Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether it is his Department’s policy to prioritise the take-up of higher-level apprenticeship programmes at Levels 4-7, over programmes at Levels 2-3.

Employers choose the type, level and quantity of apprenticeships that they offer, as well as when they offer the apprenticeships, to meet their current and future skills needs.

The Institute for Apprenticeships is supporting employers to design and take charge of high quality apprenticeship standards that give them the skills that they need. There are currently 390 standards available at all levels and in a range of occupations.

Apprenticeship starts at levels 2 and 3 make up the vast majority of the programme. There were 327,600 starts at these levels in 2017/18, which represents over 87% of starts. Apprenticeships at higher levels (from level 4 onwards) are continuing to grow, with an increase of 31.7% in 2017/18 compared to 2016/17. There were over six times more starts on apprenticeships at levels 6 and 7 in 2017/18 (10,880 starts) than in 2016/17 (1,700 starts).

This shows how apprenticeships are helping people to train in skilled occupations at all levels and to progress in their careers.