic performance, QSR reports for previous years can be found on the Provider Gateway.
FAQ: My report includes some success rates of ‘0%’ and some that are blank. I’m confused.
Answer: You are now receiving a QSR where you have any leavers in either the current year or any of the three previous years. In some cases this will mean that one or more of the previous years (or the current year) do not have any leavers at all. In this case, the rate shows as a blank. In other cases, you will have a cohort of learners who have left without achieving. In this case, the success rate will be zero.
FAQ: My report seems shorter/smaller than last year’s - has any data been omitted?
Answer: No. But duplicate data has been suppressed. Particularly where Sector Subject Area hierarchies would lead to the repetition of the same data at each level of aggregation. (See below).
FAQ: Why has the analysis of Sector Subject Areas changed?
Answer: The Sector Subject Area (SSA) section of the detailed reports has been changed to reduce duplication of data. If data for an SSA are recorded in only one Sector Framework Code (SFC) then the SSA Tier 1 and SSA Tier 2 summaries will not be shown. Similarly if in an SSA there are only data for one SSA Tier 2 then the SSA Tier 1 summary will not be shown.
From Period 9 2010, totals for Apprenticeship Types have been added at Sector Subject Area Tier 1, Tier 2 and Framework level.
FAQ: Why does my report no longer have an ‘England’-level summary?
Answer: This has been re-named to the ‘All Regions’ summary.
FAQ: Why is there now an analysis of success by Gender?
ANSWER : Sub-totals by gender have been added to the summary report.
FAQ: Why is there now an analysis of success by Ethnicity?
ANSWER: Sub-totals by ethnicity have been added to the summary report. If there are no learners for an ethnic type, then that ethnicity is omitted.
FAQ: Why is there now an analysis of success by Learners with Learning Difficulties and / or Disabilities?
ANSWER: Sub-totals have been added to the summary report showing success rates for Learners with and without Learning Difficulties and / or Disabilities. If there are no learners for a status, then the status is omitted.
BACKGROUND
The analysis shows this information where it is confirmed by the learners themselves. They may have identified themselves as having or not having learning difficulties. Where no information is recorded or available, the learner is reported by default as not having learning difficulties or disabilities. This is a high-level analysis only. There are no plans at present to report on types of disability or learning difficulty.
FAQ: Why is there now an analysis of success by age-band?
ANSWER
Sub-totals by age band have been added to the summary report. Each geographical area now has results shown as 16-18, 19-24, 25+ and All Ages. If there are no learners for an age-band, then the age-band is omitted. If there are only learners in one age band, then the All Ages section is omitted.
FAQ: How is the success rate calculated?
ANSWER: In simple terms success rate is the number of aims achieved divided by the number started
FAQ: How is the achievement rate calculated?
ANSWER: In simple terms achievement rate is the number of aims achieved divided by the number completed.
FAQ: How is the retention rate calculated?
ANSWER
In simple terms retention rate is the number of aims completed divided by the number started
FAQ: Will my funding be affected/what will be the impact on my funding?
ANSWER: The Data Service cannot comment on this but in the first instance you should raise your query through the Service Desk: 0870 2670001 or email servicedesk@thedataservice.org.uk.
Your query will then be directed to the appropriate area.
FAQ: At what level is MLP applied
ANSWER: This is normally at Regional level but for further details see MLP policy:
http://readingroom.lsc.gov.uk/lsc/National/IMUP_Main_doc_final.pdf
FAQ: How can I find out more about QSR & MLP policy and application?
ANSWER: Refer to MLP policy documents:
http://readingroom.lsc.gov.uk/lsc/National/IMUP_Main_doc_final.pdf
FAQ: My QSR report seems to be incorrect compared to the data set attached to it. The learners are appearing in the wrong Sector Subject Area. What’s going on?
ANSWER: The current standard method for mapping Apprenticeship success rates onto the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA) ‘Sector Subject Areas’ at Tier 1 and Tier 2 was agreed by both the LSC (before the Machinery of Government transition on 1 April 2010) and Ofsted, working with the Sector Skills Councils and other representative bodies. The Skills Funding Agency and Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) support this previous agreement and will continue to use it until it is appropriate to undertake a further review.
This action only addresses current frameworks - new frameworks will be allocated to a Single Subject Area by Sector Skills Councils and Sector Skills bodies, as they are finalised and ready to be funded.
The purpose of introducing the change is to resolve any confusion amongst providers, and conflicting messages about performance based on the different approaches currently used by the Sills Funding Agency, Young People’s Learning Agency and Ofsted.
Please note: the method for calculating 'Overall and Timely'* success rates will not change, but the distribution of individual frameworks to Tier 1 and Tier 2 will be different in some instances.
BACKGROUND:
Impact of the change will only be seen when the success rate results are reported at Sector Subject Area. Results at provider level will not be affected.
Providers who deliver frameworks which may have previously occurred in more than one Sector Subject Area will see differences to the success rates previously reported.
The implications of these changes are currently being examined for the application of Minimum Levels of Performance to Apprenticeship provision for the forthcoming commissioning year.
Due to the change in the ILR, the previous method of mapping is no longer appropriate for 2008/09 data. Therefore, a new approach was implemented with the release of 2008/09 Period 9 QSR reports, and will apply to all future reports.
Providers will need to consider the effect of this on Sector Subject Area focused sections of their self-assessment reports and quality improvement plans.
The data is held in the LSC_FRAMEWORK_AVS table in the LAD downloads. You need to go to search LAD downloads, open All CSV Zip file and this holds the table highlighted above.
FAQ: We are trying to match up our QSR success rates data with our own internal routines, but we’re finding some issues. We believe the main reason for this is our region mapping is clearly not the same as that used to prepare our ER QSR results.
Could you therefore point me in the direction of where I can pick up the definitive data lookups for the delivery region and local authority based on the delivery postcodes of the learners?
ANSWER: The Qualification Success Rates reporting system uses a commercially available database of post-code information for mapping learner home post-codes and workplace post-codes onto Local Authorities and Regions. This database is available from:
Postcode Anywhere UK:
http://www.postcodeanywhere.co.uk
Postcode Anywhere (Europe) Limited
Enigma House
Elgar Business Centre
Moseley Road
Hallow
Worcester
WR2 6NJ
