Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if his Department will take steps to increase salaries in the Further Education sector.

Further education (FE) providers are responsible for setting pay rates in FE, and the department plays no direct role in this process.

The department recognises the fundamental role that the FE provider workforce plays in delivering valuable skills to young people, to help them progress in the labour market and support productivity. This is why we are increasing the funding available for FE and investing in workforce support and professional development.

The department is making an extra £1.6 billion available for 16-19 education in the 2024/25 financial year, compared with 2021/22. This is in addition to the £291 million extra for 16-19 education in 2021/22, and the £400 million that the government provided in 2020/21. The department is also investing nearly £52 million in the FE workforce in 2022/23, to continue to support the sector with the recruitment, retention, and development of teachers. This includes tax-free bursaries worth up to £26,000, which are available to support FE teacher training in priority subject areas for 2022/23.