AQW 12377/17-22

Mr Stewart Dickson
Alliance Party
East Antrim

Tabled Date: 31/12/2020
Answered On Date: 18/01/2021
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for the Economy what alternative arrangements are being made for work experience and examinations for further education students as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in this academic year.

Answer:

 My Department has established an Advisory and Oversight Group (AOG) to ensure that appropriate plans are developed and implemented by providers so that educational provision and related activity in the Further Education (FE) sector and Non-Statutory Contractors (NSC) can safely resume for both staff and learners at the earliest opportunity.

 The AOG has developed the Framework for Safe Resumption of On-Site Education and Related Activity which provides guidance to the FE sector and NSCs based on relevant and most up to date medical and scientific advice.

 The Framework document sets out the procedures that must be followed to ensure that employers and placement providers have appropriate health and safety measures in place and the level of COVID-19 related risk to learners on training/ apprenticeship, as well as any staff undertaking workplace assessments or monitoring visits, has been appropriately mitigated. In relation to examinations my Department has been working closely with the further education sector throughout the pandemic to ensure that vocational education is delivered as effectively as possible.

 In response to the ongoing disruption to teaching and learning time, I recently announced further flexibilities in relation to externally assessed vocational exams due to take place in January, including BTecs and Cambridge Technicals.

 Learning centres now have the choice to either proceed with January exams or not, based on their own judgement of the current situation and taking into consideration the personal circumstances of their students and staff.

 Alternative arrangements will be put in place for those students who do not sit January exams to ensure they are not disadvantaged.

 Subsequently the 6 further education colleges took the decision on 7 January to cancel January BTec exams and they are now working with student and awarding organisations to put alternative arrangements in place.

 In conjunction with key stakeholders, my Department is currently giving consideration to the most appropriate approach to vocational exams and assessments in the summer given the high likelihood of continued disruption to teaching and learning.