Event report - Linking London HE in FE Practitioner Group Meeting

After a warm welcome from James Ward, the meeting began firstly hearing from Ben Rutter, Funding Information Partners Account Manager, Student Loans Company who provided an update on the latest developments on the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE), including the announcement of 103 providers approved to deliver modular provision from January and the second Expression of Interest round expected later in the spring.

This was followed by a presentation from Izzy Navarrete, Head of DAPs, Kerry McCullagh, Senior Regulation Manager, Thea Jones, Regulation Manager from the OfS giving an overview of Degree Awarding Powers explaining the distinction between full DAPs and new DAPs routes, the assessment criteria and process, and the responsibilities placed on providers awarding degrees independently, including academic governance and quality assurance. They also outlined the typical lifecycle of a DAPs application, including the 8-stage assessment process and extended timeline.

Finally, Rebecca Mameli, Senior Strategic Lead, Higher Education Qualifications, Pearson gave a useful HTQ update including the new HTQ approvals and ongoing work to integrate Level 4–5 qualifications into the LLE, while noting that increasing learner demand remains a key challenge despite strong employer backing.

The date of the next HE in FE meeting will be in will be in the Autumn term.