Two sides of the education coin. The new government proposals represent a dual shift in the education landscape. Firstly, the long-overdue elevation of vocational qualifications to the same status as A-levels promises a fairer, more balanced system. Secondly, the necessary, yet contentious, rise in student loan caps aims to ease the financial pressure on universities facing escalating costs. This blog explores how these two major policy changes will interact.
But beneath the optimism, the cracks are showing. Despite these high-level reforms, the reality on the ground in the Sport and Physical Activity sector is dire. In just the last few months, we've witnessed a major private training provider exit the sector almost entirely, and another high-quality provider drop into liquidation. For years, the drawdown from most apprenticeship standards hasn't changed, leaving private providers struggling against inflation. We are seeking to drive change, positively in this area, along with a review of the cost of endpoint assessments.
The economic factors here are stark. Costs of a business that employs people have, for us, risen by 28% in the last three years, given the rise in National Insurance and minimum wage. Staff pay rises are essential to be at least in line with inflation; however, if a training provider is solely dealing with Apprenticeships, the flexibility of how learning is delivered requires a flexible and collective approach. Additionally, the removal of functional skills as essential, although saving cost, has led to learners not always gaining the support they need, unless, like us, we invest in this.
The end-point assessment process is independent from the training provider; however, it can last for three months and withhold payments from the training provider who has already paid the end-point cost. Furthermore, some standards, especially in Leisure, Gym and Fitness, require additional qualifications to meet the standard. These costs have risen without the drawdown taking this into account.
The Quality Crisis.
Let me be clear: this financial pressure is breeding poor practice. I (Simon Kirkland CIMSPA Chartered Fellow) have personally seen and heard shocking examples of Level 5 and higher apprenticeships being delivered through little more than assigning an essay and some links, with zero actual teaching or structured learning taking place. This is not education; it's a box-ticking exercise that devalues the qualifications and the learner. This failure in quality is exactly why our organisation stepped in to take ownership of leadership and management delivery for the sector.
Since COVID kicked in, genuine blended learning has taken over with online learning, virtual classrooms being a real cost-effective way of delivery. However, is this quality learning? I have seen some online learning that takes me back to the primary school chalk and talk approaches. i.e. watch this and then answer questions. This is not learning. I have also been part of dreadful didactic virtual classrooms with little or no engagement or modern learning approaches. Conversely, I saw delivery with all tools flying around the virtual classroom without learning or checking of outcomes.
So, what have we done at Sport Structures to address this ourselves?
Like all private sector organisations, the digitisation of our provision, including smart use of AI, has led to us having to reduce staff; however, customer service cannot always be digitised. The investment in Learning management systems is costly, but learning must be paramount. Our integrated system offers interactive online learning and virtual classroom delivery based on facilitating learning, not presenting facts. The management team, led by Kath Percival is all over this, and the team are wonderfully reflective and collectively and positively challenging each other in striving for excellence.
I always talk about the training triangle. The three corners are made up of the needs of three aspects: the needs of learners, educational excellence and income. Trying to balance the pull from one or all of these is the challenge for training providers, whether in the statutory, governing body or private sector. If any of the three corners dominate, then quality could drop, the ability to deliver may be inhibited, or the learners won’t get suitable learning.
Governing bodies are grappling with this as well, with many cutting the cost of regulation to make sure the offer is affordable to their volunteers, especially. We are supporting a number of providers in the provision of quality assurance since they moved to non-regulated delivery.
A new model for success. In our view, true sector growth requires the commercial training offer to work hand-in-glove with funded (apprenticeship) provision. This integrated approach isn't just about finance; it's about marketing directly to potential learners and the schools that hold key influence over young people’s career choices. If we fail to consider this carefully, employers, who rightly use apprenticeships for staff development, risk subjecting their teams to sub-standard training, unless they perform strict checks on the quality of delivery. Quality must be guaranteed, not assumed.
Employers, in my view, must invest more in their people, not only to keep them but invest in their future; however, they must be sure about the training provider being relevant to them and their staff. The benefits of utilising the opportunities of apprenticeships, particularly for managers who are put into position without any management training, are well documented, and we have some great case studies of success. In addition, training budgets must be protected to support the workforce; otherwise, the quality of delivery and motivation of the workforce will drop. CIMSPA have extensive stats on this.
5 Point Action Plan
My five-point action plan for the sector encompasses both internal and external actions. We are a small sector and should support ourselves; otherwise, the sport and physical activity ecosystem will become even more disjointed.
Action for the Sport and Physical Activity Sector:
- The Path Forward: Prioritise Quality. The sector's survival hinges on a commitment to excellence. We must collectively throw our support behind training providers who don't just claim quality, but invest in and achieve measurable standards verified by external bodies. This includes critical oversight from organisations like Ofsted, validation from Awarding Bodies, and, most importantly for our industry, adherence to the CIMSPA Quality Standard. Support quality, or risk losing everything.
- The sector should challenge training providers from outside of the sector to demonstrate their commitment to the sector, outside of gaining business. We should reduce our ability to be seduced by the “shiny suits” from outside the sector, who can say what they like without any sector referencing.
- We must, as a sector, get behind CIMSPA and influence change to improve the funding available for Apprenticeships to value our people more.
Action for Training Providers:
- Training providers, including governing bodies, universities and colleges, should broaden their offer to be more relevant and flexible in blended learning.
- The use of virtual classrooms and online learning should be high-quality and not mass-market delivery.
My commitment has always been, and remains, focused solely on the quality of delivery. It’s a foundational principle of Sport Structures: prioritising value for money over simply chasing profits. Now, the sector is at a crossroads. It's time to put those values first. Get behind quality training providers, support our drive for sustainable funding, and let us build and grow this sector together.
What's your experience with the current funding and quality landscape? Let us know in the comments below.
