EMA Valid Provision Trial
The Learning and Skills Council has been working closely with the Department for Children Schools and Families over the last 18 months to review the complex area of valid provision for the purposes of EMA.
Whilst this review has been taking place, applications from new Non Standard Institutions seeking to administer EMA have not been processed.
We are now pleased to announce that Ministers have agreed recommendations to trial new valid provision criteria, with immediate effect. These new criteria mean that EMA can be paid to a wider range of learners, including courses designed to reach out and help those who are NEET.
The Trial Criteria
In order for a learning programme to be considered valid for the purposes of EMA it must meet the following criteria:
a be of at least 12 guided learning hours per week (for E2E and PLA programmes, a minimum of 16 hours per week is required in line with WBL funding guidance) and for a minimum of 10 weeks (this is not new)
b all provision must come within a recognised quality control system i.e. provision must be inspected by a public body that assures quality (e.g. OFSTED)
AND it must be one of the following:
i) funded or co-financed by the Learning and Skills Council in England; or,
ii) lead to a qualification that is accredited by the Qualifications Curriculum Authority pursuant to Section 24 of the Education Act 1997 (b); or,
iii) lead to a qualification that is approved by the Secretary of State pursuant to Section 98 (this includes Section 96/97) of the Learning
and Skills Act 2000 (c).
This Trial includes some Local Authority funded learning programmes, however these learning programmes must meet the above criteria.
The above criteria will take immediate effect (from Monday 5th November 2007) and will be trialled for up to 18 months.
