Question: How have traineeships been adjusted during the pandemic?

Answer passage (source: UK):
page_title: Guidance Maintaining education and skills training provision: further education providers
section_headers: Traineeship flexibilities
Extending 16 to 19 study programme traineeships
section_content: Our funding guidance sets out that planned hours should not be changed after
the qualifying period unless correcting an error or starting a new study
programme in-year. However, we recognise that in the current circumstances
some students may need more hours than originally planned in order to complete
their traineeship programme.
Where learners need longer than originally planned to complete their
traineeship programme, we expect, in most cases, stretching their existing
planned hours over a longer duration should provide the flexibility providers
need.
In exceptional circumstances, where a learner with part-time hours requires
significant extra delivery, while they are unable to deliver work experience
with an employer, providers can increase the planned hours. Providers should
record where an increase of planned hours is required in the learner file and
demonstrate the need for increased hours to ensure learners remain engaged. We
may ask for this evidence through monitoring processes.
The planned end date must not under any circumstances be changed or extended
within the ILR. Providers should continue to record the end date of the
programme using ‘Learning Actual End Date’.
We expect providers to arrange alternative provision to cover the delivery
that cannot take place. The alternative delivery needs to be above the already
planned work experience hours as these cannot be funded again within the same
time period.
This is a temporary measure that applies only in this period of social
distancing and while students are not able to access work placement activity.
*[ILR]: individualised learner record

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Discusses what exactly should happen with apprenticeships and gives details on how employers should handle delivering work experience
This response goes into a good amount of detail on trainees and what is different with the outbreak. It talks about temporary measures and changes to starts and end dates, all of which seem relevant to the question

Reviewer ratings:
Excellent
Excellent

Answer passage (source: UK):
page_title: Guidance Maintaining education and skills training provision: further education providers
section_headers: Traineeship flexibilities
section_content: The current coronavirus (COVID-19) situation means that many trainees are not
able to carry out the work placement element of the programme due to social
distancing measures and employers being closed or having ‘work at home’
arrangements that are not suitable for trainees.
We want to enable providers to continue to deliver where possible given
traineeships will play an important part in re-engaging and supporting young
people to get back into learning and work following the coronavirus (COVID-19)
outbreak.
Where flexibilities are used, providers should record this and retain it as
evidence for audit purposes.
New trainees can start programmes during this period with programme aims
adjusted in line with these flexibilities.

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Gives a general overview on how apprenticeships will be affected in a few short sentences. Could give a little more detail.
This response gives some information about what employers should do in regards to apprentices in the event that something has changed due to COVID. It also talks about when new trainees can start so there's some good info here.

Reviewer ratings:
Acceptable
Acceptable

Answer passage (source: UK):
page_title: Guidance Guidance for apprentices, employers, training providers, end-point assessment organisations (EPAOs) and external quality assurance providers about changes to apprenticeships due to coronavirus (COVID-19)
section_headers: Apprenticeship training frequently asked questions
Will employers and training providers need to revise the price of the apprenticeship if the delivery method is changing?
section_content: The price of an apprenticeship is negotiated and agreed upon by an employer
and provider. If any material changes occur to the agreed delivery method that
may result in a change in price, then this should be discussed and amended.
We accept that this might be challenging in the current environment and so,
while we would encourage material changes to be recorded, we understand it may
not be possible to do it immediately.
Employer-providers will need to ensure that they are only claiming for the
actual costs incurred throughout the apprenticeship and that these might now
have changed.

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Discusses apprenticeships and how the pandemic might affect how people learn and the. Could go more in-depth into other aspects
The only adjustments of traineeships that this is talking about are the actual costs incurred through the apprenticeship. But that's not really answering anything that they're asking in the question so this needs more

Reviewer ratings:
Could be Improved
Could be Improved