Apprenticeships Debate

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Baroness Whitaker

Main Page: Baroness Whitaker (Labour - Life peer)

Apprenticeships

Baroness Whitaker Excerpts
Thursday 17th March 2016

(8 years, 9 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Baroness Neville-Rolfe Portrait Baroness Neville-Rolfe
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Apprenticeships are of course subject to the same equality duties as any other employment, and 53% of starts in 2014-15 were female. But my noble friend makes a good point: are females finding it more difficult to finish? That is an interesting contribution to the debate, which I will certainly reflect on.

Baroness Whitaker Portrait Baroness Whitaker (Lab)
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My Lords, will the Minister tell the House what proportion of black and minority ethnic people, including Gypsies and Travellers, have taken up apprenticeships?

Baroness Neville-Rolfe Portrait Baroness Neville-Rolfe
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My Lords, 10.6% of those starting an apprenticeship in 2014-15 had a BME background—an increase from 8% in 2009-10. We have set ourselves a target of increasing the proportion by 20% by 2020. I do not know whether those figures include Gypsies, but I will let the noble Baroness know.