Oral Answers to Questions

Michael Tomlinson Excerpts

Tuesday 10th November 2015 Commons Chamber

[Luke Hall (Thornbury and Yate) (Con)]

4. What assessment he has made of recent trends in apprenticeship starts.

[Michael Tomlinson (Mid Dorset and North Poole) (Con)]

14. What assessment he has made of recent trends in apprenticeship starts.

[The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and President of the Board of Trade (Sajid Javid)]

More than 2.4 million apprenticeship starts have been delivered in England since May 2010, but we are now going even further. We are committed to 3 million more over the course of this Parliament and we will ensure that they deliver the skills that employers and the economy need for continued growth.

--- Later in debate ---

[Sajid Javid]

I am delighted to congratulate those who have started their apprenticeships in my hon. Friend’s constituency. There has been a 45% increase in apprenticeships since 2010, and we have ensured that they are high-quality paid jobs that last at least 12 months. The whole House should acknowledge the incredible work that has been done by the Minister for Skills, my hon. Friend the Member for Grantham and Stamford (Nick Boles) on apprenticeships. He has focused not only on quality but on quantity.

[Michael Tomlinson]

Cobham, a company in Wimborne in my constituency, takes on between 12 and 18 new apprentices each year, and there have been just under 700 new apprenticeship starts in my constituency in the past 12 months. Businesses are responding to the call for new apprenticeships, but may I urge the Secretary of State to ensure that these apprenticeships really are worth while and high-skilled, so that those who undertake them will really benefit from them?

[Sajid Javid]

I am delighted to say that my hon. Friend’s constituency has had a 37% increase in apprenticeship starts since 2010. I know that he is very passionate about this, and that he has done much to promote apprenticeships. He is absolutely right to talk about the quality. Higher and degree apprenticeships are widening access to professions, giving young people new, well-respected routes to professional education at some of our best universities.