Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (Transfer of Functions etc) Bill [Lords]

Kirith Entwistle Excerpts

2nd reading
Tuesday 25th February 2025 Commons Chamber

[Kirith Entwistle (Bolton North East) (Lab)]

Too many young people are being let down by a skills and training system that does not work for them. For too long, Britain has been a country where technical education has been treated as second class, skills shortages stifled success and talent went untapped. Let us be clear: the Conservatives’ legacy has failed our young people and they cannot keep using the pandemic as an excuse. Between October 2023 and September 2024, 41% of people aged 16 to 24 were economically inactive in the north-west; nationally, that number was 11.4%. I would be really interested to hear what Conservative Members have to say to young people in the north-west.

In the last two years, skills shortages have left more than a third of UK vacancies unfilled while the number of 16 to 24-year-olds looking for work has doubled. That is over 420,000 young people wanting to work and to contribute to our economy, but, without the right training, they cannot get those jobs that need filling—jobs that they could thrive in if we had the right skills system.

Our young people are not lazy. Rather, it is the system the Conservatives left behind that has failed them. Visiting businesses in Bolton, I know that employers are desperate for skilled workers and that they recognise skills training and apprenticeships as a way forward. The young apprentices I have met in Bolton are thriving. They have security, skills and a clear path ahead, and that confidence is transforming lives and livelihoods. That is why am proud that, through this Bill, this Labour Government are establishing Skills England. Skills are not second class; they are the backbone of Britain. Skills England will break barriers that have left entire regions such as mine behind.

In Bolton, have already seen what works. Bolton Lads and Girls Club, part of the outstanding youth charity OnSide, has achieved remarkable success with its On Track initiative. This programme provides one-to-one support for young people who are not in education, employment or training, offering practical help with CV building, interview preparation and visits to businesses. But more than that, it broadens their horizons, showing them the many promising alternatives to the traditional university route and pathways that may better suit their skills and ambitions.

I recently visited Bolton college during National Apprenticeship Week. Its apprenticeship programme is another shining example of how investment in skills transforms lives. From health and early years education to engineering, digital skills and low-carbon construction, Bolton college is equipping young people with the expertise that businesses urgently need. During my visit, it was clear that the apprenticeship levy’s rigid restrictions —allowing funds to cover training but not wages—were directly preventing businesses from hiring more apprentices, so I sincerely hope that Skills England will review the levy so that more young people can earn while they learn and employers can fill those critical skills gaps.

The successes of OnSide and Bolton college provide proof of what happens when we invest in skills and opportunities. Now we must take those lessons and scale them up nationally. This Bill and Skills England are not just about educational reform; they are an economic necessity and critical for growth, because Britain cannot build, grow or lead without a workforce that is skilled for the future.

But let us also be clear about what Skills England is not. It is not another quango, it is not more red tape, and it is not just another Government agency. Skills England is a promise to young people that their future does not have to follow a single path, a promise to businesses that they will have the workforce that they need to thrive, and a promise to this country that Britain’s best days are ahead, not behind us. We need more builders, engineers, coders, carers and welders—the people who power this country—and I am proud that this Labour Government are ending the snobbery around skills and finally putting apprenticeships on an equal footing with academia. I wholeheartedly support this Bill and the opportunities that Skills England will create for my constituents, not least young people.