STEM Preparatory Programme Proposal

Staffordshire County Council's Skills & Employability Service is seeking to diversify its provision and to align its offer more closely to the Stoke-on-Trent & Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership priorities and particularly the STEM priority sector. To this end, we intend to run a competitive tendering exercise to secure preparatory STEM programmes for the academic year 2017-2018 with an option to extend for a further three years, depending on funds being available.

The tender process will commence on/around 1st July 2017, preceded by a Provider Event on 28th June 2017. The event will provide more detail on the project as well as a chance to meet with the tender team.

There will also be an opportunity to ask questions prior to the tender being published. Please note that there is a limit of three places per organisation.

If you are unable to attend the event, the presentation material will also be published with the tender opportunity, along with a digest of any questions and responses from the event. Successful providers will provide a comprehensive and high quality STEM vocational programme for adults with a particular focus on adults from disadvantaged groups and/or districts within Staffordshire, with the aim of increasing further learning and employment opportunities for Staffordshire residents.

Additional information: Background information Providers with capacity and capability to deliver provision in the STEM sector will be invited to bid for funding to deliver preparatory programmes to engage adults with a particular focus on adults from disadvantaged groups and/or districts within Staffordshire. The programmes should enable the learners to progress to a traineeship, an apprenticeship, an accredited programme at level 1 or 2, work experience or employment in a STEM vocational area.

It is envisaged that most learners will have few or no previous qualifications or alternatively hold historical skills and experience and wish to undertake a refresher programme to progress in the sector. The programme content could include the development of basic skills in a STEM vocational area, study skills, English, maths and IT, depending on assessed learner need.

The suggested programme length for non-accredited programmes is between 30 and 60 guided learning hours. Providers can also bid to deliver accredited programmes which are listed on the Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) learning aims database and must comply with the relevant awarding body requirements.

Key performance indicators for all programmes will include the percentage of learners achieved and the percentage progressed to a successful outcome as detailed above. Funding Non-accredited programmes will be funded at the rate of £15 per learner hour.

Funding earned for the delivery of accredited programmes will be in accordance with the funding rates listed on the ESFA learning aims database. A management charge of 15% will be deducted from the total funding earned from delivery of accredited programmes.

Providers can opt to deliver accredited or non-accredited programmes only or a mix of both. In 2017-18 an allocation of £200,000 is available for the non-accredited programme offer and a total allocation of £150,000 is available for the accredited programme offer.

Essential Requirements There is a requirement for all successful providers to comply with • ESFA funding rules 2017-2018 • Quality standards set out in the Ofsted common inspection framework • Awarding body guidance and regulations (for accredited programmes) • The Skills & Employability Service's performance and quality monitoring processes and approaches • The Skills & Employability Service's data collection and submission requirements • The Staffordshire County Council's safeguarding arrangements Providers are also expected to have and maintain robust processes for internal quality assurance and improvement. The full specification, provider guidance and quality framework which will detail all compliance requirements will be available at a later date.