Oral Answers to Questions

John Stevenson Excerpts

Thursday 17th February 2011 Commons Chamber

[Vince Cable]

I know that my hon. Friend has worked extremely hard for the community he represents, which is a deprived area with relatively high unemployment. We would hope that specific tailored measures will come from the Leeds city region local enterprise partnership, which covers that area. The funding announcement on the regional growth fund is imminent, and it is often forgotten that, as a result of our negotiations with the banks, the business growth fund has an additional £2.5 billion, which will support private sector development across the country, including in my hon. Friend’s area.

[John Stevenson (Carlisle) (Con)]

23. How many apprenticeship starts there have been in the academic year 2010-11 to date.

[The Minister for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning (Mr John Hayes)]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier.

[John Stevenson]

Carlisle has five major factories, as well as many small ones, and they all need a skilled work force. Does the Minister agree that the expansion of apprenticeships is vital to fill the gaps in our economy, and that apprenticeships must get the status they deserve?

[Mr Hayes]

Yes, we must drive up their status; we must elevate the practical. The aesthetic of apprenticeships matters, and I am determined to ensure that those who achieve vocational, practical and technical competence are as revered as—indeed, perhaps more revered than—we who pursued the academic route.