To ask the Minister for the Economy what engagement her Department is having with further and higher education Institutions in relation to preparing for the resumption of increased in-person learning.

The Department has engaged regularly and comprehensively with the Further Education (FE) sector throughout the course of the pandemic.

In June 2020 my Department established an Advisory and Oversight Group (AOG) to work collaboratively with the FE Sector to prepare for the safe resumption of on-site educational delivery. This group includes representatives from the Department for the Economy (DfE), each of the six FE colleges and Trade Unions, Non Statutory Contractors (NSCs) and advisors including the Department’s Quality Improvement Advisor and the Education and Training Inspectorate. The Group developed a guidance document for the sector which has been provided to the colleges and NSCs to advise them on the necessary steps that must be taken to ensure health and safety. This guidance is the “Framework for Safe Resumption of On-Site Educational Provision and Related Activity” document (the Framework) and can be found at Framework for the safe resumption of on-site educational provision and related activity.

The AOG meets on a regular basis to address key issues that have arisen throughout the year including the practical implications of safely returning to on-site delivery, access to IT equipment to work remotely, assessment and qualifications, and payment of free school meals allowances. This approach has ensured that issues have been identified and addressed as quickly as possible.

In addition to the work of the AOG, FE Division engages with the College Principals/Chief Executives on a regular and ongoing basis, and officials work in collaboration with the relevant specialist teams within the sector to prepare for the return to on-site face-to-face learning.

The Executive’s ‘Pathway out of Restrictions’ which was published on 2 March 2021, has provided the FE sector with the approach that will be taken as we move forward over the next few months, and my officials will continue to engage with the sector as we progress through the stages.

Most recently my officials engaged with the colleges to identify those groups of learners most at risk of not completing this year and to take steps to address this. In particular learners studying in ‘close contact’ subject areas, such as hair and beauty, sports studies, and service elements of hospitality, were unable to receive any face-to-face on-site education whilst the wider sector was under occupational operating restrictions which impacted the ability of these learners to gain enough practical experience to allow them to undertake their assessments and subsequently gain employment or move into the next stage of their training.

My officials collaborated with the colleges to produce specific guidance outlining the process that could be put in place in FE colleges and Non Statutory Contractors to mitigate against the risk of infection/transmission of COVID19 in these training environments with the aim of allowing learners to return to gain the required training. At the Executive meeting on 15 April it was agreed that those learners who are training in close contact subjects can return to on-site training at FE premises from Friday 23 April 2021 (to coincide with the lifting of restrictions in the close contact sectors), subject to strict adherence to specific conditions set out in the new guidance document, the Framework document, and site specific risk assessments.

The second phase of the ‘Pathway out of Restrictions’ will see a partial return to practical face-to-face learning for increased numbers of FE learners, apprentices and Training for Success (TfS) participants, and my officials will engage with the college principals as we progress through this and subsequent phases to ensure the best outcomes for learners in a safe environment.

As our Universities are autonomous institutions the return of face to face learning is primarily a matter for them to consider based on the public health advice from the Executive.

I recently announced an £4.1million for the provision of a safe working, learning and research environment in our Higher Education Institutes and all our Higher Education students have access to asymptomatic testing. With these measures I believe that we should be facilitating the potential return for all students as soon as it is possible, I am asking Executive colleagues to consider the current advice and to help our University students regain the learning experience they deserve.