Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to help incentivise young people to enter into apprenticeship schemes in the manufacturing sector.

This Government is transforming the Apprenticeships Levy into a new Growth and Skills Levy in England, backed by £1 billion of additional investment, to create more opportunities for young people and give employers greater flexibility to develop the workforce they need.

In August 2025, we introduced new foundation apprenticeships to give young people a route into careers in critical sectors, including engineering and manufacturing, enabling them to earn a wage while developing vital skills.

More widely, to deliver our ambition of 50,000 more young people starting apprenticeships we are introducing a new apprenticeship hiring payment of £2,000 for non-levy paying employers, typically SMEs, that take on 16-24 year old apprentices as new employees.

We will also fully fund non-levy paying employer apprenticeships for all eligible 16–24-year-olds from August 2026 and launch a £140 million pilot, in conjunction with Mayoral Strategic Authorities, to better connect young people to local apprenticeship opportunities.

The government also facilitates the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (AAN), comprising around 3,000 employer and apprentice volunteers who go into schools and colleges to share their compelling stories and experiences of what apprenticeships can do for young people.