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Given the relatively tentative nature of the evidence in the FE Sector, the concept of
'robustness' can be seen to build from a triangulation of different forms of evidence and
the 'density' of emerging findings. As well the quality of the execution of the study and the
precision of measures, or relevance to this evidence review. It may be the case, therefore,
that the concept of robustness may be found over time in the subsequent connective
analysis, rather than in a single piece of evidence.
At the beginning of each COVID impact theme we assess the veracity of the evidence from
two perspectives - the relevance of the research in terms of the review and the questions
being asked and the trustworthiness of the research under review. We also referred to the
quality checklist below at the end of this appendix.
In making these judgements we are also alive to three issues. First, that the degree of
trustworthiness can be built by virtue of the density of evidence in a particular issue rather
than simply assessing a single piece of evidence. Second, that we may be more confident
of reports of COVID harms than proposed or actual mitigations because of the challenge of
assessing their effects over time. Third, the impact of both COVID harms and mitigations
could inter-relate in a complex system way and, therefore, we either have to seek evidence
historically and international comparatively or understand these possibilities analytically.
Table 1. Primary studies of harms from Sector-related organisations
Theme Reviews found from Sector organisations
Theme 1. Vocational disruption - young
people, economic participation and
Apprenticeships
AELP Covid impact survey on apprenticeships (2020) of 80
providers working with 12,458 businesses employing
35,350 apprentices.
City And Guilds Group and YouGov - Recovery and
Resilience - Survey Of 2,000 Working and Non-Working
Adults In The UK
Learning and Work Institute (2021) One Year On: The
Labour Market Impacts Of Coronavirus And Priorities For
The Years Ahead - Synthesis Of Multiple Statistical Sources
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2021) Youth
Unemployment, January to March 2019 to October to
December 2020 - survey.
ONS (2021) Labour market overview, UK: April 2021:
Estimates of employment, unemployment, economic
inactivity and other employment-related statistics for the
UK - survey.
ONS (2021) Young people not in education, employment or
training (NEET) - survey.
Small Business Prices (2021) The best industries for
apprentices in the UK: 2021 - Apprenticeship statistics
from DfE and survey of 4000 apprentices.
Welsh Government (2021) Apprentices Furloughed or Made
Redundant During the Coronavirus (Covid-19) - Statistical
Release.
Theme 2. The mental health of young people Association of Colleges (2021) Mental Health in Colleges -
107 FE institutional survey responses.
NHS (2020) Mental Health of Children and Young People in
England: Wave 1 follow up to the 2017 survey.