Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has considered supporting the development of bridging courses for qualified British National (Overseas) visa holders in (a) teaching, (b) social work, (c) healthcare and (d) other professions to help support their entry into regulated professions in the UK; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of doing so on labour shortages in those professions.

Through the government’s Plan for Change and the Industrial Strategy, we are taking a strategic approach to addressing current and future skills gaps in our domestic workforce.

The government continues to ensure the skills system is responsive to employer needs and offers more flexibility. Through the formation of Skills England, the new Growth and Skills Levy, as well as qualifications reform and the Curriculum and Assessment Review, employers will be better supported to recruit and train the domestic workforce with the skills they need. The department will set out our long term vision for the skills system in a forthcoming post-16 education and skills white paper.

British National (Overseas) visa holders are able to take an apprenticeship, so long as they have been resident in the UK for three years and can complete the apprenticeship, including the end-point assessment, within the time remaining on their visa. They can also access training through the Adult Skills Fund, as long as they have been resident in the UK for three years. Eligible, highly qualified teachers who trained to teach in Hong Kong can apply for professional recognition through our digital service.