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

Leigh Ingham Excerpts

2nd reading
Tuesday 25th February 2025 Commons Chamber

[Leigh Ingham (Stafford) (Lab)]

The Bill is a crucial first step in the reform of the Government’s skills system. This Government are changing the narrative around skills. When I was younger, apprenticeships were often seen as something for working-class kids and a route into traditional trades such as plumbing, bricklaying—like my dad—hairdressing or being an electrician. Although those trades remain vital—indeed, our ambitious house building targets rely on them—skills today can be about so much more. They are the foundations of our economy, our technological progress and our ability to compete on the global stage.

The Bill underpins the Government’s aim for apprenticeships not to be just for 18-year-olds fresh out of college. In my constituency of Stafford, Eccleshall and the villages, many apprentices are over the age of 25. In fact, the majority of apprenticeships being taken up are advanced qualifications. Those people know what they want to do, may already have years of experience and are looking to upskill, retrain and take their career to the next level. We need exactly that kind of dynamic, lifelong learning.

We cannot just talk about improving skills—we need real, structural reforms to make that happen. That is why the Bill is so important. In October last year, the Government carried out a detailed impact assessment, looking at how it will affect learners, training providers, businesses and staff. The conclusion was clear: the Bill is essential to deliver the manifesto commitment to establish Skills England on which I and many of my hon. Friends stood.

We cannot continue to make the same mistakes made by last Government by keeping the fragmented approach of a slow, inefficient skills system. We do not have time for that. We need a joined-up approach that delivers for people who are trying to build their future, and for employers who are trying to build their business. For that reason, I was concerned about amendment 15 tabled to clause 11 in the other place, which introduced a one-year delay between the establishment of Skills England and the commencement of the Bill. I worry that that will delay the establishment of Skills England, and negatively impact employers, learners and the economy. I hope that the Government can minimise the impact of that amendment in Committee.

Hon. Members will often hear me champion Newcastle and Stafford college, based in my constituency, one of a small number of colleges nationally to twice achieve an Ofsted outstanding rating in all areas, including apprenticeships. It was recently praised for its “strong contribution” to meeting local skills needs, which is incredibly impactful on our local economy. The Bill will only help to increase that impact.

More widely, Skills England will work hand in hand with industry, employees and training providers to ensure we are not just reacting to skills shortages, but proactively identifying them. For too long, we have had a sticking-plaster approach to skills—and, let us be honest, to everything else—but that must change. We need to be strategic, focused and ambitious in developing a workforce who are prepared for the future. The Bill recognises those needs and confirms the manifesto commitment that I proudly stood on. I am delighted to see it progress, so that people in Stafford, Eccleshall and the villages can better access training and, ultimately, better jobs. I urge all colleagues to vote for the Bill.