Introduction
This article guides you through setting the programme dates for your applicant. You’ll learn how to configure the start date, adjust working hours, and calculate the programme duration and expected end date. This step is crucial for ensuring accurate scheduling and compliance. Follow these instructions to set up your training plan efficiently and avoid any post-enrolment changes.
User Role
- Trainer
- Operations Manager
- General Administrator
How to: Configure Start Date and Working Hours
Below shows where the start date and duration of the apprenticeship are configured:
The first question allows you to select a different apprenticeship start date to the practical period start date. This will be relevant to applicant's that are hired as an apprentice before starting their apprenticeship learning. As the most often use-case it for applicants to start both their apprenticeship and their learning on the same day, the answer defaults to "Yes".
By default the practical period start date will be set as the current date, however, this can be amended to any date, both in the future and in the past.
Once the number of working hours and minutes is entered a suggested practical period end date will be calculated based on the programme's settings. You can choose to either apply the suggested date or enter a new one.
If the programme is a Standard you will also have to enter the EPA Duration. You can set this to any value but you will be prompted to add a value greater than one week (the ESFA minimum). Once this information has been entered we will calculate:
- The End of Practical Period - How long the learner is going to be learning, calculated as the Start Date + Programme Duration
- The EPA Gateway Date - When EPA Gateway should take place, which will be the same as the End of the Practical Period
- The Apprenticeship End Date - When the learner is due to complete the apprenticeship. For an Apprenticeship Standard, this will be the End of the Practical Period + EPA Duration. For an Apprenticeship Framework, this will be the end of the Practical Period.
This information is used to configure the initial start and end dates of each activity for the programme, based on what has been configured for the programme.
How to: Configure Start Date and End Dates for Inidividual Aims
Below shows where the aim start and end dates are configured:
You can also configure the start and end date for every active aim in the programme. Please note that any aims exempted on the previous screen will not be displayed on the Apprenticeship Dates page.
The start and end date for each aim will be populated once the practical period start date and working hours have been populated. The aim dates will default to the programme build configuration.
You will be able to edit any of the start and end dates of the aims by either selecting another date in the date picker, or by manually typing in a new date. There is validation preventing you from selecting an aim start date before the practical period start date, or an aim end date after the planned practical period end date. This is to ensure that all aims are due to start and finish within the overall programme's duration and do not error in the ILR.
If you manually edit any aim dates and then edit the practical period start date at the top of the page, then the aim dates will reset to their default dates based on the new practical period start date and the programme build configuration.
Change of Circumstances
You will be able to edit the aim start and end dates following the initial enrolment by using the enrolment edit flow. Please be aware that changes to the aim dates during the edit flow will update the dates in the ILR and caution should be used when updating these.
When a learner is on a break in learning (BIL), any changes made to the aim dates in the edit flow will not update the ILR. This is to avoid interference with the BIL information recorded in the ILR.
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Please note none of these fields (apart from the start date) can be edited post enrolment so ensure the data is correct before signing up the learner.