Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what criteria the Institute for Apprenticeships uses to decide the level of STEM content required by apprenticeship standards; and what assessment he has made of the effect of that requirement on the costs to employers of providing off-the-job training for apprentices.

Our new high quality apprenticeship standards are developed by employers and contain the skills, knowledge and behaviours that an apprentice needs to be occupationally competent, including science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) content where appropriate. Employers are able to choose the standards that best suit their needs and can determine how off the job training content is delivered. We have therefore not made an assessment of the costs to employers of providing STEM off the job training content.

The criteria that the Institute for Apprenticeships uses to decide the level of STEM content required by apprenticeship standards is a matter for the Institute. I have asked its Chief Executive, Sir Gerry Berragan, to write to the right hon. Member and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.