Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of whether current apprenticeship uptake will meet the estimated shortfall in qualified cyber security professionals, identified as being experienced by 30% of cyber firms in 2024 in the Cyber Security Skills in the UK Labour Market 2024 report.

The latest published data shows 590 cyber apprenticeship starts in England in 2023/24. As apprenticeship statistics are devolved, comparable UK‑wide data is not published on a consistent basis. Apprentices alone will not meet industry demand for cyber security professionals. That is why we are expanding multiple entry routes, including apprenticeships, higher education and non‑traditional pathways. Through the new Growth and Skills Levy, the Government will support 50,000 more apprenticeships for young people and unlock shorter training options that can support frontier sectors such as cyber. In addition, the £187 million TechFirst programme will fund up to 4,000 students, researchers and innovators entering frontier industries, and help local firms fill around 1,000 tech roles, including cyber security roles.