Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to collaborate with educational institutions to provide apprenticeship opportunities in the agricultural sector.

The Department for Education (DfE) works closely with education providers and key partners such as Landex, the membership body for land-based education providers, to understand the challenges in delivering agricultural education and what support is needed to ensure everyone has access to high quality skills training.

There are 39 apprenticeships available for delivery in agriculture, environmental and animal care. To support more apprenticeship opportunities for young people the DfE provides £1,000 to both employers and training providers when they take on apprentices aged 16 to 18, and up to age 24 for apprentices with an education, health and care plan or who have been in local authority care.

We are working with industry and DfE to understand how the agricultural and horticultural sectors can make better use of the available apprenticeship system.