Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jeremy Lefroy and Anne Milton

Monday 29th April 2019 Commons Chamber

[Anne Milton]

The hon. Gentleman is quite right to say that it is increasingly important for young people to have those digital skills. I refer him to the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education’s website, where he will be able to see the 400 apprenticeship standards that have been developed, many of which involve digital skills. From 2020, we are introducing the first T-levels, the first of which will be a digital T-level.

[Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford) (Con)]

15. What steps his Department is taking to ensure that schools provide a broad curriculum.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jeremy Lefroy and Anne Milton

Monday 19th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Sir Patrick McLoughlin (Derbyshire Dales) (Con)]

11. What steps his Department is taking to promote apprenticeships.

[The Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills (Anne Milton)]

We are using radio adverts, digital advertising, social media and telemarketing—the latest phase of marketing started at the end of January and will continue until the end of this month—and of course our national apprenticeship week, with its hundreds of events throughout the country, is also spreading the message. I should also point out that a legal duty on schools to allow in technical education providers was introduced in January.

[Jeremy Lefroy]

My right hon. Friend knows that Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stafford, Shrewsbury and several other very good colleges that provide excellent apprenticeships have not been awarded funding under the non-levy apprenticeships scheme. She has worked hard to find a way through this, but can I ask her for an update to ensure that those colleges can continue to provide apprenticeships in vital areas such as construction and engineering; otherwise there will be a bit of an apprenticeships desert in those areas?

[Anne Milton]

I know that my hon. Friend is a strong supporter of colleges in his area, but, as with any procurement, some bidders were unsuccessful. We have extended contracts for existing providers by three months to give employers and apprentices stability, and the main providers on the register of apprenticeship training providers can still deliver training directly to levy payers, to non-levy payers through subcontracting and to employers receiving transfers from April.