FE Workforce Data Collection

For your views on our proposals to improve data on the FE workforce. In particular we wanted to know how plans for a mandatory annual workforce data collection would be received by those within the intended scope of the collection and those who would be responsible for making the data returns.

We were pleased to get a good response covering lots of different voices from the further education sector including providers, sector representatives organisations and individuals working in FE. All comments were considered as part of the review of proposals and reflected in the consultation response.

As a result, we intend to press ahead by introducing a workforce data collection from the 2020/21 academic year, which will be mandatory from the 2021/22 academic year.

A summary of the responses received was included in the full consultation response. The Department will now work with the Education and Skills Funding Agency to prepare for the launch of the collection.

The ESFA will review the impact that Covid-19 disruption has on user-testing and software development. Providers will be informed to what extent this may affect the development timetable. We do not currently expect this to change the requirement for mandatory returns in the 2021/22 academic year.