Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Gillian Keegan and Andrew Selous

Monday 29th January 2024 Commons Chamber

[Gillian Keegan]

Absolutely. Obviously, one reason for the reduction in some of the SME numbers is the fact that we made improvements to ensure that every single apprenticeship was of high quality. I want to make sure that all young people who embark on an apprenticeship, as I did, put their trust in the system and get what they deserve. We have removed the limit on caps on SMEs, and we are working on reducing the number of steps to make it easier for them to access the system. We are also looking at what more we can do: we are focusing on a number of ways in which to ensure that apprenticeships work well for SMEs, which account for 70% of employment.

[Andrew Selous (South West Bedfordshire) (Con)]

14. What steps she is taking to increase the funding allocated to the f40 local education authorities.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Gillian Keegan and Andrew Selous

Monday 2nd March 2020 Commons Chamber

[Andrew Selous (South West Bedfordshire) (Con)]

Achieving net zero emissions and the green jobs of the future means having enough skilled workers in electric vehicle maintenance and zero-energy-bill homes construction, so what are the Government doing to make sure that the supply of these vital workers meets the growing demand?

[Gillian Keegan]

My hon. Friend is a powerful voice for the environment, and it is no surprise to find that in this area he is right. The UK is leading a new green industrial revolution, and we need a workforce with the technical skills for the future. That is why we have introduced T-levels. We are also investing £290 million in 20 institutes of technology, which will be the pinnacle of technical training.