Skills and Post-16 Education Bill [HL] Debate
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Baroness Wilcox of Newport
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Skills and Post-16 Education Bill [HL]
Baroness Wilcox of Newport Excerpts(2 years, 9 months ago)
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Baroness Wilcox of Newport (Lab)
My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend Lord Adonis for clearly defining the difference between Amendments 35 and 35A—I will henceforth think of Amendment 35A as “A for action”.
The skills White Paper promised a three-point plan to enforce the Baker clause, back in January 2021. Point 1 of the plan was the introduction of specific minimum requirements, but the Government’s amendment states that pupils should expect only two mandatory visits from providers of technical education and apprenticeships over the course of their secondary education, although individual schools may opt to provide more. I doubt that. I agree with the noble Lord, Lord Baker, that this is wholly inadequate.