Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help improve post-18 education options for young people in Stockport constituency.

The department is investing £3.8 billion more in further education and skills over the Parliament to ensure people across the country, including in Stockport, have access to the skills they need to get on the ladder of opportunity and build a fulfilling career in jobs the economy needs.

We are investing a further £125 million in 16-19 education in the 2023/24 financial year and an extra £1.6 billion in 2024/25 compared with 2021/22. This is the biggest increase in 16-19 funding in a decade and will help to fund the additional students anticipated in the system, 40 extra hours per student, and an affordable increase in funding rates per 16-19 student.

This additional funding will help providers such as Trafford College Group, which includes Stockport College and sixth form campuses within Stockport at Cheadle and Marple. The department provided significant financial support to enable these Stockport-based campuses to become part of the Trafford College Group, which was awarded an Overall Effectiveness grade of Good by Ofsted in January 2023. The department has also committed to significant capital investment at the Cheadle Campus, supporting a £27 million condition improvement scheme.

We are increasing investment in apprenticeships to £2.7 billion by the 2024/25 financial year and supporting employers in all sectors and all areas of the country, including Stockport, to use apprenticeships to develop the skilled workforces they need. Since May 2010, there have been a total of 10,930 apprenticeship starts in Stockport.

As part of the department’s commitment through the £2.5 billion National Skills Fund aimed at re-skilling and up-skilling opportunities to make sure adults, at any age, can upskill to reach their potential, we have introduced the Free Courses for Jobs scheme. This enables learners without a level 3 qualification (or learners with any qualification level but earning below the National Living Wage) to gain a qualification for free. Residents in Stockport can access provision in a range of sector subject areas delivered through colleges and training providers in the area for example in accounting, creative digital media and counselling.

In addition, we have also introduced Skills Bootcamps, which are free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills and fast-track to an interview with an employer. All the Skills Bootcamps that the Greater Manchester Combined Authority deliver are available to residents and employers in the Stockport area. These include Skills Bootcamps in digital, construction, engineering, HGV driving and skills that support the green economy, delivered both online and face-to-face.

The department is continuing to invest in education and skills training for adults through the Adult Education Budget (AEB) at £1.34 billion in the 2021/22 academic year. The AEB fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to level 3, to help them gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship or further learning.

Currently, approximately 60% of the AEB is devolved to nine Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) and the Mayor of London. This includes the Greater Manchester MCA which covers Stockport. This gives the authority direct control over adult education provision for their residents and provides the local area with the opportunity to meet local needs.