How to Manage Redundant Learners in Bud

Introduction 

The ESFA will always fund training for at least 12 weeks following redundancy to give the learner time to find alternative employment. However, the learner may be able to continue and complete their apprenticeship with ESFA funding, regardless of whether they find a new employer if:

  • they have less than 6 months of training remaining, or
  • they have completed 75% or more of their training

User Roles 

  • General Administrator 

How to: Manage Redundant Learners in Bud 

Please see the below ESFA flow chart for more information on this:

Flowchart.png

Current ESFA rules state. It is a provider's responsibility to comply with the ESFA's latest guidance and ensure redundancies are recorded correctly in a learner's ILR. This is not an automated process in Bud.

Bud Recommends

The following to help manage redundant learners in the platform:

  1. Create a "Redundant" employer i.e. set up a new employer within Bud and call it ‘REDUNDANT’ or similar. You can fill in the details with dummy information.
  2. Complete a change of employer workflow from the learner’s current to the new "Redundant" employer. This means the learner can continue learning on the system and makes it simple for you to report on these learners.
  3. Reconcile the required changes in the ILR. 
    • Note – you will need to make sure that there is a new employment status record that shows that the learner is unemployed (code 11 or 12)
    • Add two new employment status funding and monitoring records.
      • Type = OET (Other Employer); Code = 1 Learner has been made redundant
      • Type = LOU (Length of unemployment); Code = the length that applies for the learner
    • Keep the same financial details and ACT codes

We would also recommend keeping evidence of the redundancy, along with evidence that you’ve made ‘reasonable efforts’ to find the learner a new employer in their evidence packs.

Possible scenarios after the learner has been made redundant:

1. If the learner finds a new employer and the apprenticeship is relevant to the new job: 

  •  the employer assumes responsibility for the apprenticeship, including remaining costs and Bud should be updated accordingly (see how to change an employer article for more details). 

2. If the learner has completed more than 75% and finds a new employer and the apprenticeship is not relevant to the new job: 

  • do not change anything, the ESFA will continue to fund. 

3. If the learner has completed less than 75% and finds a new employer and the apprenticeship is not relevant to the new job

  • the learner should be withdrawn. 

4. If the learner has completed less than 75% and does not find a new job after 12 weeks

  • the learner should be withdrawn. 

Please refer to the Apprenticeship Funding Rules for further information.