Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking help improve technical skill development in Aylesbury constituency.

High quality technical education is a priority for this government in order to boost opportunity for individuals and tackle skills gaps which are essential for driving economic growth.

The department has established Skills England is central to the government’s plan to ensure that we have the highly trained workforce needed to meet national, regional and local skills needs, such as those in Aylesbury. This is a critical part of the government’s mission to raise growth sustainably across the whole country, and to support people to get better jobs and improve their standard of living.

This government is transforming the failing Apprenticeships Levy into a new Growth and Skills Levy to create opportunities across the whole country and give employers greater flexibility to train and upskill their workforce. By allowing investment in a broader range of skills training, the department will empower employers to address critical skill shortages and drive economic growth. The department is developing the design of the Growth and Skills Levy and will set out more detail in due course.

In the Aylesbury region, Buckinghamshire College Group offers a range of T Levels, supporting 16-19 learners to develop their technical knowledge and skills and gain direct experience of the workplace through the integral industry placement.

The department has provided £2,054,400 of capital funding in the last two years to support the development of state-of-the-art facilities in Buckinghamshire. The Aylesbury campus of the Buckinghamshire College Group has seen the development of facilities focussing on key local sectors including Construction, Engineering and Health and Social care, supporting the delivery of new qualifications at Level 3, HTQs and degree apprenticeships.