This guide was developed with funding support from the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS). It provides information and guidance to help prospective ATAs identify what key considerations need to be taken into account in establishing an Apprenticeship Training Agency (ATA). The guide is intended for organisations, including providers and other sector bodies, that are investigating the ATA model and the practical considerations needed to be taken into account should they decide to set up an ATA.

A needs analysis of the 21 Higher Apprenticeship organisations, participating in the Higher Apprenticeship Fund in June 2012 identified engagement of both employers and employees as key challenges in order to generate starts on Higher Apprenticeship programmes, along with the financing of Higher Apprenticeships. In autumn 2012 LSIS facilitated a project with a number of Higher Apprenticeship Fund organisations to share and develop emerging practice in delivery and development of higher level skills.

What makes one college or provider perform better than another one is a question that many in the FE and skills sector have strived to answer. This report, produced by Tenon Education Training and Skills, considers what we meant by effectiveness and goes on to look at what the features of some of the best providers.

Through this project, working with the New Engineering Foundation, the college looked to support organisations in developing an effective approach to reducing carbon emissions, which would lead to positive economic and social outcomes for learners, employers and communities while also mitigating climate change and other adverse environmental impacts.