Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve access to (a) high-quality technical education and (b) work-placed training in Cambridgeshire.

As announced in the Spending Review, the department is making over £1 billion of additional investment per year in skills by 2028/29.

This will support and grow the wide range of technical routes and work-based training available for people of all ages, across the country, including in Cambridgeshire. This investment includes:

• Widening the apprenticeships offer into a growth and skills offer, including new foundation apprenticeships, which will give more young people a foot in the door at the start of their working life.

• T Levels, a high-quality technical education option for young people, including a valuable workplace industry placement which prepares them work.

• Higher Technical Qualifications, occupation-focused level 4-5 qualifications, approved and quality marked as providing the skills demanded in the workplace by employers.

• Skills Bootcamps, giving learners the chance to build sector-specific skills with a job interview on completion.

• Free Courses for Jobs, giving learners the chance to access high value level 3 qualifications.

The department has also strengthened legislation to ensure all secondary pupils have multiple opportunities for meaningful encounters with providers of technical education and apprenticeships.