Privacy notice: Apprenticeship Matching Service

This privacy notice tells you what to expect us to do with your personal information when you use our Apprenticeship Matching Service (AMS). Personal information (or personal data) is any information which relates to and identifies you. Data protection legislation (the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA)) set out how we should handle your personal information.

The University of Lancashire (formerly the University of Central Lancashire) is the controller for the personal information we process, unless otherwise stated. We are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office and our registration number is Z5512420.

There are many ways you can contact us, including by phone, email, social media and post. View our main contact details on our website.

The University's Information Governance Manager and Data Protection Officer can be contacted via email. Further information and contact details can be found on the data protection pages of our website.

We use information you provide to us when you submit an initial expression of interest in using the AMS, such as when you scan a QR code at an event and submit basic details to us to see if you are eligible to use the service. We also use information you submit on your AMS application form when you make a formal application to use the service.

When you apply to use the AMS, we will use your information for the purposes set out below:

To manage initial expressions of interest

If you submit an initial expression of interest in using the service, we review the information you provide to determine if you are eligible to make a full application. If you are eligible, we will contact you using the information you provide to progress your application to use the AMS.

To administer your application to use the UAMS

If you make a full application to the UAMS, we use the information you provide on your application form to match you with potential employment opportunities based on vacancies that participating employers have registered with us. We will also use your information to match you with apprenticeship courses that the University offers.

If we match you with a potential employment opportunity, we will share your application form (excluding equality monitoring and disability information) with the employer or employers we have matched you with so that they can each consider your application directly. Any registered employer that receives your application from us will consider your application themselves and contact you directly with the outcome of your application.

If we match you with an apprenticeship course that UCLan offers, the University will contact you directly to discuss how to progress your application for the course. If you apply for a funded course and are successful, once you enrol at UCLan we will use your information for the purposes set out in the Apprentice privacy notice.

Communicating with you

The University will contact you using the contact details you provide on your application form to communicate effectively with you via email, post, telephone, text (SMS), social media or other methods, as appropriate. We will send you messages about your application to use the AMS, as well as information about AMS events and activities happening at, or run by, the University. You can opt out of receiving communications which are considered to be marketing by emailing the Enterprise and Engagement Unit or by submitting the contact preferences form at the foot of our emails. Only some of the communications we send are marketing.

Research, reporting and statistics

We will use and analyse your information to compile statistics and to undertake surveys and market research to help with corporate planning, reporting and University administration. We will use external agencies to carry out market research on our behalf.

We will also use your information for statutory reporting purposes to external agencies, where required, such as the Department for Education and the Education and Skills Funding Agency, as well as for purposes associated with our ongoing registration with the Office for Students.

Your information will also be used for research purposes, including research by University staff for planning and development purposes, and University researchers for the purposes of academic research. We may also use your information to participate in research carried out by third parties including those unrelated to the University, such as research that would benefit current and future University students/apprentices or the student/apprentice population generally, or research that would help formulate government policy. Your information will only be used in this way where the law allows us to and we consider it appropriate under the circumstances.

Monitoring and compliance

We will use your information to ensure and monitor our compliance with legislation including laws relating to equality, health and safety and immigration. We will also use your information to monitor our compliance with regulatory requirements set by external agencies.

The University relies on the following lawful bases from the UK GDPR to process information about you for the purposes set out in this notice:

Article 6(1)(c), which allows us to process personal data when it is necessary to comply with a legal obligation. We are legally required to provide some reports and statistics to external agencies, as well as monitoring compliance with laws relating to equality, among other things.

Article 6(1)(e), which allows us to process personal data where it is necessary to perform a task in the public interest. Research; some monitoring and internal reporting; and auditing are carried out as part of our public tasks.

Article 6(1)(f), which allows us to process personal data where it is in our, or someone else’s, legitimate interests to do so and it does not unduly prejudice your rights and freedoms. We rely on this condition to provide the AMS, which includes sharing your application information with employers who have registered vacancies with us. It is in our and registered employers’ legitimate interests to provide the AMS to: help match those who would like to become an apprentice with employers who are seeking apprentices; increase participation in higher education; ensure public funds that exist for the provision of apprenticeships are used when they are available; and make it easier for employers and potential apprentices to make contact so that more programmes are successfully delivered. This does not unduly affect your rights and freedoms because use of the AMS is at your discretion and is optional; it is also operated for your benefit and you can stop using the service at any time.

We also rely on Article 6(1)(f) to communicate marketing messages to you (unless you opt out). It is in the University’s legitimate interests to promote its services, courses and events to those who may be interested.

We also process some information only if you provide your consent. In this case, Article 6(1)(a) applies, and Article 9(2)(a) applies where the information is special category data (special category data is information about your race, ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, trade union membership, genetic data, biometric data used for ID purposes, health, sex life or sexual orientation). It will be clear where we are relying on your consent to collect and use your information because consent will be requested at the time you provide the information. When you are asked for consent, we will explain why we are asking for the information and how we will use it if you choose to provide it. Consent can be withdrawn at any time and we will explain how you can do this in each individual case.

Where we process special category data for the purposes set out in this notice, we rely on the following additional lawful bases from the UK GDPR and DPA:

Article 9(2)(g) UK GDPR, which allows us to process special category data if the processing is necessary in the substantial public interest and there is a basis to do so in law. The law which allows us to rely on Article 9(2)(g) is section 10 DPA by virtue of Schedule 1 DPA. The specific conditions from Schedule 1 DPA on which we rely for this type of processing are as follows:

• Schedule 1(6), which allows us to process special category data to comply with a statutory or legal function. Such functions include the duties set out in the Equality Act 2010 and the requirement to comply with the registration conditions imposed on us by the Office for Students under the Higher Education and Research Act 2017.
• Schedule 1(8), which allows us to process special category data to monitor equality of opportunity or treatment.

When processing special category data in reliance on the above conditions from Schedule 1 DPA the University must have an appropriate policy document, which can be read here: Data Protection: Processing special category data and criminal convictions data.

Article 9(2)(j) UK GDPR, which allows us to process special category data for archiving, scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes, where there is a basis to do so in law. The law which allows us to rely on this basis is section 10 DPA by virtue of Schedule 1(4) DPA.

We share your information with external organisations and bodies, some of which are processing personal data on our behalf. We only share your personal data with another person or organisation where the law allows us to and we consider it to be appropriate under the circumstances. The external parties we may share information with include the following:

• Employers who have registered to use the AMS if they have a vacancy and we match you with that vacancy.
• Government departments and associated organisations such as the DWP, DfE and ESFA, for the prevention and detection of crime, apprehension and prosecution of offenders, the collection of tax or duty and to enable them to carry out their statutory functions.
• Internal and external auditors to provide assurance that the University is following its risk management, governance and internal control processes and to independently inspect our financial statements and records.
• Third parties carrying out research or surveys where there is a lawful basis to share information and they are carrying out their statutory tasks in the public interest.
• Companies or organisations acting on our behalf: We use processors who are third parties who provide elements of services for us, such as Microsoft who provide our corporate IT systems. We have contracts in place with our processors. This means that they cannot do anything with your personal information unless we have instructed them to do it. They will hold it securely and retain it for the period we instruct.

We do not send your personal data outside the UK and/or the European Economic Area (EEA) in order to provide the AMS.

We will retain your information for one year after your involvement with the AMS end. Your involvement with the AMS will end when you:

• submit an expression of interest form but do not go on to submit an application to use the AMS; or
• submit a full application to the AMS, and successfully join an employer and a University apprenticeship programme; or
• you tell us you no longer want to use the service.

Under data protection law, you have rights we need to make you aware of. The rights available to you depend on our reason for processing your information. Further information about each of these rights can be found on the Information Commissioner’s Office website. To make a request to exercise any of these rights, please contact the Information Governance Manager & Data Protection Officer.

Your right of access

You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information. This right always applies. There are some exemptions, which means you may not always receive all the information we process. For further information or to make a request, please see the data protection pages of our website.

Your right to rectification

You have the right to ask us to rectify information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete. This right always applies.

Your right to erasure

You have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances.

Your right to restriction of processing

You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your information in certain circumstances.

Your right to object to processing

You have the right to object to any processing we carry out, if we carry it out on the basis that it forms part of our public task or is in our legitimate interests. You also have the right to object to your personal information being used for direct marketing purposes.

Your right to data portability

This only applies to information you have given us. You have the right to ask that we transfer the information you gave us from one organisation to another, or give it to you. The right only applies if we are processing information because we have your consent or because it is necessary for a contract you are a party to, and the processing is automated.

We work to high standards when it comes to processing your personal information. If you have queries or concerns, please contact the relevant part of the University, or the Information Governance Manager & Data Protection Officer, and we will respond.

If you remain dissatisfied, you can make a complaint about the way we process your personal information to the Information Commissioner’s Office, which is the UK supervisory authority for data protection. Further information can be found on the data protection pages of our website.