The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) will enforce a “moratorium” on the approval of qualifications until plans to “simplify and align” the public funding system are unveiled in the autumn.
It issued a notice to awarding organisations today stating that it will “put in place a moratorium on any further approvals for the funding year 2015 to 2016”, after the September approvals windows closes and the updated simplified funding rates catalogue is published on October 1.
The decision to enforce a moratorium was criticised by the Federation of Awarding Bodies (FAB).
Stephen Wright (pictured right), FAB chief executive, said that the “uncertainty will halt development work and the delay in funding decisions will cause havoc with provider and awarding bodies’ planning for 2016/17”.