Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Regional funding to train next generation of construction workers, published on 20 May 2026, what estimate she has made of the number of learners in (a) Basildon, (b) Thurrock, and (c) Essex expected to benefit from the funding allocations in each of the next three years.

This funding will increase opportunities for onsite experience for those learners on eligible qualifications, courses at Level 2 and 3, in Sector Subject Area 5.2 (Building and Construction), with 360+ guided learning hours, and excluding apprenticeships, National Vocational Qualifications, T levels and Skills Bootcamps. The learner numbers for the 2024/25 academic year can be found below:

Notes

1. Source: Departmental analysis of Individualised Learner Record.
2. Our data is based on an upper tier local authority structure. Thurrock and Essex are upper tier local authorities. Basildon is a lower tier local authority and is included within Essex.
3. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 learners.