Oral Answers to Questions

Andrew Jones Excerpts

Monday 11th March 2024 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (Con)]

1. What steps her Department is taking to help increase the number of occupations for which apprenticeships are available.

[Peter Aldous (Waveney) (Con)]

18. What steps her Department is taking to help increase the number of occupations for which apprenticeships are available.

[The Secretary of State for Education (Gillian Keegan)]

I join you in your comments, Mr Speaker. My thoughts are with the family of Tommy McAvoy.

Thanks to this Conservative Government, nearly 70% of all occupations are accessible via an apprenticeship. That is a far greater reach than countries admired for their technical education such as Germany and Switzerland. I am sure that many Members joined the Prime Minister, the Chancellor and more than 60 ministerial colleagues out and about during National Apprenticeship Week. I was delighted to join Harry, Chloe and other EDF Energy apprentices off the coast of Blyth, as well as apprentices who are launching exciting careers at J.P. Morgan in the City. Apprenticeships are the route to a successful career, no matter where apprentices live or what they want to do.

[Andrew Jones]

I thank my right hon. Friend for that answer. Last month, the Prime Minister visited the Harrogate Bus Company to view the new fleet of electric buses and to meet the company’s apprentices. Could my right hon. Friend detail how the Government will ensure that new apprenticeship routes are available in fast developing sectors of the economy such as digitisation and artificial intelligence, or the sectors that will deliver our decarbonisation pledge, such as those new zero-emission buses in Harrogate and Knaresborough?

[Gillian Keegan]

I thank my hon. Friend for his support at the recent parliamentary apprenticeship fair. Importantly, our apprenticeship programme is future focused. It includes a new battery manufacturing technician apprenticeship, which will benefit electric buses, and others including charging point installation and electric vehicle maintenance. Whether through T-levels, higher technical qualifications or apprenticeships, there are more training opportunities in industries of the future than ever before, in everything from AI to net zero.