Statement of Approach to Sub-contracting

South West Association of Training Providers (Swatpro) is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee established in 2010. Swatpro is a partnership of established sector specific training providers and employers who deliver education and training including apprenticeships to their own employees and other employers. Through the not for profit limited by guarantee company model all providers and employers are ‘Swatpro’ with joint ownership of the company, no different from a training company or a college with different sector specific departments. This provides the reason for Swatpro sub-contracting as it enables Swatpro to deliver the highest levels of support, expertise and opportunity to employers and apprentices (our customers), with the security, economy of scale and cost sharing that comes from working together and having joint services. The size and membership of the partnership is managed to ensure local and community priorities are met and quality and service is at the centre of decision making and delivery.

To deliver the government funded education and training including apprenticeships Swatpro complies with the Education and Skills Funding Agency requirements for sub-contracting as prescribed in the Funding Rules.

Swatpro sub-contracting employers and providers are both approved and are listed on the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers and pass a robust annual due diligence process with Swatpro.

Our approach to sub-contracting is to offer the employer and apprentice the benefit of working with a sector specialist provider with vocationally experienced and competent delivery staff and industry standard facilities to deliver skills, knowledge and behaviours training to meet the apprenticeship standard, with the support of a specialist team who manage and deliver appropriate elements of the knowledge and behaviours training where appropriate, monitor and support the funding process, compliance and quality elements required to deliver high - quality education, training and apprenticeships. This includes supporting employers with the Apprenticeship Service and the independent and impartial information advice and guidance required when an employer is making a measured choice of a provider to partner to deliver skills or apprenticeship training.

The associated costs of the apprenticeship are determined by,

  • Discussion with the employer to ensure all that a delivery model can be agreed to meet all needs.
  • The outcome of an initial assessment of the apprentices’ current skills, knowledge and behaviours mapped against the requirements of the apprenticeship standard, to ensure only the skills knowledge and behaviours required are included in the delivery and price.
  • Cost of managing, monitoring and administering the apprenticeship to meet the requirements of the ESFA funding rules.
  • The Government funding contribution to meet the apprenticeship standard.
  • The funding contribution required from the employer.
  • Negotiated cost of the end-point-assessment fee

The funding model is clear cut, Swatpro retains 10% of the total funds paid to us by the ESFA, excluding the additional payments by the employer to cover delivery and sub-contractor management, the costs are detailed below.