Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure (a) students (b) mechanics in South Yorkshire have access to the (i) skills and (ii) training needed to service electric vehicles.

The department is committed to playing its part in supporting the labour market transition to net zero. This includes supporting key sectors including automotive and boosting green skills in regions such as South Yorkshire. Building on the Skills for Jobs White Paper and the recent publication of the net zero strategy, the department’s skills reforms will strengthen links between employers and providers, support workers in high carbon sectors with the transition, and help to build a pipeline of future talent. We have a range of existing programmes which support green skills for young people and adults in key sectors such as automotive. These include:

• Skills Bootcamps across England, including in electric vehicle maintenance. Skills Bootcamps offer free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills and fast-track to an interview with a local employer.
• The Emerging Skills Project in Electrification, which aims to encourage the adoption of cutting-edge skills in electrification technologies, such as battery-powered motors and drives, electric vehicle systems and software, battery maintenance, and recycling. The project is funding the development of short courses, teacher training support and free to access ‘up-skilling’ days in the latest electrification technologies.
• South Yorkshire’s local skills improvement plan Trailblazer and development fund pilot, which aim to make the local skills system more responsive to employers’ key skills needs.

The Green Apprenticeship Advisory Panel (GAAP) has also endorsed the following apprenticeship standards that are available and relevant to electric vehicle service and repair:

• Motor Vehicle Service and Maintenance Technician (light vehicle), L3, ST0033.
• Autocare Technician, L2, ST0499

Working with employers, the GAAP will continue to review existing apprenticeships standards to ensure they can further accommodate skills needs linked to key green sectors including automotive.

To support young people and adults to progress towards a green career, the department will ensure a strengthened system of employer-led standards are in place, underpinning apprenticeships, T-Levels, and new higher technical qualifications. We need employers in low-carbon sectors to play a central role in designing and developing qualifications and training; and demonstrate where there is demand for green skills, so that we can pivot our key skills programmes accordingly.