Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of the staff employed by his Department are apprentices.

The Department for Transport (DfT) remains fully committed to the Government’s apprenticeship agenda. Due to the diverse nature of our work, the central department (DfTc) and our executive agencies (DfT Group) have developed localised strategies to allow us to work towards the Government target.

As of 3^rd February 2021, there were 302 staff across the Department who are apprentices. This figure includes apprentices across the central department (DfTc) and our four Executive Agencies (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Vehicle Certification Agency). This is 1.92% of the total staff employed across the DfT Group (headcount data taken as of 31 December 2020).

This figure is made up of apprentices who have been externally recruited as well as existing employees currently undertaking an apprenticeship. This figure does not include apprentices recently recruited by the Department who are waiting to start their apprenticeship programme.