Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the contribution of independent training providers to meeting skills needs in the industrial, energy and net zero sectors; and what steps she is taking to ensure independent training providers have access to adequate and sustainable funding.

The department assesses the contribution of training providers to meeting skills needs through analysis of delivery, provider capacity and employer demand, alongside Skills England’s assessment of national and local skills needs.

This includes provision supporting industrial, clean energy and net zero sectors.

Independent training providers are an important part of the skills system and can access government funding through programmes and contracts for which they are eligible, including apprenticeships. The department reviews provider capacity, delivery, and employer demand to assess how skills provision funded by the government is meeting the needs of priority sectors.