Technical Education and Apprenticeships

Debate between Viscount Younger of Leckie and Baroness Wall of New Barnet

Wednesday 7th December 2016 Lords Chamber

[Viscount Younger of Leckie]

My Lords, we legislated through the Education Act 2011 to require schools to secure impartial and independent careers guidance, including on apprenticeships for 12 to 18 year-olds. It is important for young people to have a range of options presented to them and be well informed on what those options are. We continue to raise the profile and esteem of apprenticeships with young people by featuring successful apprentices in the Get In Go Far campaign, so that young people see apprenticeships as a high-quality and prestigious path to a successful career, just as much as they might in heading in another direction, such as to university.

[Baroness Wall of New Barnet (Lab)]

My Lords, the noble Baroness raises some very interesting points, which have been around for a long time. Since the Labour Government raised the profile of apprenticeships, things have moved on. One thing that employers find is that parents are often the issue—they sometimes feel that being an apprentice is not as good as going to university. I just wonder how we can help them change their mind and understand the importance of an apprenticeship to their children’s future.

[Viscount Younger of Leckie]

The noble Baroness makes a very good point. Parents have an important role, particularly with young people—we know that teenagers are not always the most communicative of individuals. Early on, parents have a role to inspire. That is why the Get In Go Far campaign has a role for parents as well. It is accompanied by advertisements on TV and it is clear that parents as well as their children are looking at this. Since August 2016, the campaign has resulted in more than 125,000 people starting an application for an apprenticeship.

Local Authorities: Budget

Debate between Viscount Younger of Leckie and Baroness Wall of New Barnet

Tuesday 22nd March 2016 Lords Chamber

[Viscount Younger of Leckie]

The entire point of our devolution revolution is that all authorities will have the power to set their own policy agendas and target their spending priorities to match. Local leaders know best what is right for them and we think it is right that Whitehall does not predict exactly what the cost of a local service will be, including the bus service. But by 2020, when councils will be 100% funded by council tax, business rates and other local revenues, they will finally be fully accountable to their electorate and not to Whitehall. This is devolution.

[Baroness Wall of New Barnet (Lab)]

My Lords, I am sure the noble Viscount is aware that the services cut by local authorities include social care, which, as my noble friend Lord Kinnock referred to in an earlier Question, means a massive increase in the number of people coming to hospitals. Does the noble Viscount consider that that is fair and that it is the right way for a Government who care about the health service to behave?

[Viscount Younger of Leckie]

The noble Baroness will know that the 2% adult social care precept will raise up to £2 billion by 2019-20, with a further £1.5 billion available to councils to work with the NHS to ensure that care is available for older people following hospital treatment, through the better care fund.

Economy: Manufacturing

Debate between Viscount Younger of Leckie and Baroness Wall of New Barnet

Monday 10th February 2014 Lords Chamber

[Viscount Younger of Leckie]

We have placed a legal requirement on schools to secure independent careers guidance, including information on apprenticeships, and we are successfully increasing the numbers of apprentices in the engineering and manufacturing technology sector subject area. In 2012-13, there were 138,700 such apprentices, an increase of 10.3% on 2011-12, and we have opened 17 university technical colleges, with a further 33 in development.

[Baroness Wall of New Barnet (Lab)]

My Lords, is the noble Viscount aware of the recent Jaguar Land Rover publication which talks about busting the myths? This company—along with Semta and EAL, which the noble Baroness mentioned—is doing a magnificent job with apprenticeships. However, it is perhaps a little unfair to suggest that all this started with this Government. Jaguar Land Rover now has seven plants in the UK, four of which were opened, with R&D and apprenticeships, way back in 2004. The Government are to be applauded for carrying on what was already in place. Over that period apprenticeships have grown, on which I congratulate them.

[Viscount Younger of Leckie]

My Lords, I would not disagree with the noble Baroness but I would echo her thoughts that Jaguar Land Rover has done a magnificent job in leading our exports into new markets abroad. This is on top of the excellent news about Bombardier in the Midlands, a decision which gives a new vote of confidence in British manufacturing and which supports 760 manufacturing jobs and 80 apprenticeships in the UK.

Living Wage

Debate between Viscount Younger of Leckie and Baroness Wall of New Barnet

Wednesday 6th November 2013 Lords Chamber

[Viscount Younger of Leckie]

My noble friend has made some strong and passionate points and I agree with the gist. However, I should say that our key policy is to support the low-paid through the national minimum wage. It is set at a level that helps as many low-paid workers as possible, but without damaging their employment prospects. My right honourable friend Vince Cable has asked the Low Pay Commission to look at what economic conditions would be needed to allow the national minimum wage to rise in the future by more than current conditions allow, without having an adverse impact on jobs.

[Baroness Wall of New Barnet (Lab)]

My Lords, I am sure that the noble Viscount is aware of the benefits that the living wage have already demonstrated. He referred specifically to SMEs in his response. I advise him that many SMEs, particularly those in the engineering and technical sectors, already pay well above the minimum wage. They feel that it is the right way forward because they benefit from the commitment of their employees.

[Viscount Younger of Leckie]

The noble Baroness makes a good point. Unlike the national minimum wage, which aims to maximise support for the low-paid without damaging their employment prospects, the living wage is derived from an assessment of households’ living standards. Although that is important, it focuses on household expenditure rather than the income and affordability of companies.