Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 29 June 2015 to Question 3910, what partnerships with business his Department has formed to increase the availability of apprenticeships in Coventry.

The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) has employer facing teams and dedicated small business advisers that work with businesses across England to increase the availability of apprenticeship opportunities and Government funded training providers support over 3000 apprenticeships a year in Coventry.

The SFA also advised on the implementation of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership’s Apprenticeship Strategy Action Plan for 2014/15 that included direct contact with a number of employers such as JLR, GE Power Conversion, National Grid, Caterpillar, IBM, Rolls Royce, Aston Martin and Alstom UK.

The Coventry Growth deal is providing £18 million in 2015/16 for an Apprenticeship Centre at Warwickshire College. This will provide state of the art equipment and will support additional apprenticeships starts and provision in advanced engineering and manufacturing.