Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill 2008-09

Type of Bill:: Government Bill
Sponsors:: Ed Balls
Department Children, Schools and Families; Baroness Morgan of Drefelin
Department Children, Schools and Families

Progress of the Bill

Following agreement by both Houses on the text of the Bill it received Royal Assent on 12 November.

The Bill is now an Act of Parliament (law).

The Bill introduces a wide range of measures covering apprenticeships, learning and skills and educational provision.

Key areas

Provides for a statutory framework for apprenticeships and creates a right to an apprenticeship for suitably qualified 16-18 year olds
Introduces a right for employees to request time away from their duties to undertake training, and places a corresponding duty on employers to consider such requests seriously and to be able to refuse them only for specified business reasons
Dissolves the Learning and Skills Council
Transfers the responsibility for funding education and training for 16-18-year-olds to local authorities
Makes provisions with respect to the education of offenders
Creates the Young Person’s Learning Agency, the Skills Funding Agency, a new regulatory body for qualifications (Ofqual), and a new agency to carry out the non-regulatory functions currently performed by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
Strengthens the accountability of children’s services
Amends intervention powers in respect of schools which are causing concern
Establishes a new parental complaints service
Changes the school inspection arrangements
Creates a new negotiating body for pay and conditions for school support staff
Makes provisions in respect of pupil and student behaviour.

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