This guide explains common validation errors, funding-rule constraints and behavioural outcomes when using Process Automation trackers.
Break in Learning (BIL) behaviour
If a Break In Learning tracker is used, will this automatically pause all active aims within the ILR?
Yes, all active aims, including Functional Skills and other sub-programme aims, will be updated and set to an inactive status (i.e. completion status is Learner has temporarily withdrawn from the aim due to an agreed break in learning and outcome is No achievement). This will apply to all aims, except for ones that have been marked as 'Excluded from the batch'.
The only exception to this is in cases where the Learner's ILR contains at least 1 aim of Funding Model = 25 or 82 and Completion Status = 1. In this instance, none of the ILR aims will be paused.
How do we report on the 'expected return date' in the Break in learning tracker?
When creating a Break in Learning tracker, it captures essential information including the ‘Last Learning Date,’ ‘Expected Return Date,’ and ‘Next Review Date.’
In order to help ensure the accuracy of these dates, the ‘Next Review Date’ set during tracker creation initiates a task in the Case owner's diary. This task serves as a reminder to review the break and discuss the return, including details of the 'Expected Return Date'. If needed, you can edit the task to modify these dates, as this will not be possible via the tracker itself. An example is provided below:
You’ll then be able to report on the UserAutomationInfo_LastBIL field available in Odata via the Users table which will display the ‘Expected Return date. Example shown below:
I have created a 'Break in Learning' tracker for the learner using the process automation tracker, but I do not have the 'Return to Learning' option. Why is this?
The 'Return to Learning' Tracker option is accessible only when the ILR token is enabled for the programme.
To activate the 'Return to Learning' option, check the programme configuration and ensure that the ILR token is enabled.
Can I use a past date for the expected return date and next review date for a break in learning tracker?
No, this tracker cannot be used retrospectively. The next review date set when creating the tracker cannot be in the past. It schedules the review of the break and the discussion of the Expected Return Date.
As the learner has already returned, the tracker is not suitable for such instances.
Why is a Learner’s Practical Period End Date not updating in the Programme Details, after they have returned from a break in learning?
The ‘Break in Learning’ and the ‘Return to Learning’ automation trackers must be used for a learner, in order for their Practical Period End Date to update. If these specific trackers have not been used, then this date will need to be updated manually instead.
Can you set a 'Break in Learning' Process Automation for a date in the future?
The system will not allow the BIL process automation to be created with a future date - this is by design since the last learning date (and the date the BIL will be applied from) needs to reflect the last interaction with the learner and it is not possible to predict when this is likely to be.
If you try to use the tracker for a future date you will see an error that the last learning date can not be in the future and you will not be able to save the tracker.
Dated within last 4 weeks
If you enter a date that is within the last four weeks, you will receive a warning that the last learning date is less than 4 weeks ago. A break in learning may not be required at this stage. This is just a warning and will not prevent the BIL tracker from saving.
Why hasn't the "Break in Learning" Process Automation stopped all activity on a learning plan?
I have employed the "Break in Learning" Process Automation, but:
- The learning plan components continue to transition to the "overdue" status.
- The learner is receiving reminders for these overdue components.
- The expected OTJH is continuing to increase.
The Break In Learning process automation does not stop the Overdue and OTJH process or notifications to the Learner.
However, when you apply the Return To Learning process automation, Aptem will re-plan the due dates for any components that have not been started and you can also manually adjust the due dates of any components that are incomplete.
We put an apprentice on a 'Break in Learning' (BIL) by mistake, using a tracker. What is the best way to remove the break from the ILR and return the programme status to active?
If the tracker still has the status of "New", you can just reject the tracker, and nothing will change in the ILR.
However, if the tracker was processed, then you can create a 'Return to Learning' (RTL) tracker. This will add the break and then return the aims to the ILR.
Return to Learning (RTL) behaviour
Why can't I see a 'Return to Learning' (RTL) tracker for a learner returning from a 'Break in Learning' (BIL)?
If you're unable to see the RTL tracker for a user, please check that their programme status is not showing as 'On other Break,' as this means that the break was processed manually.
To successfully proceed with the RTL (Return to Learning) process tracker, you'll first need to establish a Break In Learning tracker for the user. To do this, you'll have to update the user's program status to 'Active.' To achieve this, locate the user in Classic, navigate to the Program tab, select their status, and change it to 'Active.' Once this step is done, follow the instructions below to create a Break In Learning tracker for the user. Specify the dates corresponding to when they initiated the break until their expected return date: Break in learning.
Once you have completed the setup and ensured its accuracy, you can then proceed to create an RTL tracker for the user. You can follow the linked guide for instructions on how to accomplish this: Return to learning.
Why is the Learning Planned End Date in the ILR not updating with the suggested date entered in the Return to Learning Tracker?
This situation occurs due to the way Aptem calculates the Planned end date for non-programme aims, specifically Aim Type 3. For these aims, Aptem will calculate the Learning Planned End Date based on the Trackers that have been raised.
The Learning Planned End date is based on the period of remaining learning (as per original aim - the range between Learning Planned End Date and Learning Actual End Date) added to ‘Date of return to learning’ provided from RTL tracker. This calculation will always occur for non-programme aim types, and you can manually edit this date if incorrect. This can be done by manually amending the Learning Planned End Date in the selected non-programme aim of Learner’s ILR episode.
When the learner’s record was processed using the ‘Return to Learning' tracker, why were some learning plan components not re-planned to the return date?
This Tracker will only update components that are “Not Started”.
Change of Employer (CoE)
When creating a Change of Employer tracker, why are we seeing the error message "Last ACT ‘Date To’ value is going to be populated with value greater than ‘Date From’"?
You will see this error message if the Apprenticeship Contract Type (ACT) record on the latest ILR aim for the learner has a ‘Date from’ which is prior to the date you have entered in the ‘Date changes apply’ field for the Change of Employer tracker.
To resolve this, please check the ‘ACT Date From’ for latest aim in the learner’s ILR to make sure that the date entered is prior to the date entered in the ‘Date changes apply’ from field.
I used a change of employer tracker for a learner but forgot to modify the working hours. So, I raised a second CoE tracker to rectify the working hours. The hours were updated in the User tab of the ILR, but not in the compliance documents. Why?
This situation might arise due to the presence of two employment records in the ILR with the same date but different working hours, stemming from the Tracker. One of these employment records contains the incorrect working hours from the initial tracker, which the compliance documents are currently drawing from. To address this, our recommendation is to delete the incorrect Employment record and then regenerate the documents.
Completion of Programme and Change of Programme trackers
I used a "Completion of the Programme" tracker to move the learner to 'Entered EPA' status. Now when I try to use the tracker again to close the aims and change the programme status, I get informed "The option cannot be selected". Why?
When the completion of the programme tracker is processed, it sets the completion status to 1 and the outcome to 8.
If you have manually updated the completion status of the programme aim to 2, you will receive a warning that the option can't be selected because the learner doesn't have Outcome 8 and Completion Status 1.
Please adjust the completion status of the aim to 1, and you'll be able to use the tracker again. In the future, kindly avoid manually updating the completion status to prevent similar issues.
Why do I get the error message "The Achievement Date must be 7 days later than the Learner's Actual End Date" when submitting a Completion of Programme tracker?
The period between the actual end date and the achievement date is known as the assessment period. During this period, the apprentice should be carrying out their End-Point Assessment (EPA). The EPA is a summative assessment that measures the apprentice's ability to apply the knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) they have learned during their apprenticeship.
The DfE funding rules state that the assessment period must be at least 7 days long. This is to allow the apprentice enough time to prepare for the EPA and to ensure that they are fully ready to demonstrate their skills and knowledge.
If the assessment period is less than 7 days long, the apprentice will not be eligible for funding.
Why does the actual end date for the Completion tracker not populate with the last recorded learning date from the learning plan like the Withdrawal tracker does?
The last recorded learning date will not be the same for the completion of the full apprenticeship as their last learning date will be prior to the End Point Assessment (EPA), with the final end date of the apprenticeship being after the EPA - so Aptem would be incorrect to assume the last learning date in this case.
When using the Change of Programme Tracker, the ‘Intended New Programme’ is not showing all programmes. Why?
Please check the programmes that have been made available at the group level.
Only the groups available at group level will show in the ‘Intended New Programme’ list.
If the group has a parent group, the programmes will also need to be available at the parent group level.
Withdrawal tracker
How is the Last Recorded Learning date in the Withdrawal tracker calculated?
The Last Recorded Learning date is when the learner last submitted evidence.
Any evidence submitted by a tutor will not be considered.
The Last Recorded Learning date displayed in the tracker does not have any impact on the calculation of the learner's Actual OTJ Hours.
Why am I receiving an Error message when trying to apply a Withdrawn Learner back to their Programme?
This error, like the one shown below, is usually caused in these circumstances by a discrepancy in the ILR programme aims.
If you navigate to the ILR for this learner, you will likely see that the Episode Hours table has not been generated. Below is an example screenshot of what this table usually looks like:
To enrol the learner on to the programme successfully, you will need to generate the Episode Hours Table by amending the Learning Start date for this Learner. From the screenshot below, you can see that the aims have a Start date in the future, and an Actual End Date that is in the past, which is invalid:
Correcting these dates will generate the table, which should allow you to enrol the learner back on to the programme.
I have enrolled a withdrawn learner back on to their original programme, but the previous learning plan data is missing, why is this?
Please ensure that the learner has indeed been enrolled back on to their original programme. If they have been incorrectly enrolled on to a programme with a similar name, they will not have access to their previous learning plan data.
I would like to return a withdrawn learner to a programme. What will happen to the learner's imported portfolio?
Please note that no data will be lost as long as the learner is returned back onto the same programme. Aptem will remember the progress made by the Learner.
Please note, you will need to flag the learner as a restart in the ILR.
Please see the following Help Centre guide for more information: How do I reapply a learner to a Programme after they have been withdrawn?
RPL tracker
The New RPL Calculator is not adjusting the Learning Plan components Complete By date. Why is this?
The New RPL Calculator tracker does not automatically adjust the Learning Plan component's 'Complete By' date.
The expected workflow is that the administrator will manually adjust the learning plan components and then run the New RPL tracker.
When configuring an RPL Tracker, why am I unable to remove a range that I have set?
You are only able to remove a range if there is already more than one available. The Upper Limit percentage must also be at least 1% lower than the maximum eligibility score.
Once you have lowered the percentage, and added another range, the remove icon will appear.
Why isn’t the RPL Calculator showing despite the tracker being enabled?
This can occur when the bandings and the 'Maximum eligibility score' haven't been set for the programme that the learner is on.
Below is an example of how these can be set:
Please navigate to the Tracker section of your Programme builder, and ensure that this area has been configured correctly.
For more information regarding configuring the RPL tracker, see: RPL calculator (classic).
Programme status & automation rules
I want to change my learner's programme status to "On A Break" or ‘Withdrawn’ but these status are not available in the programme status dropdown. Why?
'On a break' and 'Withdrawn' programme status can be assigned to learners only via automation trackers and cannot be manually changed.
Please create an automation tracker for the learners to be put on ‘On a Break’ and ‘Withdrawn’ statuses respectively. Please refer to the Help Centre for guides for BIL and Withdrawn trackers for more details:
- Withdrawal from learning tracker: https://support.aptem.co.uk/hc/en-gb/articles/360019384199-Withdrawal-from-learning
- Break-in-learning Tracker: https://support.aptem.co.uk/hc/en-gb/articles/360019384959-Break-in-learning
How do I change a Learner's Programme Status from process automation statuses to non-process automation statuses like Active and other editable statuses?
If Process Automation has been enabled for your organisation, you will need to create a Process Automation Tracker to update the Programme Status. You can use the relevant Tracker to update the Programme Status. For example, if you would like to change the status to ‘On A Break’, a Break In Learning Tracker will need to be raised.
Please note, Process Automation will also be required if you have manually updated a learner's ILR record to indicate a Break or Return to Learning, and would like to update the Programme status.
Other issues
The ILR Tracker is not appearing as a tracker type in the drop-down list. Why is this?
Please check the Programme builder to confirm whether the ILR token has been enabled. This Tracker is system-based and requires the ILR token to be enabled for it to be raised for learners.
When you have the option to upload a document to the Additional Learning support tracker, does it become visible to the learner?
We can advise that the document is only accessible in the tracker itself and would therefore not be visible to the learner.
Why am I allowed to create duplicate "Return to Learning" and "Withdrawal from Learning" trackers for learners?
Aptem will allow duplicate trackers to be created if the first one is not set to "Processed" and the learner status hasn't changed. Aptem will not allow duplicates to be created if the learner status reflects that they are withdrawn or have returned to learning.
I am unable to find the option ‘Additional Learning Support’ in the tracker dropdown on console. Why is this?
This process automation will be applicable to any learners who have an "Active" programme status. Please note that this process automation is limited to delivery programmes only, as this is where funding rules require changes to be monitored.
Why are a learner's off-the-job hours still increasing while they are on a break in learning?
If a learner is enrolled on a workshop that takes place during their break in learning, the workshop still goes ahead and Aptem automatically generates the associated evidence for the linked learning component after the workshop date. The off-the-job hours linked to that workshop are then added to the learner's total, even though they are on a break.
The break in learning automation pauses programme status and ILR fields, but it does not unenrol learners from scheduled workshops. To prevent a workshop from contributing off-the-job hours during a break:
Open the learner's profile.
Navigate to any workshops scheduled within the break in learning dates.
Remove the learner from each workshop that falls during the break.
Re-enrol them on the relevant workshops once they have returned to learning.
Text entered on the Notes section of a Job tracker is not saving, why?
The Notes section field is cleared to allow for new notes, and previous notes are saved in the audit history when you click Save.
Is it possible to add trackers for tutors not related to a specific Learner?
It is currently not possible to allocate trackers to tutors instead of learners. The Trackers functionality is a learner-level function and must be added to each learner in turn.
However, you can assign the Tracker item to another administrator or to yourself.
I am trying to allocate a tracker to a fellow administrator. Why can I not see all of my colleague’s administrator accounts?
An administrator can only access the administrator accounts which are allocated to their group. This means that they cannot allocate a tracker to anyone outside of that group.
You are able to change the group access for an administrator but please be aware that they will also be able to view all learners in these groups.
I am unable to assign a tracker to an admin. Why is this?
This issue can occur if the learner is assigned to the entire parent group, while the admin is only assigned to a few sub-groups within the parent group. For the admin to appear in the assignee dropdown, they need to be at the same level or a higher level in the hierarchy as the learner.
A learner has changed from full-time to part-time. When attempting to update the hours in the tracker, the change cannot be made because it exceeds a 50% reduction.
The tracker process cannot be used in this scenario, as it does not support changes exceeding a 50% reduction in hours. Any such changes must be applied by manually updating the learner’s record.