Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to set out how they measure whether the apprentice programme boosts economic productivity.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
We have recently introduced a range of reforms to further support the productivity contribution of apprenticeships. It is too early to assess the full impact of our reforms.
Our Apprenticeships Reform Programme Benefits Realisation Strategy, attached, sets out a broad range of success measures for the programme, including economic measures. Measures include earnings upon completion, results from employer and learner surveys, and the further education (FE) Skills Index – a measure of the productivity impact of the programme over time.
The Skills Index enables us to compare the value of skills investments across the FE sector, including apprenticeships. It looks at the number of learners achieving, the employment rate for those learners as well as expected additional earnings.
The total value-added for apprenticeships in the academic year 2016/17 has increased by 3% on 2015/16, due to an increase in the volume of apprenticeship achievers at Level 3 and above.
We publish annual progress updates against our strategy. Our last update, published in May 2018, is attached and can be found at:
We will be publishing our 2019 update shortly which will include an update to our Skills Index.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to improve the attainment of, and outcomes for, pupils attending schools in rural and coastal areas; and, in particular, what assessment they have made of the use of partnerships between schools.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The Department for Education recently published the report, ‘Unlocking Talent, Fulfilling Potential’, which sets out the department’s plan for improving social mobility through education. The report, which has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses, consists of a targeted response to direct resources to where they are needed most. It includes prioritising support for 108 Category 5&6 local authority districts with the weakest educational performance but with capacity to improve. These districts, some of which are located in rural or coastal areas, were identified using the composite ‘Achieving Excellence Area’ indicator, which measures the educational performance of an area and its capacity to improve.
The Opportunity Area programme seeks to improve outcomes for pupils in 12 social mobility ‘cold spots’ by overcoming barriers in those geographic areas where the educational challenges are greatest and opportunity is lacking. The areas represent a wide geographic spread, and take into account different challenges faced in different contexts - including in coastal and rural areas - which will help us to build a strong evidence base on what works in a wide range of varied settings.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures University Technical Colleges are taking to increase choices for students, especially with regard to strengthening academic study with practical learning.
Answered by Lord Nash
University Technical Colleges (UTCs) specialise in subjects that need modern, technical, industry-standard equipment, such as engineering and digital technologies. Pupils integrate academic study with practical learning, studying core GCSEs within a high-quality technical and professional curriculum. UTCs work with local and national employers and higher education institutions to design and deliver a curriculum that, through technical projects and work experience, will provide pupils with the skills employers demand for their industries. The importance of involving employers in education is a key part of the government’s recently announced plans for ground-breaking reforms to technical and professional education.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made in reducing the number of young people not in employment, education, or training; and how they intend to support local authorities in reducing that number during this Parliament.
Answered by Lord Nash
The number of 16- to 18-year-olds who are not in employment, education or training (NEETs) is at its lowest level since 1994. This number has fallen by 51,900 since 2011. The government is determined to do more to encourage young people to participate in education and training, and to continue reducing the proportion who are NEET. That is why the government is investing £7 billion in 2015-16 to fund a place in education or training for every 16- to 19-year-old who wants one.
Under Raising the Participation Age (RPA), all young people are required to continue in education or training until at least their eighteenth birthday. The Department is working closely with local authorities to support and challenge them in implementing RPA and meeting their duties to track and support young people. This support includes collecting and analysing local authorities’ data and sharing good practice.
There are also a number of central initiatives which support local authorities in their work to reduce the number of young people NEET. These include a package to help improve the prospects of over 9,600 vulnerable young people through the Youth Engagement Fund and the Fair Chance Fund; the Youth Contract which continues to be available until March 2016 to support vulnerable young people; Jobcentre Plus pilots which are delivering in over 30 local authority areas to support 16- and 17-year-olds who are NEET; and provision funded by the European Social Fund which targets those who are NEET or at risk of being NEET. Broader work includes curriculum and qualifications reform, the 16-19 Bursary Fund, and improvements in the quality of careers advice and guidance.
These initiatives will help to continue reducing the number of young people NEET by removing barriers to participation and ensuring that young people are able to gain the skills and qualifications they need for their future employment or continuing education.