Apprenticeship levy and HLTA status – what you need to know.

Preparation and assessment for HLTA status in association with the HLTA National Assessment Partnership (HNAP) is not eligible for funding using the apprentice levy scheme.

Department for Education (DfE) Apprenticeship funding: rules and guidance for employers (July 2018) states: the minimum duration of an apprenticeship is one year unless the framework or standard specification or assessment plan requires it to be longer. For apprenticeship standards, the end-point assessment can only be taken after the minimum duration has been met.
The minimum duration of each apprenticeship is based on the apprentice working 30 hours a week or more, including any off-the-job training they undertake. At least 20% of the apprentice’s paid hours, over the planned duration of the apprenticeship, must be spent on off-the-job training.
Gaining HLTA status with HNAP is a process of preparation for assessment, which includes a school-based assessment related to the skills and knowledge that teaching assistants and support staff working at a higher level are already demonstrating and, as such, does not provide a programme of development and training for the equivalent of a day a week for a year. For levy funding to be applicable for training and development the programme and end point assessment must have followed a ‘trailblazer’ pathway and have approval by the government.