Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to increase the number of apprenticeships available in the Jarrow constituency.

We have introduced a wide range of reforms to apprenticeships to improve their quality and encourage employers to increase the number of apprenticeships they offer. This includes moving to new apprenticeship standards, designed by employers themselves, to give apprentices the skills, knowledge and behaviours that businesses need. Over 250 standards have already been approved, with nearly 300 more in development.

The apprenticeship levy and wider funding changes are designed to encourage employers to invest in apprenticeships and improve the skills of their workforce. To help employers to take advantage of the changes and increase the number of apprenticeships they offer, levy payers can now transfer 10 per cent of their levy to other employers, and we have released an additional £68 million to fund apprenticeships among smaller employers.

In the Jarrow constituency, there were 1,250 apprenticeships starts in 2016/17; and there have been 3,470 starts since May 2015.