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

Lee Barron Excerpts

2nd reading
Tuesday 25th February 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lee Barron (Corby and East Northamptonshire) (Lab)]

I speak today in support of this much-needed Bill, and I ask Members to do the same. This Bill is not just a piece of legislation, but the foundation for an English skills revolution. It will give our workforce the right tools to boost our economy, fix the skills shortages and provide real opportunities for millions across the country.

I started off as an apprentice when I left school at 16. The academic school did not work for me as far as my education was concerned, but the apprenticeship gave me opportunities that I could not have otherwise reached. It got me into the world of work. It got me active and away from a desk, and it led me on to a path that, frankly, the classroom could not provide. For too long—this has already been said today—vocational qualifications have been looked down on and seen as second-rate, but they allow people to reach their full potential in a way that fits in with them.

This Bill is a crucial step in delivering the Government’s manifesto promise to set up Skills England, which will take a smart, joined-up approach to ensuring our workforce has the skills our economy needs. By bringing businesses, training providers, unions and local leaders together under one roof, we can finally build a system that works for everybody. Skills England will map out where we are falling short, make sure training fits with what businesses actually need, and oversee the new growth and skills levy, which will replace the existing apprenticeship levy. This means that businesses can put money into the right training at the right time, leaving both workers and employers with more.

Let us be honest: we are in a skills crisis. In construction, health and social care, engineering and digital industries, we simply do not have enough trained workers, which is why we have to move so speedily. According to the 2022 employer skills survey, more than a third of job vacancies are a result of people not having the right skills—the skills that we need—and that is not acceptable. We cannot allow a lack of training to hold our economy back, which is exactly what is happening at the moment. The Bill will ensure that apprenticeships, T-levels and technical qualifications match what employers need. Whether those involved are young people starting out or adults reskilling, they will know that they are on the path to a stable, well-paid job.

We must not ignore the damage done by those who look down on vocational training. We need to change the way in which we talk about skills, apprenticeships and lifelong learning, because those careers are not a back-up plan but a first-class route to success. The Bill represents a move to challenge the idea that the only way to get ahead is through university. It shows that we are serious about supporting technical skills so that no matter what path people choose, they have what they need to thrive in life and in work. I say to Members, “Ask yourselves this: do you want a skills system that actually works? Do you want to help build a workforce that is properly trained, valued and paid?” This Bill is our chance to fix skills training in England. It will give apprenticeships and technical education the attention, funding, and respect that they deserve. It will bring order, clarity and proper co-ordination, elements that our system has been lacking for too long.

In September I visited Corby technical school in my constituency, which is led by Shona Lomas. I was told about its approved partners scheme, a leading scheme in the area, which brings in business partners who support children through school, offer work experience and provide apprenticeships. When that school opened, it was looked down upon. It was talked down. People talked as though the kids who were not bright enough went to that school. That is wrong, because the kids who go to that school are well supported, getting on with partnerships and getting on in life through apprenticeships. The CTS scheme has now grown to 119 partners, including local schools, colleges and major local employers, and it has seen a rise in awareness and interest since the recent National Apprenticeship Week. Opportunities such as those give young people the skills and confidence that they need to get on in life.

We have more brilliant apprenticeships schemes throughout my constituency—some of which I visited recently—including those at 7formation, Asda, Carmack Engineering, Weetabix and RS Components, which was ranked 82nd in last year’s list of the top apprenticeship employers in the country. Those businesses are delivering what they can, but the Bill gives them the freedom and flexibility to deliver more. Most important, it provides the links that will enable us to build the future and the growth that our economy needs. These are the kinds of opportunities that we can grow and spread through Skills England and the powers in the Bill. Let us get our system in step with an industrial strategy, joined with local economies, to bring the skills revolution that our country so desperately needs. We can do that with the Bill.