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The Government intends to run annual allocation rounds to support electrolytic hydrogen production, with the aim of having up to one gigawatt of electrolytic hydrogen in construction or operation by 2025.

The department wants all students to have access to high quality vocational and technical learning. That is why the department is reforming technical education to ensure that all post-16 students have access to high quality technical options that support progression and meet employer needs.

This includes the introduction of T Levels which are substantial, rigorous and focused on high quality learning, and include a substantial industry placement element of around nine weeks. They will provide the knowledge and experience needed for skilled employment, further study (including higher education) or a higher apprenticeship.

We will have 23 T Levels available from 2023 and the major providers of vocational education are already fully engaged with T Level planning and delivery, with over 200 schools also either planning or already offering T Levels.

We are also working closely with employers and employer groups nationally to build their awareness about T Levels and the importance of vocational education and to encourage them to offer industry placements.

Apprenticeships are a core part of the government’s skills agenda, helping to drive economic growth by improving the skills pipeline. They give employees high-quality, hands-on training to start and progress in work and give employers the skills they need to grow, helping them fill their vacancies and train their workforces to address industry skills gaps. They offer a high-quality route into more than 650 occupations, from entry-level to expert roles, spanning Levels 2 to 7. To support more employers across the country to access apprenticeships we are increasing funding for apprenticeships in England to £2.7 billion by 2024/25 financial year.

We have introduced Skills Bootcamps which offer free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills and the offer of a job interview with an employer. They are currently available across the country and deliver training in key areas such as digital, technical (including engineering and manufacturing), construction, logistics and green skills.

The free Courses for Jobs offer allows eligible adults to access over 400 Level 3 qualifications (A level equivalent) for free, in subject areas including engineering, construction, health and social care and accounting, which can support them to gain higher wages or a better job.

As of the 30^th November 2021, over 311,000 jobs have been approved for funding and around 110,000 Kickstart jobs have been started by young people. Over 223,000 jobs have been advertised and made available for young people to apply to through the scheme

Below are tables listing the number of Kickstart jobs which have been made available and started by young people to date by geographical area of Great Britain and work sector. The figures used are correct as of the 2^nd December 2021 and these figures have been rounded according to departmental standards.

Jobs made available and starts quoted here include some unfunded Kickstart jobs. Over time, some previously approved jobs have been removed where the employer chose not to follow up the application. Included in the Great Britain total are a small number of jobs made available (less than 100 in total) that have an unrecorded job location. Data on approved jobs is taken from a snapshot of the Kickstart system at a point in time. This figure can be affected by retrospective changes resulting from applications being rescinded.

The number of approved jobs is defined as the number of jobs associated with approved applications recorded on the Kickstart application system on the date above. This total excludes approved jobs that have been withdrawn from the Kickstart Scheme by agreement with employers and gateways.

Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, which has been developed quickly.

The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme.

Table 1- Kickstart jobs made available and started by location.

Table 2- Kickstart jobs made available and started by sector.

My Department is in constant dialogue with businesses in Northern Ireland to support them in adapting to new processes. The Northern Ireland Protocol means that there are no checks or controls when trading with the EU.

The Government has published extensive guidance for traders in Northern Ireland and Great Britain, and work is ongoing to ensure businesses are fully aware of the flexibilities and mitigations in place.

We are also backing Northern Ireland’s success with over £1billion of investment to deliver the Trader Support Service, develop new technology, contribute to the PEACE PLUS Programme, and further support businesses and communities as part of the ‘New Deal for Northern Ireland’.