Oral Answers to Questions

Lord Sharma Excerpts

Thursday 17th February 2011 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[Alok Sharma (Reading West) (Con)]

1. How many apprenticeship starts there have been in the academic year 2010-11 to date.

[Mary Macleod (Brentford and Isleworth) (Con)]

6. How many apprenticeship starts there have been in the academic year 2010-11 to date.

--- Later in debate ---

[The Minister for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning (Mr John Hayes)]

All our Christmases have come together.

Provisional data show that there were 119,800 apprenticeship starts in the first quarter of the 2010-11 academic year. That good news confirms that employers are recognising the value of apprenticeships to building growth and competitiveness. The Government are committed to increasing the budget for apprenticeships to over £1.4 billion in the 2011-12 financial year.

[Alok Sharma]

As part of the recent apprenticeships week, the National Apprenticeship Service launched a 100-day campaign in Reading. By the end of the first day alone, 28 pledges of places and a further 19 expressions of interest had been received from local employers. Will the Minister join me in congratulating Reading’s employers, Reading borough council, the Reading Post and other local organisations on supporting that excellent initiative and demonstrating what can be achieved when business and Government work together?