Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the adequacy of maritime (a) training and (b) employment opportunities in coastal communities.

The government recognises the vital role of maritime training and employment in supporting growth and opportunity in coastal communities.

The Department for Transport leads government policy on the maritime sector and, where maritime workforce needs relate to the wider skills system, engages with the Department for Education and the Department for Work and Pensions, who work closely on skills and employment matters.

Skills England works with employers and sector bodies to ensure apprenticeship and technical qualification standards reflect current and future needs, and its Occupational Maps explain routes into maritime careers. The government fully funds apprenticeships for eligible under-25s, providing a £2,000 hiring payment for non-levy-paying employers recruiting under-25 apprentices, supporting smaller maritime businesses.

Devolution will enable strategic authorities serving coastal communities to shape skills approaches around local labour market needs. This supports the government’s wider aim of ensuring that skills and employment provision better reflects the needs of communities across England.