Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the continuation of apprenticeships in Liverpool that have been affected by the liquidation of Carillion; and will he make a statement.

The government’s priority is to minimise disruption to the apprentices that have been affected by the liquidation of Carillion, and to find them new employers.

The Construction Industry Training Board has been identified as the best placed alternative training provider. They are on the register of approved apprenticeship training providers, and deliver good quality provision, with a proven track record of delivering the specific frameworks and standards that current Carillion apprentices are studying.

CITB centres are geographically situated between what is anticipated to be a reasonable travel time for the apprentices – and critically, they have the capacity and capability to take on displaced apprentices and study programme learners.

A dedicated team of advisers and assessors in the CITB are working with their established network of college partners to support all affected apprentices and study programme learners to complete their programmes. They are also using their existing employer contacts in the sector to find the apprentices alternative employers to complete their apprenticeships with. CITB has got in touch with 40,000 external contacts.

The Education and Skills Funding Agency has written to all affected apprentices, and the CITB have contacted over 1100. Over 550 apprentices have already been matched to an employer by CITB.

CITB have established a dedicated helpline for apprentices seeking support - carillion.apprenticeshipsupport@citb.co.uk or 0344 994 4010. CITB have also delivered a series of workshops for learners, which provided advice on next steps and 1 to 1 support as required.

CITB have written to all MPs outlining their support offer, including contact information which can then be shared with affected individuals within constituencies.