Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department plans to take to help students studying classroom-based electrical technical diplomas transition into the electrical workforce.

The department is looking at ways of improving the transition rate from further education (FE) courses into construction sector jobs. This includes through the defunding of low-quality courses through the qualifications review.

The department is also working to find ways to narrow the practical experience gap that the industry reports is preventing them from employing people directly after achieving an FE qualification. We will likely need alternative bridging provision for some occupations for those completing FE courses. We are working with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and competency bodies to improve the learner journey and bridge the gap between achieving qualifications and being competent to begin work.