Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to help young people develop pre-employment and basic skills to help them into work; and if he will make a statement.

The Government supports a range of opportunities for young people of different abilities to help them develop pre-employment and basic skills to help them in to work.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills provides full funding for young people aged 19 to 23 to take their first full Level 2 and 3 qualifications and to progress towards those levels, giving them the opportunity to gain the skills required to obtain and progress in work. For young people who already have a full Level 2 or Level 3 qualification, the Department provides a subsidy towards further training at that level.

We also provide full funding, irrespective of prior qualification level, for training up to Level 4 for unemployed young people aged 19 to 23 in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance in the Work Related Activity Group or Universal Credit, who have had a skills need identified and where training will help them get into work.

As part of the Youth Contract, unemployed 18-24 year olds can access a careers advice session within the first 3 months of becoming unemployed. Between its launch in April 2012 and end September 2014 the National Careers Service has delivered careers advice to almost 450,000 unemployed 18-24 year olds.

Being competent in English and maths can make a real difference to a young person’s employment outcomes and their general well-being. That is why English and maths are at the heart of all our major programmes, and full funding of tuition costs is available for provision up to GCSE level in English and maths for those who do not yet have those qualifications.

In August 2013, we launched traineeships, which are available for 16-24 year olds. Traineeships is an education and training programme with work experience, focused on giving young people the skills and experience they need to be able to compete for apprenticeships or other jobs. From 2014/15 young people undertaking a traineeship, as well as all intermediate apprentices, will be required to work towards achieving a Level 2 in English and maths unless they already have Level 2 qualifications in these subjects. Provisional data for 2013/14 shows that traineeships are off to a good start with 10,500 taking up traineeship opportunities.