Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of (a) apprenticeships and (b) technical training opportunities for young people in coastal communities.

This Government is transforming the Apprenticeships Levy into a new Growth and Skills Levy in England, backed by £1 billion of additional investment, which will support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships and give employers, including in coastal communities, greater flexibility to develop the workforce they need to grow and succeed.

As published in the Apprenticeships Accredited Official Statistics publication there were 260 apprenticeship starts by apprentices under the age of 25 in the Southport parliamentary constituency for the 2024/25 academic year (August 2024 to July 2025).

To support non-levy paying employers (typically SMEs) to meet the additional costs associated with employing young apprentices, we are introducing a new apprenticeship hiring payment of £2,000 when they take on eligible 16–24-year-old apprentices, at all levels, as new employees.

Additionally, the government will fully fund apprenticeship training for non-levy paying employers for all eligible young people aged under 25 from the next academic year, to boost small business starts. At the moment, this only happens for apprentices aged 16 to 21 and apprentices aged 22-24 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or have been, or are, in local authority care.

Regarding wider technical training opportunities, we are supporting providers across the country, including in coastal areas, with over £18 billion per year of funding in post-16 education and skills, delivering record investment this Parliament. This includes specific interventions to drive skills and address shortages in areas such as construction, digital and engineering.

The Post16 Education and Skills White Paper set out our reforms to strengthen the skills system. New V Levels, the expansion of T Levels, and clearer Level 2 routes through Occupational and Further Study Pathways will ensure every young person has a clear choice of education pathways that support them to succeed in work and in life.

T Levels deliver strong outcomes, with 92% progressing to work or further study and many staying in related fields. Alongside other improvements the new T Level industry placement framework allows providers to tailor provision locally, including remote placements where needed, helping overcome barriers to face-to-face opportunities particularly in coastal communities.