Question: Can I use the lockdown time to improve my business skills? What resources are available?

Answer passage (source: UK):
page_title: Guidance Additional government resources to support your business during coronavirus disruptions
section_headers: The Skills Toolkit
section_content: Free online courses at all levels to build your digital and numeracy skills:

the National Careers Service skills toolkit


Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Has links to courses to improve skills during the pandemic. Fully on topic.
This answers the question about skill building tools, but only offers a link to resources without much explaination.

Reviewer ratings:
Excellent
Could be Improved

Answer passage (source: UK):
page_title: Guidance Maintaining education and skills training provision: further education providers
section_headers: Traineeship flexibilities
Extended programme duration up to 12 months
section_content: It is our priority to enable providers to support learners to continue with
their learning online during this period, until trainees are able to complete
their traineeship.
During this period, providers can extend the traineeship programme duration up
to 12 months where one or more of the following scenarios applies:

the learner has not completed their qualification and basic skills learning aims including employability, maths or English
the learner has completed less than 70 planned work experience hours
the provider has assessed the learner as needing further work placement hours to complete this element of their traineeship

This flexibility is offered on the basis that the trainee undertakes online or
alternative distance learning to complete other non-work experience learning
and/or alternative work experience learning part of the traineeship where
online learning is possible.
Where flexibilities are used, providers should record this and retain it as
evidence for audit purposes.
Providers delivering traineeships funded by ESFA AEB can also refer to section
‘5b Breaks in learning’ of this guidance for coronavirus (COVID-19) related
breaks in traineeship learning.
[ESFA]: Education Skills Funding Agency
  [AEB]: adult education budget

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Provides information about existing trainee programs. Doesn't provide guidance on improving work skills for most people.
There is information about traineeships that are already underway and how they can continue their learning online.

Reviewer ratings:
Bad
Bad

Answer passage (source: UK):
page_title: Guidance Maintaining education and skills training provision: further education providers
section_headers: Traineeship flexibilities
Reduced work experience duration
section_content: The unprecedented impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) has meant that it is
currently extremely difficult for providers to continue to organise and
deliver work placements within traineeships. We are therefore relaxing the
required work placement duration.
If the trainee has completed more than 70 work experience hours AND the
provider is satisfied that the learner has gained sufficient work skills, then
providers can record the work experience learning aim as complete within the
ILR and census returns during this temporary period of coronavirus (COVID-19)
social distancing measures. This should be evidenced in the learner file. The
trainee should continue with other traineeship learning aims via alternative
methods such as online learning in order to complete these elements of their
traineeship.
If the trainee has completed less than 70 work experience hours, or the
provider is not satisfied with their progression, given these exceptional and
unprecedented circumstances, providers will not be penalised for not
delivering the required 100 hours for this academic year.
Providers should demonstrate how they have continued to support trainees to
develop their work experience skills in the absence of a work placement in the
learner file and we may ask for this evidence through monitoring processes.
Activities we would expect to continue to go ahead:

preparing students for work and/or work placements through alternative distance and online training that develops their skills for work
continuing to build relationships with employers and developing engagement strategies for different industries for apprenticeships and other employment
developing traineeship content that aligns with apprenticeship provision to facilitate smooth transitions from traineeship to apprenticeship
developing matching processes for when students can go on placements again

These are temporary flexible measures that apply while learners are unable to
undertake work placement activity due to social distancing measures.
*[ILR]: individualised learner record

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Talks about existing trainees. Doesn't have resources or guidance on what people should do to improve their skills during the pandemic.
This gives information to workers who are already trainees and discusses relaxed guidelines.

Reviewer ratings:
Bad
Bad